Mrs,, Letttter Gr&ce Be&uly fi? fee Ke¥ §Bsirt —Create!? ©f F&sibiioirjs f@r Wonjei) ©f Pasifrii©2? £f? ever since 1 re "'ff //If turned from the '/it F ! other side bring !f 112 ' ing with me a i| H number of mod els of the new Pa quin skirt which have aroused a storm of comment, curiosity and questions. It is a beautiful skirt, I think, though for a time I stood quite alone in that belief. A skirt that clings so closely to the figure that a strained dragged effect is only prevented by the soft folds over front and back Introduced by the master hand of Paquin. It is these folds, suggestive of the lines of a habit skirt, that dif ferentiate the Paquin model from the familiar sheath skirt of several years ago. I have been so besieged with queS' tions regarding it that it occurred to me that this letter gave me an excel lent opportunity to gather my thoughts coherently together, and to give a formulated expression of them to all who are interested. And that is a large number. For when a change of this kind comes to us—a change so startling, so radical, so diametrically opposed to every thing that has gone before it, the natural psychological process is a gradation from amused interest, through reluctant admiration to final enthusiastic adoption. 1 will tell you a little incident that occurred at the time of its debut in Paris. It was one night at Durand's. Half the English-speaking world of Paris goes to Durand's, and I was of that half that night. A woman swept across the floor to a table near the far end of the salon. There was no need to ask who she was.and only the innate good breeding of the wom en loitering over their suppers kept a soore of lorgnettes from being raised In her direction. Madame Paquin at any time with her grace and beauty is an object of interest to Parisiennes, but Madam Paquin in a new Paqufn creation holds an insatiable interest for the world at large. There was no question that night nor the next day —when all Paris was talking of the new Paquin skirt—of its vogue or its' beauty. The only question every French woman was asking herself was, "Can I wear it?— Will it be pos sible to adapt, it to me?" When I returned from Paris full of enthusiasm for the new skirt —an en thusiasm inspired, I frankly confess, not so much by Paquin's belief in his own creation as by the concrete ex ample of its effectiveness on the beau tiful Mme. Pa-quin—my ardor was con siderably dampened by the attitude of unenlightened and unappreciative America. American women are too self-con scious. Now I have said something that has been on my mind for a long time. A Frenchwoman will spend hours on her toilette, and, when she has , finished, her dress is complete, perfect, a part of herself. She dis misses it from her mind, and is no more conscious of it than she is of the gestures of her beautiful white hands, or the inherited vivacity of the Gallic race that, plays over her piquant face. Put with us! "Are other people wear ing it?" is the question that indicates a subservient attitude which would rather clothe itself in inconspicuous mediocrity than take the risk of being original. And so when I presented the Pa quin skirt there were no expressions of delight over the possibilities un limited which it presented as a me dium of individuality for every wom an. "Oh, how very odd!" was the uni versal comment, accompanied by a I half-concealed smile. "It really makes her look like a top!" and the smile would broaden into a ripple of sheer amused laughter, while my poor model strode from the room indignant at the ridicule. And then the laughter would stop, and the scoffer be surprised into a half-unwilling admiration of the grace ful, swaying figure, its beautiful son tour outlined, defined, emphasized by the clinging, slieath-like skirt. The very woman who will raise an objection to the Paquin skirt will go to a glorious struggle with the surf, accompanied by several men of her acquaintance; and emerge looking like nothing quite so much in the world as a beautiful, unconscious sea-nymph. Is she immodest? Certainly not one American woman in a thousand —no, nor one in a hundred thousand, would call her so. Yet this same woman will sit down and think for a long time be fore she will commit herself to a gown that so much as suggests the gracious curved lines of her body. And her French sister, who will de plore with significant gestures of up raised hands and shoulders the im modesty of mixed bathing, and will be decorously rolled to the edge of the water in her bath wagon, will adopt the new skirt with no compre hension of the qualms of the Ameri can. Perhaps it is because I have lived so much abroad that 1 can see more easi ly and clearly from the French point of view than from the American. And then to me the possibilities of beau ty in something new appeal most pow erfully, Yet in reality the Paquin skirt