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Show Fancies ofFASHION J a asadaPhShsMMbSMssMwas'wsFhsMai'O TASTE IN TRIMMING OVERELABORATION A THING TO BE AVOIDED. Should Fit In with Gowns General Design in a Harmonious Manner-Ske- tch Shows Proper and Effective Decoration. Nothing Is more difficult in the planning of costumes than the happy disposal of elaborate trimmings so that they will make a costume striking rather than fussy and fit in with the general design of a gown in a perfectly harmonious manner. Some one has said that no trimming should ever be used without having a meaning, and ARAB! AH BETROTHAL. Model Showing Effective Use of Elab- BRIDE 'O orate Trimming. COSTUtlE this Is really true, for no matter how handsome trimming may be, plastering it on. hit or miss, will not add to the beauty of a costume but will, on the other hand, mar any gown and produce an effect of overelaboration and expensiveness rather than of real beauty. One often feels, on looking at a HE American girl .is so accustomed to a short, romantic courtship which reaches its climax in a large wedding with a double ring aervice, she imagines girls are wooed and won in the same way everywhere. Though men' are courted and girls are won the world over, there are many itrange and unusual customs associated with the winning. Even in Europe marriages are made much more conventionally than In this country, and it is only in most recent times that young men have been allowed to court girls without the consent and aid of their parents. But In France y among the haut monde the parents of the young man must be counseled, and unless be is 25 years old he cannot marry the girl without their consent. A far wiser way for him to do is to talk it over with the parents. If the girl is attractive and the family is congenial the parents of the young man make overtures to the girls parents. They are soon on a friendly footing and the question of marriage is readily settled. The settlement as to what the girl's dot shall be is an important . . point at issue. The Chinese, along with the Turks, believe that a girl is far better off dead than unmarried. Though they are exceedingly anxious to have their daughters married they believe it is beneath their dignity to carry on these negotiations themselves, but leave this work to a professional matchmaker. The visits the different homes alone, where she takes note of the age, education, social position and wealth of the different girls. She then gives a long and accurate account of the girl's family. One is selected from this number, and if both parties are satisfied the affair Is handed over to the necromancer. If the stars say the young people are selected wisely the betrothal is announced. But the matchmaker has still a part to play. Shortly before the marriage she brings the young girl the gifts the groom would send her. These usually include a leg of pork, a bag of money, two bottles of wine, and two candles. But the girl Is expected to return a part of these offerings. The Chinese parents do not believe, it is necessary for young persons to love each other so long as the augur is satisfied. The young man rarely sees the girl until after they are' married. When the bride .arrives at the home of the bridegroom he is there to meet $er, but when she steps out she is so veiled that her features are hidden. He leads her into the room where the ceremony will take place. Then he seats himself on a high chair to show his superiority and she prostrates herself before him until he lifts the veil and sees for the first time his future wifes face. The Russians are another people who believe, that marriage Is the only natural and rational destiny for a woman. Confident that Cupid is a foolish and erratic boy whose Judgment Is not always the wisest, they make use of a matchmaker, called svacha. She Is a most Important personage, and 'hen her Judgment, which is excellent, falls her he can call the stars, diamonds, hearts and clubs to her aid. But the marriage ceremonies are even more complicated. On the day before the wedding the bride is conducted to her bath. There her friends spend long hours combing her hair and while away the time singing and talking of what her dally life will be after she is married. The ceremony is performed ith the rites of the eastern church and takes place eight days before the marriage. The service is divided into three parts. The first is where the gold rings are exchanged. Then the bride and bridegroom are crowned with crowns of silver filigree, and lastly conies the dissolution of the crown?. Though matchmakers are not employed in Japun love matches are exceedingly rare, and it Is not un to-da- usual for a Japanese bride to commit suicide because she is not permitted to have the young man she would like to marry. The parents settle this affair often without consulting the young man and the girl. The man usually is given more leeway, and if he does not admire the girl the parents usually hunt another girl for him. The girl once selected, it is his duty to send her as many and as costly gifts .as his fortune will allow. GEORGm BRIDE The Swiss bride, especially In the upper classes, never accepts anything beyond Jewelry. Her parents are expected to buy her trousseau, furniture for the house, and her spinning wheel. The day of the wedding these things are exhibited, but at the bridegroom's house. Though in Switzerland no matchmaking is done, a young man must often prove to the girl he is worthy of asking for her hand. The girls always have the privilege of saying Yes or No, though in some places the choice of a bridegroom cls restricted to their own locality. In