Ladies' Express.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 415, 30 September 1876, Page 2

Ladies' Express.

:o: Editor will be glad to give insertion to any local contributions from his lady friends that may be considered interesting in any family circle, or to the sex generally'] :o: CHILDHOOD. (By Longfellow.) O child ! O new born denizen Of life’s great city 1 oif thy head The glory of the morn is shed Like u celestial benison ! Here al the portal thou dost stand, And with thy little hand Thou opencst the mysterious gate Into the future’s undiscovered land, By what astrology of fear or hope Dure I to cast tby horoscope ? I,ide the new moon thy life appears ; A little strip of silver light, And widening outward into night, Tho shadowy disk of future years A prophecy and intimation, A pule and feeble adumbration, Of the great world of light, that lies Beyond all human destinies. — »—

A young lady who was rebuked by her mother for kissing her intended, justified the act by quoting the passage, ‘‘ Whatsoever ye would that.men should do unto you, do you unto them.” Tunics are now never looped up at the sides. They are made very long in front, coming down almost to the edge of the dress, and are gathered up at the middle of the back, where they are finished off with a sort of scarf, of one end or of two ends, trimmed like the tablier, or with a handsome bow and ends of very broad riband. The front of the tablier is often trimmed with a rowofbows, or of buttons. There is, however, an increasing tendency to return to single skirts ; but the eye has now become so accustomed to the flow of double skirts and to the “ bunchiness ” thence resulting, that single skirts are apt to look like mere petticoats, and the work of returning to them can only be accomplished gradually. Some of the leading dressmakers, with a view to this end, have begun to trim the front breadth (sloped) of dresses with elaborate bands, folds, or other ornaments, so as to give the front breadth the appearance of a tablier, but leaving the rest of the skirt to fall in free folds, as ten years ago. But the tunic style is so convenient and economical, enabling one to wear a skirt long after it would look deformed and shabby without that addition, that it will probably maintain its position for some time to come. There is little to be said of mantles, except that they all have long ends in front, and wide, drooping sleeves. Jet is in as much favour as ever : also rich, raisedembroidery, costly, andtherefore not destined to grow “common,” as did the broad braids, “ the rage ’’ early in the spring, and that have consequently been given up by the leaders of fashion. Hats now are mere low crowns, with only as much rim as will serve to support the wreaths that are again in favour; when these crowns are of the same material as the dress, they have no rim, but a quilting of the same, on which tht flowers or feathers, are set, with a plaited border of clear muslin or crape lisse, edged with narrow lace, between the flounces and the hair.