THE TUBE FROCK.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 417, 28 January 1909, Page 3

THE TUBE FROCK.

... > "Lajjemine;Tube i ' , ;or Js 1 already.vaVfamiliar-figure.yin London,''.says: : environment ; ', is;.nofcyet;an extensive" one. v;At.present she, i : vrrtayvibe>;s^n r ,"-in-vß(indySia;6et';.aiid : :9«gent- ' .'^Street l ' making her.Christmas/purchases. '"'■-"•■■ W-; ,th'at;causes r 'a ; wbmarii : to: : look- • ', ; ;like-;.a:'tube■ or,| "stove-pipe : is built straight.up ...and ! down .with only 1 -the'' -merest indica- ■ ■:;;tiprilof ;alwaißt.>it'.iß. designed .on:'the "lines ■ of;.an;'ecclesiastical-•vestment;,'.. -.;.-.: ; f '--!;;"Soutane,": "cassock,'' and:'.'frock", .are . '.; : names'- given' .to.':the; 'clinging_ robe,- ■>a distinguishmg. mark \of ;-' Tvhicli: is the rigidly : eevere/lino of ..buttons "that, fastens "it-, either \ straight down "the .back'"or' straight.'down the ; ;.-'■'.;front./ '\ ;:: :; ■':."'.•'.■':';-- .Vv-'^:'..'-: '^'-';^ : . -.- : -''■'".','"', '; .'' ; rfo v wonder'-;,-the .title..'' "stove-pipe".-, is ■•■■ given to v the■ woman, .who'packs, her body ..': into' a frock -of ', this:, severely - simple order. , ,'»nd .does, "all > she - can: to make' her-figure, .';'■• shapeless:'"- English ' corsetieres,' however, -view "the., situation -with.' little.'.'.alarm. ; It ~Vdbes':not.matter'^to them, whetharj-ther.waist ':: is'eliminated from- the'.-".catalogue..of- a' wo-; -man's "charms or: not.,: A .'woman' must; be -■.•'. : 'c6rse'ted'-Wvperfecti6h : ;br-.iio,''-'dres's will,really; i'become her..:.' The,; fact :that the' new rigid ... and ;extra "long "corset is.'not comfortable for. feneral. wear will make.it little, sought:after y the ..woman ..who . is; sensible. ;and is ;rio islavo to dress. .Such awoirian will, not con- • sent to '■' wear, a garment that grips her like •■;; a vice.and -causes :her; to. look waist'.ess, and . yet .; makes Tall:' her- movements: difficult. -.. -. :' The Birmingham: coroner ' investigated, a ./.casem'which death was'due to-the wearing' of;high-heeled "boots; A:' woman .was ■ going : downstairs with a lighted ;lahip in her hand .'■•;■: when she. stumbled owing. to the heel of-her V boot catching .against;; the - edge "of -one of -.-.[■■. the ...'stairs".;.!-In hor Jfalltlielamp.'was.-broken,' "arid .her clothing.catching-fire, she was burnt ,y to; death'. ..The:boots.wero.produced, and- the, ■'■'"-;' heels were found to be three, inches high. .-A ';verdw* - "f: accidental death :was returned.'