some districts a man must lead the goats up and down the mountain to show the girl he can work for hpr. In other towns where the haying Is done it is his part to stack up all the hay and pile it into the barn. Though she helps him in his long hours of toll, he is expected to do most of the work. Still he toils on bravely, feeling that he is being rewarded sufficiently by a pleasant word, a friendly Btnile, and that if the work is well done he has a chance to win her as his wife. Until recently in Egypt girls and boys were married when they were young. It was common for a girl to be married by the time she was 14 and a boy . when 16. But they now wait a few years longer. The parents always select the man they wish for The girl is satisfied to know that the she is going to have new dresses and a great deal . of new pretty Jewelry. The bride and bridegroom rarely see each other before the day of the wedding. An Important part of the ceremony is to give a bride food and a large urn. which symbolize that she will have food and water. There are no people so particular about selecting husbands and wives for their children as the Moors. Their sons and daughters have no right to say who they will and will not marry. For after the parents have chosen, a word of complaint might result in death. A son dare never take a wife unless his mother approves, and she is usually chosen from the young women of their own clan. But when they cannot find a girl in the village who pleases them they seek one among other clans. But the young man is supposed to be too timid to court alone the girl whom bis mother chooses, and so he usually takes several frieuds with him. It is their duty to sing the girl's praises in the hope of giving him courage to carry on the courtship. But the formal engagement must take place in the presence of the head man. It is before him that the young man hands over the sum he has agreed to give the girl's father. This varies according to what he can afford, the beauty of the bride, and their social position. The bride usually buys the trousseau with the money the young man gives her father. Moorish girls are exceedingly fond of pretty clothes and plenty of handsome Jewelry, so their trousseaux are often wonderfully elaborate. On her wedding day a professional woman from the town Is employed to dress the bride. She paints her face, combs out her hair, and arranges the jewels. Not much before sunset does the bridegroom send the box in which the bride is to be con- son-in-la- HOME-MAD- WHO COST AVRTiffE ducted on a mule to his house. Before she goes to his house she drives all about town. In some parts when the bride enters her new home the bridegroom walks backwards holding a dagger in his hand and she follows him, touching the ptont of the blade with the tip of her finger.- Where a family can afford it a girl usually is accompanied by an old nurse, who gives her good words of counsel as the lazy mule trudges along leisurely. Before she leaves the girl, whom she has cared for since the bride was a child, she whispers: ."Take courage; you need not fear. He cannot help but love you ; you are sweet, good, and kind Among primitive peoples marriage usually is more insistent and girls are courted in even a less romantic manner. Among the Australians every girl must marry, whether she will or not It is considered wonderfully strange if a girl is 12 years old and is still unmarried. This la not because the girls or parents are romantic, but the parents feel that a girl is only worth the toll she gives. "The man, says the Rev. II. C. Meyer, "regards them more as slaves than in any other light .They are a necessary commodity, valuable only as long as useful, to be thrown aside after they serve their purpose. Worse still, their masters can throw them out and divorce them at will. The Kaffirs buy their wives with cows and do not pay more than they can help. A woman no sooner enters her new home than she is given some task to perform so her Jord can see if he has made a good bargain. He values her less than his cows. This 4s seen by the fact that he permits her to do all the work except tend to his cattle and enter the kraal where they are kept. BLACK FOX FARMS. Consul John H. Sherley writes from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island: "There are three black fox farms near Atherton where these animals are raised for their skins. These farms contain 20, 25 and 30 foxes, respectively. The skins are sold in London at prices ranging from f.r00 to 11,800 each, according to quality. I am informed that the fur Is used for ornamenting the cloaks of rojalty, as It is the only fur to which gold will cling. The farm containing 30 foxes is on Cherry's Island. The farm containing 20 foxes is in a rough, broken woods country, where the animals are confined by heavy woven-wir- e netting. The .wire is set in the ground two and three feet, in order to keep the foxes from burrowing under, and Is about eight feet high above ground, with a curve Inwardly at the top of each post of another three or four feet or wire, in order to keep them from climbing over the fence. They Bleep in the open the year round, In hollow trees and In hollow logs. These animals are not cross-bred- , but are confined to their own kind, to keep the fur of the best quality pos-- . slble. LINGERIE HATS. handsome gown which Is trimmed most elaborately but perhaps not in the most perfect tHste, that It would be much better without, most of Its adornment, and In such a case the cost seems a of handsome trimmings ! wicked extravagance. The gown shown Is a good cxnmple of a costume which has been trimmed eluboratety and effectively. The