Weekly Mail

I ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Of n i —1 I ^ost of "ji;v dress there is still very little. ^urtU f ^^ers^ sales are now in tlie VyLong a„ eii. their bi-annual existence. V ttP. tliip 0„i rea'l bargains were caught Wly Vl'd in tllls> as in most S^°P a&sis+1Q^. Sainsr- The over-taxed instaImeTlj. ailf S departing in fortnightly i August i~« 1 their much-needed holiday. in Lonrinn ere' and tlie g*oom of that month businegs mo?t depressing. Of course, j f brook anrf +i ProPer g°es on like the l€Sg i 8 river for ever, but, perhaps, Reason. 0f 1^]riT and rush than at any otther fa^hiofiaKU ^6ar- It is in the more Parks °f the Metropolis—in v ^mportar.t +i ln ^le squares and the more that tiicroughfares of the West End— Pavement^0 ,e tiie greatest change. The 4 Jiiany feet.^ ionger echo with the tramp of ^urixip. +K T hurrying to and fro so patent ^an, -Ljondon season. The stolid police- lias it rnrf+i av^r t'ead and .regular pace, +i/^ t° bimself, and the shrouded tyes' remind one of the tt&seein« 2? blind. look down with a blank, 'Usitivp *s a5most painful to the that havS°U S° !ieen^r alive to influences n° P°w,er what ever over mope ittterminTKl113^111'68' ^^ere the roll of an • be liearrt f Procession of carriages might hi a&Yer-Qea J>r an^ wide, as the thunder of ihe s°Unr] 0f' tbere seems to be only the ^n's paJ' >u< b as belongs to trades- 1 Wj]y „ f' ^le butcher's and baker's pro- takers or fJ se not frequent, since are- b&ard U" e/ew servants in charge and on ^a-tiops A^6S no^ nee(l their daily minis- f ^liue n/1(nV' There is always a certain c°rne tn ,f6»ret' when we realise that we have 't be + if enc' °f anything, unless, of course, Cental termination of physical or of vhin]i J)aui or poverty, the conclusion of il j °ne would: regret, of course. There I *ad t, a°betic_ ring about the words "over" f. repgoij,0^.6. in relation to never-to-be- j it ev things of a pleasureable kind. ±ia.s L "tterlv"* °CCUrred to my readers that it is eV lm.Possible to renew absolutely agree- sioul^ eiiences' I would be sorry that any laii^0/6 Utility of such proceeding less in, 0 cl|anfi"e is an inevitable, a merci- f not^'faS immutable as that of the Medes. Certain] try to controvert it, for you will ^vino^tk vanqui.shied. I remember well Party ?,f /'? of such endeavour. A tlcm'tli triends bad spent a most delightful i* Pleasur011 Coast, a time of supreme I tabie enjoyment, and then the inevi- r.. tble breaking-UT) time came. We agreed tv. ^ie next autumn all the '*■ ^dverseS •^ ^een ours- In V £ ™ The r lUariy'^ nf 'l?nds °t change had swept over ^av those friends. One had gone far tlie was ill, another estranged, a dead r,a offered bereavement, a fourth was < ^°t tn'? r'est^ Well, the hardy few, 1 t°Unc} daunted, tried to defeat Fate, and | as' °f coursie, all must who essay the ihZ-^ss tar ,9HliD'8 DRESS. V, crenA^ °f six or eight years of ag-e made held fr, ^1I)le;ltcd in front and behind, th.e pleats eld in k 'Kettle fi-j n?;^e hJ ribbon. On the shoulders are l *6 oail00tl Berthas, with a ruching at the neck, j eeves fall over the bare arm. Uri iir- — —-■■■ ^iuai j. i f^pletelv tha,t tjhey had been friIld elv va.nquished. A wise, far-seeing Eluded a°rn sP°^e the experience jusit | »tuirlQ aiK-l said I thought of going this I 'eU verv an°tber place, where I had once I j^t aixy tt aPnv.—this time, however, with- I e'%ht~^s ut of being able to renew past ii rriepf f to me, "Do not go there; you ji ftot be Wf)n',°'lrjSelf, your past self, and it will d f *•' ^,eporci^wj r .Vou" and I altered my plans v JWak of R-i. No! when one comes to I !neet ongj if1116. ^oes n°t particularly care to | t^otory ;le it could not be a very satis- | Cer. 1(ught be a very painful—encoun- d: 0n6 0hTender and- Ir,s Virtues. J ^'Pfoach o"U.S ^east unwelcome signs of the f ^reets gni IilJt'Jmn is the 'appearance m the [ •? ln countrv gardems of lavender autumn is less loveiy in t i^t we _/a? Way than s-oriiig or summier is, I >■ ftlfl 0nSer look forward to culmina- f u ftUtu»M« ect'Ve people cannot forget uhat +] a with all its natural beauty (a i(,,tmuch of its splendour to T,et'y refrP.ei> tbe forerunner of Avinter. I nxa.tr s;l;n*S is