Is not new, nor can we claim it as an ex clusive invention of the twentieth cen tury. More than 100 years ago the French recognized its possibilities and developed them into what have come down to us as the Directoire styles. Not of the skirt alone is this true, but of the coats that accompany it. Short-waisted affairs they are, with full cutaway skirts, overelaborate, fanciful if you will, but graceful and charming nevertheless. It may take a little time before the American woman will give the Paquin skirt her generous, unqualified ap proval. Rut 1 am optimistic, and I fimly believe that year by year we grow in appreciation of the beautiful, in a broader conception of the true significance of lovely lines and colors, and that, given time, we eventually accept the best that is offered to us. In reverting to this older type of dress I can frankly say I am glad of the change, not that I like change merely because it means novelty, but because I welcome it when it stands for esthetic development.* And so I say very emphatically that I do like the Paquin skirt; that I hope, though I cannot prophesy, that it will have a long-lived vogue. Paquin has adopted it, and Paquin leads Paris as Paris leads the world. You and I follow, but not, I hope, like poor stupid sheep. Examine it for yourself, and if any thing I can say he!ps you to view it more intelligently and more appre ciatively, well and good. But if your taste and judgment reject it, my dear madame, remember that you have quite as good a right to your opinion as I have to mine. Indeed, I have an honest contempt for the woman whc will adopt a fashion merely because it is fashionable and decry it as hideous, unsightly, impossible. Velvet Medallions. The making of tho velvet, medallion is a thing which a woman should un derstand if site is going to do her own dressmaking. The medallion is shaped like an oval or a circle, and is worked in colored silks, and is used as a skirt trimming. Half a dozen are placed around the skirt at regular intervals and connected with bands of velvet. No dressier trimming can be found for the suit of broadcloth. CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1907. V S\ Advice Shower" lis Latest Nevelt y Evolved f!b® ©f ISflide-to-IBe — rsKff?£ f'sr <©lb»aE 112 on?i Suo^&ys An Advice Shower. Quite the newest tiling for the bride elect is the "advice" shower. Not that the fair young creature is sup posed to profit by it, not in the least, for she, like the rest of us, must learn by hard, cold experience. Such an affair was given recently; it was a luncheon and the young woman was the guest of honor. 1 he hostess sent with the invitation slips of gray paper of a uniform size, with the request to write 11 bit of ad vice for the bene lit of Miss 15 All the guests were married —young matrons of about a year—and all sure that they knew just the proper way of managing "John," "Jim," and "Sum" in exactly the very best way. When all were at the table, which was done in pink chrysanthemums, with a great fluffy '"muni" at. each place, the guests were asked to read the quotations on their cards, which all savored of love and good wishes for the honored guest. Then, when the wa brought in, the hostess asked the guests to read in turn the tulvice which they had brought. These selections were exceedingly clever, and kept the party in gales of laugh ter. They were all given to the bride, after having been slipped into a dainty cover of tooled leather made for the purpose. One bride of six months had writ ten. "Never offer to mend your hus band k clothes or press his trousers; if you do he will soon be asking you to make over his whole dress suit." Another one said; "Always play the part of the clinging vine, for it makes husband act the part of the sturdy oak." One matron, quick with her pen and wits, had written a set of The Wife's Ten Commandments." The "shalt nots" were roundly ap plauded. For Children on Sunday. The following questions have been asked Madame Merri: What do you think about children having guests on Sunday, and what can you suggest to amuse little folks in the hour before supper? It is not a bad idea to let the chil dren ask a guest or two occasionally to share their Sunday pleasures and the pleasant tea afterward, but as a rule it is better to keep the day sacred to the family, for in most families it is generally the only day parents really have time to devote to their children. I heard a father say once that he did not know how he would ever get ac quainted with his little boy and girl if the wise Lord had not provided Sun day. Not Kimonos. Giddy as those most intimate gar ments designed to electrify the privacy of a woman's own boudoir are the new evening coats. They look exactly like kimonos. A whole menagerie of gold dragons and purple lizards and green snakes crawl up the back and down the sleeves of these