Page:Free Opinions, Freely Expressed on Certain Phases of Modern Social Life and Conduct.djvu/221

 the average British household, containing rabid nonsense such as the following:

"There were wonderful stories afloat about Miss B's dresses. Rumour has it that a dressmaker came over specially from New York to requisition the services of the most important artistes in Paris, and gold lace and hand embroidery were used with no frugal hand; yet, despite this and the warm welcome accorded her by an English audience, Miss B does not seem to have made up her mind to stay with us long, for it is said the end of June will see the end of her season. We have sketched her in her pink chiffon wrap, which is made in the Empire shape covered with chiffon and decorated with bunches of chiffon flowers and green leaves held with bows of pink satin—a most dainty affair, full of delicate detail and pre-eminently becoming."

"Despite this,"—is rich indeed! Despite the fact that "gold lace and hand-embroidery" were used "with no frugal hand," Miss B is determined to leave "the gay, the gay and glittering scene," and deprive us of her "pink chiffon wrap in the Empire shape"! A positively disastrous conclusion! Nay, but hearken to the maudlin murmurs of the crazed worshippers of Mumbo-Jumbo "Fashion"—

"Do you yearn for a grey muslin dress? Half my 'smart girl' acquaintances are buying grey muslins as though their lives depended on it. I fell in love with one of them that was in bouilloné gathers all round the skirt to within eight inches of the hem, while the yoke had similar but smaller bouillonés run through, well below the shoulder-*line, with a wide chiné ribbon knotted low in front. Beneath this encircling ribbon the bodice pouched in