the iscent of lavender, i v^^itV i U^fi, ^le term, there is a certain I* o^^Ptuoiitl1 perfume, none of the floral & f^Htioj) es?. °f the scent of the rose, the l| sS-nng«, heliotrope, and other 'nder Ulne^ denizens of the partenre. ^0^ans Pensively used by the i t-Ic-ir baths, whence it derived its i!a nice roin the Latin, "to wash." It j ? fa,voyr;t^ai1 scent, and an old and deserv- s a°r, the, m ,e- The largest lavender growers 1 Hitoh* • resi^e at Mitcham, in Surrey r stilV--m and at these places J1 j- employed during the season at j,s 'dtation of lavender, Pej^pea'- n.d also Wa extensively at Mitcham, V ^"tygal 1^7 °j the spot. In Spain and in n cll^T'oheNTen'i usec^ to strew the floors y ls easy V ar!- bouses on festive occasions. lrnagine how fragrant and in- i aceS. 'atn)ospher.e would be in such {ir°^Uces lavendier sclent nevetr :i pn,| aeb)a, and to lay one's tired head that exhales tlie perfumie is ° un l delightful. Now.is the time i tores of the sober-tinted fragrant LATEST FROM PARIS.—FASHIONABLE WALKING COSTUMES. spikes. It is best to buy lavender that is not too full blown, as the odour is partially lost! when the flower is oast its best. The spikes should be spread out to dry, but must not be over-dried. The flowers should then be rubbed from the stems and placed in t hm muslin bags, and the stalks tied together in bundles, and laid aside for use when required, One or two stalks set on fire and waver. » a, sick room, a dining-room, or otherwhere where it is desired to re-place some disagree- able odour by a pleasant one, will at once freshen the atmosphere, and no stale perfume will be left behind. The lavender bags impart a most delicate odour to house and personal linen, and many people fill fairs with lavender and use it in their boudoirs and drawing-rooms in place of the delightful but heavier perfume emanating from pot pourri. The bags for holding lavender flowers can be nildte very orriamentil. A sample, but generally a very acceptable, present to a gen- tleman friend is a ba,, made of thin silk in a favourite colour, with his initials embroi- dered in the centre, and dainty frills at the edge. The satchel may be more or less large, but women friends, likewise, could not fail to appreciate a similar offering, and girls, whose pin money represents a small sum jro- bably inadequate to carry out their generous impulse on a large scale, should cease the opportunity to please, and be pleased, which the lavender season affords them. Gowns, &c. There is a despairing samieness about gowns—chiffon, ohiffon everywhere. All smart out-of-door dresses a.re made with the inevitable bodice smothered in chiffon, which is arranged in every conceivable manner, usually in the fussiest manner. Though sometimes there is a guaging just beneaith the collar band, thence the chiffon falls in full folds, and being slightly in excess of the length of the waist" the over-bodicie hangs a little over the waist-band. Bishop's sleeves are very much worn with these chiffon bodices, not, I think, happily worn, for they are not smart looking in any sense, and, therefore, not at all in character with a corsage—that is nothing, if not smart. Dress skirts cannot be too plain when the bodice is, as most are, so intricate in arrangement, and, above all, so over-trimmed and full of colour. Pinafore skirts, or tunics, are a charming innovation. They may be made of valiste, Liberty cashmere, and other materials of uie kind, and are worn over silk under-dresses. These tunics, or pinafores—the terms are identical-a,r,e made ciuite loose, are confined at the waist, and gain :across the bust by a band and bow, in the centre of which a paste buckle appears. Buckles, by the way, are worn as much as iever. The newest sleeve is enormous. Tight fitting to above the elbow, the upper part appears at first sight to be formed of three wide frills, one over-hanging the other, and so arranged that, though the frills reach as low as the bend of the elbow or the inner side, on the outer arm the lowest frill is comparatively on a level with the shoulder. These are flat puffs rather than frills, for the material is doubled the entire width of each puff the silk forming these puffs