costume Is undoubtedly a striking one, scarcely suited to a woman of very quiet taste, but there are many women to whom striking costumes are most becoming, and who should therefore not hesitate to wear them, and for such the arrangement of trimming shown In the illustration Is a most attractive one. The design may be carried 'out either with embroidery wrought on the material, with allover embroidery such as may be had In the shops, with heavy applique or passementerie, or with a pattern cut from brocade or flowered silk and appllqued to the material of the gown. The house gown, shown in the Illustration, of black and white messoline, tells how the Btrlped fabrics are employed as trimming. It shows also the high-cu- t skirt and the ubiquitous vest of shirred chiffon and exquisitely embroidered banding. This striped material in black and white is very dashing, but tho color combination in the strip of embroidered net Is most delicate, soft pinks, blues and dead white. A word of warning in making up all fall raiment Avoid the conventional petticoat or drop skirt. Dressmakers will stand out for taffetas, bccaime It has body, but get a supple taffeta, and if you can Induce the lady of autocratic habits to use It select messa-lin- e of the softest quality. Your frock must not be bouffant but must give tho effect of no lining, no petticoat, to be truly smart. Soft Leather Belts. Sonic of tho wide soft leather belts have a line of rather large ste I jiuil heads set along the upper edge only and buckles covered with leather and ornamented wdth steel. Others are tooled in gold along the upper edgo in a Greek key or scroll design and have large Blmple gold buckles curving in to fit the waist. These belts are among the favorite models in an exclusive shop and are offered In many shades or are made to order In almost any shade desired. FOR THE MEMORANDUM 6LIPS. Dainty Millinery That Can Be Produced at Small Cost. Useful Article on Writing Table or te Hang on Wall. Dainty little lingerie hats that can be made at home are in shape all crown, growing slightly larger at the base, where they set well over the hair. They are made of ruffle of lace edged muslin, preferably plaited or fluted. Three of these ruffles run down, two up the side of the hat A tiny embroidered rose stem (with here and there a leaf also In embroidery) covers the line where these ruffles are joined. And this stem Is held In place by four huge wild roses, set in singly In front, in back, and on either side of the hat. The top of the crown la d ruffles. also of It would be a simple matter to make this bat of ruchlng (of lawn and lace) such as comes by the yard. This, too, is already fluted and made in a double ruffle. Vogue. Should we be in the habit of t.avlug the unused of note paper that are so useful for many purposes, then It becomes necessary- to make some kind of receptacle for them, and In our sketch we show a capital little half-sheet- s - lace-edge- Do You Want to Be Thin?. ' if the woman who is bound and determined to grow thin would realize that in her efforts she Is often adding five or six years to her appearance by letting her face get too thin, she would be more content with her own figure. When too much flesh is removed from the face the skin becomes wrinkled and creased and often bags In an unbecoming manner. A thin face is a great deal older looking than a plump face unless, of course, there are several double chins, so It really is a tossup which one prefers, a youthful figure or youthful contour of face. As a woman grows older it is almost invariably becoming to add to the plumpness of her face. Fruit 8Hades in Cloth. The Paris dyers say that most of the cloths this winter are in fruit shades. Raspberry red and plum purple are among the ones that are best known. Orange and banana yellow, apricot and citron are also among the well known dyes. - - article of this description. It is in tended for hanging on the wall by the side of the writing-table- , or it may, if fitted with a support at the back, be itmade to stand on thr writing-tablself, and in that case, there should be no loop of cord on the lower side. Seven inches in height, by five inches In width, is a good size to make it In, and for the foundation, stout cardboard may be used. This can be Bmoothly covered with any pretty piece of material, and edged with cord. A pocket is arranged in the lower s of part,' into which the r may be slipped, and where they will be ready to hand when required. On the pocket the words "Lest we forget" are worked in silk. e half-sheet- note-pape- vivraviVivrivrriVivrrYiWLruwuviAnAiviAMx a comfortable bed for Invalids, make a pillow that will reach from shoulder to hips, not too wide, of some smooth material, such as sateen, etc.; fill with whole flaxseeds. This will never lump or get hot or in any way uncomfort- If any member of the family is very sick at the stomach beat up the white of an egg and let him swallow It. It acts like a chatm. Washing the eyes morning and night In water as hot as it can be borne Is a wonderful tonic for those useful servants' which are so easily injured. To Drevent bed sores and to Insure able. If you have been a victim of colda with the approach of winter stop to consider the cause, in nine times out of ten it will be found that you are afraid of fresh air. Keep your windows up as far as they will go at night and the more windows you have the better chance will there be that yon rout the cold habit. Rosettes for Buttons. As' fashionable as big, black soft satin buttons are, some of the smartest coats show rosettes instend. These are placed at regular intervals and are made of panne velvet or satin. ' |