DRESS-STARVED RUSSIA.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 237, 17 May 1928, Page 2

DRESS-STARVED RUSSIA.

STORY OF A PARTY. University life m Russia after the Revolution offered few relaxations, •uni the rare parties that were given went off without any worries about ‘changing’; we were glad enough to brave the streets in whatever warm clothes wo possessed. But onca we heard that a group of Czecho-Slova-kian students were coming to pay us a visit, and we made up our minds to give them a real dance. A good deal of cold water was thrown on the plan by the wiser and older students. ‘Surely, a dance must mean more or less appropriate clothes. How are you going to manage it, with rough twoad skirts, eternal shirts —and these with frayed collars—and felt boots?” But those who were most enthusiastic formed a committee and set to work, without talking too much about their plans. Fortunately, we had plenty of time in which to carry out our ingenious schemes. There were sixteen girls in our Seminar, and we had to get sixteen frocks Our “chairman” announced that it might be found necessary for everybody to wear dresses of identical material and design-. We asked no questions. She went on thinking hard. Not far. fr.om .-the- University stood an utterly deserted palatial mansion. Nobody seemed to worry about either the house or its furniture. There was no caretaker. And in that mansion there seemed to bo enough material to garb hri.out one hundred girls. The Committee did not go in for plundering,' of course. A formal permit was Obtained 'and, cririoii&iy enough, tlie request caused --no Curiosity on the part.,of authorities:.. At that.time, such things, wpre cl quo an.d xjon-e, quite ofThe, day ciirpo whop our leader, arrfied witli the permit, took us along.

We'found ourselves in a vast, ballroom, adjoining a salon. I can’t remember how. many windows there were in both rooms. Furniture stood intact, though it was dusty beyond description. And curtains hung at all the windows —-curtails of laco and of gauze,. pale pink and deep golcl a falling in rich generous folds. “I have a permit for them,” said the chairman.

At first we stood aghast. And then we got to -work*, cutting off yards and yards of soft clinging stuff, till wo were utterly enveloped in pale rose and deep , gold clouds! It was a lovely party, with sixteen

of us dressed in pale rose and deep gold. But the Czecho-Slovakian stu dents looked puzzled. They seemed to find it hard to reconcile our party frocks with the wide-spread rumours of clothes-shortage in Russia. Of course, we never told them the story of the curtains! Edith M. Almodiugen.