is not divided, but cut in one long length. Pepper and salt mixture in serge are quite the most fashionable variety of that excellent material, which for wear can never be sur- passed. The new serge looks very smart, madie with revers of white satin, braided with black, and a vest to match. I have 'seen the revers faced and the frontage of the coat lined with black moire, and a vest of 'silk, striped black and white, or a full front of closer pink silk, would be pretty. This pepper and salt mixture is very much affected by men frock coats of pepper and salt cloth are worn at garden parties and weddings. In short, they are considered more correct than black coats for smart occasions. The Princess dress, which., as everyone knows, is cut in one length from hem to throat, is introduced, and we can but hope it has come to stop with us. The style is capable of many variations and is becoming to all but the ultra. tall and very tihin people of the animated May-pole order. A remarkably elegant, yet most simple, costume was made of green crepon, witii sleeves to match. The deep yoke of the bodice was of ecru guipure, with wide epau- lettes of the same, worn as a cape would be. The ribbon bretelles starting from either shoulder-ribbon cross the figure, the one ter- minating near the left under-arm seam, the other -appearing to end in a sash formed of the upright loops, with long endfe falling to the hem of the dress. The accompanying hat was of black lace .straw, simply trimmed with green and black feathers. Unshrinkable Flannel. "For the rain, it raineth every day," and rheumatism is one of the evils a-ttending this unseasonable downpour, for which distres- s'ing pain modern medico's and hygiemsts declare there is nothing like flannel. Hitherto one great drawback to the use of flannel has been its tendency to shrink when washed, often so much so that after a few visits to the laundry the garment becomes quite un- wearable by those for whom it was made. Men found shirt collars and wristbands be- come small by degrees and less, but not -c. beautifully less and children's clothes made [ of flannel have been the despair of mothers and nurses. The dear little creatures outgrow their things quite fast enough without any assistance on the part of the laundress, and -ncrits we women who find flannel undergarments so comforta.ble in winter have ourselves shrunk from sending shrinking flannel to the wash, knowing how inevitable was re- duction in size. Messrs. Barker and Moody's are more than welcome, since they are superior to the failing so common to flannels in general, and are also famous for strength and durability. It must not be supposed this unshrinkable quality is due to the, absence I Young Girl's HAT. Young Girl's Hat. This hat is for a girl of ten years or so in brown straw, trimmed with fancy ribbon and white palettes. ————————————————————— of wool—the material is pure wool. The pa-tterns are artistic, and if treated fairly the dye appears to be unfading. The firm ■not only supplies the flannel, but manu- factures naw shirts, pygamatis, cricket, and teunis suites. As Messrs. Barker and Moody only do business with wholesale pur- chasers. it will be 'seen that their goods are procurable in most towns, and so the inte- rested public can easily avail themselves of tihe benefit whidh an unshrinkable flannel confers on the purchaser. The white flannel is also manufactured in light make, which is eminently suited to the wear of young dhildren, and it makes the prettiest Crocks for growing .girls, who never look better than when dressed in white. The advantage of flannel over lawn and cambric for every- day wear is too obvious to need further comment. Hitherto the certainty that the first washing would render them un wear able has deterred mothers from the purchase of white woollen frocks for their children, whether in the nursery or out of it. New Embroidery. In a recent number of "Home Art Work" Child's HA T. This is a hat for a c'iild of three years old, in This is a h:t for a e'lild of three years old, in white fancy straw with white feather and white moire ribbon. j --a most interesting serial that all lovers of fancy work of the best and newest