ECONOMY IN RIDING DRESS. 189 



liar infirmity — not only detaining them twice as long as is 

 necessary at every counter, but showing them an endless 

 variety of articles, by way of tempting them to buy. The 

 artifice succeeds only too often, and the consequences are 

 a lightened purse, and an unnecessarily burdened wardrobe. 

 To have too large a stock of clothes is in every way a 

 mistake. They become old-fashioned before they are half 

 worn out ; they encourage and engender moths ; they form 

 a cumbrous baggage if compelled to move ; and they are a 

 source of embarrassment and trouble if taken away with 

 one on visits — seeing that in this age a lady rarely enjoys 

 the luxury of a wardrobe in her bedroom, except in her 

 own house. Most of us consider such a commodity a 

 necessity when at home, but when we go visiting it is a 

 luxury absolutely denied us. I do not mean to say that 

 there is not an imposing piece of furniture so styled in the 

 sleeping apartment allotted to us ; there almost always is ; 

 it looks quite magnificent, generally, with its shining panels 

 and tempting mirrored centre — but, alas, it is a delusion 

 and a snare ! We find that the doors are immovable : they 

 are locked ; the hostess has it filled with her own fineries, 

 and has either forgotten to remove them, or has said to 

 herself that it would be too great a trouble to do so : the 

 visitor can manage very well without it — has she not got her 

 imperials, and the bed-rail — and the drawers of the toilet- 

 table to keep her brushes and things in, and what more 

 can she reasonably want ? To say that this is not the way 

 in good houses is both foolish and untrue ; for it is so in the 

 very best. It may be the fault of my lady's maid, or house- 