THE /CHILDREN AND.; PETER PAN. ■"'' Miss.Pauline Chase, who for five successive ChTittaases.'ha's'acted the part.of Peter .Pan irißarrie's most popular play, has receiyed so many delightful .letters fromtho ■'. little people 'who, accept' her in .absolute trust, that, she has : .cx>llected and published a typical collection/of/them: -She has written; an intrbduc'tion; which/is'almost delightful,: but too long to quote-in;full.', i "Every December." .'she says, "a"terrifying ceremony takes' place beforel 'Peter Pan' is produced,'' and this is .the measuring' of the children who .play in - it. They are measured to see whether, they' have grown too tall,' arid they can all squeeze down : into/ about two inches-less; than they really are; but 'this 'does not deceive the management; who rhave' grown frightfully knowing,' :and! sometimes ,they'.frown horribly.at; you, and;say,'.'We!shall pass;you this; year,-, but. take -care' madame, tateoare!' arid sometimes you are told, .-.'lt "do, my lad; : , you. are, '. grown, out; of-knowledge:,,'.',We', are sorry" for -yoiii'-'- but— .Measuring ,day,'is' one. of th'etragedies of:! Peter Pan.'Captain Hook is the one who.makes.them Hold,their breath. 1 ■ We' hear the shudder 'of them when 1 he announces that he is to doforustfith poisoned .cake,'. and -we, hear ..gasps, .too,; and', .wriggles, .as .if /someone .wanted to 'get ; .riearer.'' iris ; mahima; and we; see perhaps 'a box suddenly .look;empty,./because, the occupants are now ; hiding .in the ; back of»it., Bnt,soori they.creep. into" ; view again because of.' a - rumour''that Peter is getting the, better of' Hook,: and they shout;,out ;! advice to '• me. about where to. hit him, and are uproariously vl.wmj' tho reason, for, this.(as'l have.discov-f rered)/being 'riot ■'. 50,.; much /anxiety; about me as a firm conviction in, every'ono of the boys,, "at 'fall events', that he' is Peifer.: _ You: never never:oan tell how the awful villainy of Hook will.'aiTect; ohUdren.:,; They:shout out their: thoughts'tousacross.the footlights, address?; : irig" us-by; name; ; with /pleasing f ;' frahkriep/ ;'Don'ihelieve;Him,''Peter^,they-.cry; ; : : 'Peterj look out,' /he's coming.'jdown '}. the :■ -tree I' . or, ,/'How/are you, Wendy? I'm here to-day.!'.;,, '/., , u l ; know '0f... one) little'. girl;.: whose. mother, exp.ected.to have to coinfort her in the agony 'scene,/when Hook .puts .his. head in. at': the' :do'orand glares;at;Peter.asleep,;, This; is/the 'moment that curdles their blood -most, butshe. was riot.dismayed.'/ 'I do. love/thatman;''she. called 'but, that, we all .heard, her. .;-No;/ you; 'never can, ..tell : how ,'tbey _'will, take it.. J Hook ■ has. a■; soliloquy, on', the pirate ship, 'No, little ■ Children;loVe''me,':and stern Voices;in,frpnt haye.'beeri'lie'ard calling out; in .reply, 'Serves, you' ; right!': but:all/are not so hard-hearted. 1./ remember:, two -mites, beirig' brought /round behind- the. scenes because they -had some-; thing they'.wanted' to' say to :Captairi Hook, but awe fell upon' them .when he shook their hands';(with'his hook),.and.'they,..could;,;orily; ■ stare at. him-and say .not a.' wo'rq..- ; .': Wheri/..h0; I had ■ gone,. howover, they looked very : ; woefiil f ' and kept. repeating, .'We wanted to tell him, ;; we wanted to tell ■ him!' and •. they: explained -to: me" that -what: they' : wanted to, tell him ,;was' /'that '11163;- loved him..;.. ■;; v\ '■ ■'■:;■?. ■;'./ ■'/.' ■£ good: iriahy, of .them come around, to/see: usjiand/it .is easy;,forV Wendy;.to,be;pleasant to.the'mV'as .what they chiefly seem to; want of.-her is. toVsit beside'her ■ and hold her 'hand; When .there ns.silenqe;. in; Wendy's rqom;that js-;usually-what:istakirig;placeV;vlt is simple: for. her; .as,'they to: be-able to teach; them to fly. ..But' they/do /expect this of mej.:arid;they:stand:'6i;my./chairs/so happily,' .and '.say, ..'Now',, shallllet go ?'/with; such/faith iri'me ,fhat; 1; often .find;it jigpriis? ing.-. :I.also/sometimes-.wish/I :did'not carry farry'. 'dust iri, the -first.'act,-,for/ they,-;come'.' begging'.for a,'few','grains: of/.it, and I-haye to say,-1 can't give. it. them -now,- but ;if/ijhey will'leave. their'inursery, window;-open,;:then some -.. "Even--now I, have riot : .to|d;,my*rea'l!y':,seri?: bus reason for''beins.nervous -ivhen; childreiv; come knocking It" is this, thatif, they 'arethe.yery nicest, "kind little round: balls,' .they never, doubt; that '. .l. really; am a'boy, arid. all the: time; tlie'y; ai;o/ -staring at me I.am'in a'panic.lest'.they dis? cover.. the' horrid -truth. /The girls/may, sit ■beside me and hold my hand, ■: but' with boys T'lrirSst be. so'careful; they expect':manlier;, ■thihgs.;of':me. : ,/: Often: I have.-.'given,•'■.myself away,'.and;been'unable riot.to squdg'e ,them;', ;,!: '.'Sometimes, ,h6weyer,:l, have a/victory'.j-'A ;ybung: "gentleman../.'of. about .'"six . 'waS' brought ; td,.see:mo,.and ligathere'd from,his mtroductory.,./remarks;/that: his /big s brother had mado/hi'm/uneasy-about my/sex: '.He/put, two cunning/test/;questions,;to me'(probably suggested/'.by /his brother)..'/ The first was; 'Can yoii, whistle ?'r By great .good luok;'I obrild whistle that day. -Then,".-'What":do ybu. think /of': -kissing?! .'he : ,asked; anxiously: /'Rotten,'.l.said: Theri/he knew.l:was all/right;; /;,.;: :>,/;-" : "/;;.; v ".One/of. these: boys,', who had: such/an;an- ; gelicfa'ce that'it:was;awful to;bear the qiiesi tiori co'mefrom' his; lips;, said; ''I)o you tbirik that ifl was i frightfully/gbod ; for ; a'''year'th4y/. .would"le't.''irio' ; be' : a;/.pirate?' -.■.'■■' ■■.■:':;'.:,!':;

' "I.think the very nicest, story Iknow.aboiit the'■■'■ play;'is7orie':of/',somri children .who;have an; exceedingly/, prim/and proper nurse, "arid 'now* since, ! .thoy .have"seen : .'Peter tPari.V'they won't go; to'sleep'till/she; barks at. them./i.;.;"' - v; ; "They'.'all';lov'e.'Nana;'/thb'-.dog, and I'sup'r pose they' know - she/ is ■ played-, by! a 'human -nbt/allrtHeir'elders seem'; to. know'; it,'/ for/ .We > have : heard- of a nice' old lady saying'at the end' of ''tho: play, - 'It is ;worider? ful how .'they-train/animals',nowadays.'.. .And-,l-'think';she was/another "nice la"dy:(and iprbb?' ably 'a 'Nana herself) /who summed ;up /'Peter Pan! ;in /these'.words: 'It;.never would -have happened,if they..had-had, a proper nilrsei"-':v