kind should "invest in—I find the account of a re- vived embroidery described as "Louis' Seize" spangl.e work. Mrs. Conyers Moult, in an article contributed to a weekly ladies' paper, treats the new work discursively. A design for a hand screen is furnished in the ourrent number of "Home Art Work"; it needs no enlargement. It is suggested the design should be traced on cafe au lait silk, such as is sold by Peter Robinson, and the centre filled in by one of the graceful old- fashioned plates to be obtained at three- pence each; the date's of these plates are severally 1809, 1810, and 1811, to be had from Mr. Romman, corner of High Holborn, Drury Lane, W.C. The fash ion plate is pasted smoothly on the silk, which must be stretched across a frame, and the spangles are worked over to conceal the edges. Page 32 of "Home Art Work" may be consulted with advantage by the intending worker. The novelty and beauty of the work when finished cannot fail to excite admiration, and in these days, when we have become so exigent in respect to most es things—i.e., that they shall ba good of the kind—-I cannot do better than call attention to a beautiful kind of work that is easy of accomplishment and the materials for which cost a moderate sum only. The spangles are sold by the Decorative Needlework Society, Sloan-e-street, W., and handles of wood, which, lend themselves to the treatment sug- gested, are also to be bought at the above address. Cliessa Butter. This is a vegetarian recipe. 1 Take 4oz. cheese, loz. butter, half a. pint of milk, loz. flour, mustard and pepper to taste. A little parsley chopped fine is a. nice addition. Cut the ciheese in small pieces, mix with it the butter, nour, and seasoning. Put the mixture in a saucepan, and pour it over the milk. When the cheese has dis- solved set the mixture in a suitable dish to cool. The result is a smooth paste, which is spread on bread or on bread and butter. After-dinner relish. Domestic Hints. Barely do we siee fish fried in ba.tter; yet this is a very delicate way of serving soles, plaice, &c. The recipe I am writing out was given after an object-leeson at the Fisheries Exhibition in 1883 by Mrs. Clarke, lady superintendent of the" National School for Cookery:-—Ingredients: Four ounces of flour, one gill of tepid water, one tabiespoonful of salad oil, salt, the whites of two eggs. Method: Put the flour in a basin, with half a teaspaonfnl of salt, stir in gradually the water and oil. Beat the whites of two eggs to a stiff froth and stir them very ligutiy 1 mto the flour. The batter must stand four hours before it is fried. Cut the fish m nice size pieces, dip them in batter, take them in and out with a skewer, and fry in boiling fat., All butter is the better for standing some time prior to cooking. When fat boils it neither moves nor bubbles, but a thin blue vapour rises from it. Some while back a correspondent inauired how cake- in layers of different colours was made. I asked many professional experts, but failed to get a satisfactory answer. Tha other cay I received a recipe, which I append. It is called "Marble Cake." Take three cups of sugar, one of butter, five of flour, whites of nine eggs, a teacup of sweet milk, and two teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Take away a third of the mixture, and add to it six tablespoonfuls of grated chocolate, moisten with milk, and flavour with manilla. Put a layer of the white butter in a greased cake tin, then drop in several spoonfuls of +he chocolate butter, cover with white, and repeat. Bake in a moderate oven. Though not precisely what was asked for, this cake seems more nearly to meet the wishes of my correspondent than any I have yet heard of. Slices of rich cake, say plain, pound, and other varieties, may, I fancy, be cemented together by means of wiiite of egg, press,ed firmly into a mould, and finally covered with almond paste; layers of almond paste could alternate with the cake slices. I hope these suggestions may meet the wishes of "Inouirer." Before' putting the slices together, CLip each in warm milk, cover the cake tin with buttered paper, and set in the oven for a short time. Turn out in the usual manner after- baking. j