oriental wraps, which are made of silks and satins, in loose Chinese cuts, in black, buff, or ange green, blue or white. A theater going crowd so arrayed will bear the aspect of a fancy dress ball. Half-Length Coats. For the severe tailor-made suits the style for this fall which will he most frequently seen is a half-length coat, cut away sharply in front, and some times edged with a wide silk or mo hair braid to match the cloth. The sleeves are full length, and a smart touch of color is seen at the collar, cuffs and buttons. The skirt will be short length and plaited, though the plain circular model also promises to be in vogue. Siflunipfl© The girl and woman who wishes the touch of individuality given by her monogram can easily embroider both her underwear and household linen if at all clever, with her needle. By selecting the initial of the first name and simply combining that with the initial of the last it is not nearly so difficult to evolve one's monogram as is generally supposed and costs nothing but the time it takes. Then use soft filling cotton to trace the letters, using a little chain stitch to give a pad ded look, and tho work with fine mercerized floss that comes for the purpose; the result more than pays for the small amount of time, trouble and cost the latter only the few cents for the working cotton. French hand made underclothing is always attractive and expensive as well, because of this very fashion of fine embroidering. Any girl may have her own quite as dainty if she will. One's name in script is sometimes used" the writing should be heavier to mak« the embroidering natural, There are many valuable books which will greatly assist the mother in her entertainment for the seventh uay, and I most firmly believe in mak ing the day a looked-for occasion, and just as happy as possible. Then there is a game composed of a hundred cards, all the questions taken from the Bible. It is played exactly like au thors. Pictures to bo cut out and pasted into scrapbooks for poor sick children is another good occupation. Children are devoted to pastepots, paints and scissors, and if there is a I hand to guide, and a dear mother to ! give directions, this amusement will fill a good share of the before-supper hour. Little children always love Bible j stories, with highly colored pictures, but a mother should exercise much care in the reading matter, for impres sions made now will last forever. In fact, if the stories are told, not read, | it is very much better. The inflexion of the voice ind the personal interpre tation is the most lasting in its im pression on the eager little listeners. The China Wedding. After 20 years of married life the china wedding may be celebrated. About this time the average house wife welcomes any addition to her china closet, so there is no question about appropriate gifts for the oc casion. There is really not much decoration to be done except to eschew cut glass and silver as much as possible, using china in its place. Doll cups or plates may be used for almond and bon-bon holders and, if the purse permits, a small cup and saucer or china spoon, such as may be found at the Japanese stores, may be given as souvenirs. The names of the guests can be written 011 little china plates to use as place cards if the af fair is a dinner or a luncheon. I heard of one couple who celebrat ed this anniversary by giving a Chi nese party. The house was decorated with lanterns, they wore costumes made from gay Chinese cotton crepe, and rice was served with chop sticks. A regular Chinese supper was served, the viands having been purchased from a reliable chop suey place. This was a jolly, informal affair, hugely enjoyed by all fortunate enough to be present. Red and yellow, the favorite colors of the Chinese, were used in the decorations, and "joss" sticks were burned. These so-called joss sticks were only the long incense sticks with which we are wont to fight mosquitoes in the summer time. MADAME MERRI. Attractions in Collars. Dainty turnover collars were never more popular. Although they are seen in all varieties, perhaps the most attractive are the hand made. The person who is handy with the needle may well exhibit her skill, for all sorts of designs in needlework are em ployed on these turnovers. Walla chian is still popular as is also the English eyelet. Either alone or in combination with the solid embroidery furnishes a multitude of designs. Col lars designed in sage green, dull blua or golden brown cotton are worn with a tie correspondhig in color. Many very elaborate collars can be made for the small sum of 35 cents, and often much less, and very becoming and attrac tive. , Shaped Belts. There is a decided novelty in belts known as a shaped linen belt. They are made in linen and silk, and come in many oriental colors and shapes so as to fit the waist closely. Mnlnmieiry M