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Current  Topics. 
Miss  Willard’s  Conscience. 
Miss  Frances  E.  Willard  is  most  carefnl  of  her 
reputation  as  a  temperance  woman.  It  is  told  of  her 
that  she  lately  refused  an  invitation  to  a  club  dinner 
in  Chicago,  lest  by  her  presence  she  might  seem  to 
indorse  the  appearance  of  wine  on  the  table. 
A  Hearty  Laugh. 
Much  comment  is  current  upon  the  universal  substi¬ 
tution  of  giggling  ‘for  laughter,  especially  among 
women.  A  genius  has  discovered  that  it  is  the  com¬ 
pression  of  steel  and  whalebone,  due  to  modern  fash¬ 
ionable  dress,  that  is  responsible  for  the  omnipresent 
giggle.  Since  lack  of  expression  of  any  sense  weakens 
that  sense,  we  are  finally  to  lose  our  sense  of  humor 
and  our  power  of  laughter  alike,  we  are  told.  What 
will  then  become  of  our  humorous  columns,  and  our 
humorists  ? 
A  New  Jersey  Critic. 
Not  long  ago  we  met  a  bright  New  Jersey  teacher, 
who  is  not  a  subscriber,  but  who  has  met  with  The 
R.  N.-Y.  among  the  patrons  of  her  school.  She  ex¬ 
pressed  intense  interest  in  the  articles  concerning  the 
schools,  but  said:  “There  are  some  points  which 
haven't  been  touched  yet.”  Doubtless  not  every  pos¬ 
sible  point  will  be  touched  upon,  but  wait !  There  are 
several  articles  yet  to  come,  and  every  one  of  the 
writers  notes  something  not  called  to  mind  by  others. 
Remember  the  old  adage:  “  In  a  multitude  of  coun¬ 
selors  there  is  wisdom.” 
Not  a  Criticism  of  Delsarte. 
Recently  a  long-time  friend  of  The  R.  N.-Y.  took 
exception  to  a  supposed  criticism  made  in  these  col¬ 
umns  upon  Delsartism.  This  was  the  result  of  a  mis¬ 
understanding,  as  our  strictures  were  in  no  sense  meant 
to  relate  to  anything  Delsartean,  but  only  to  a  corset 
with  many  bones  and  heavily  busked,  which  we  be¬ 
lieved  to  have  no  possible  right  to  claim  any  connec¬ 
tion  with  the  Delsarte  ideas. 
But  What  is  the  Delsarte  Idea  ? 
But  now  comes  forward  a  writer  in  the  Jenness- 
Miller  Monthly  (nominal  apostle  of  all  that  is  correct 
or  artistic  in  reform)  and  makes  this  sweeping  asser¬ 
tion  :  “  Delsartism  in  this  country  has  gained  some¬ 
thing  of  the  impertinent  notoriety  that  waits  upon 
fads  of  the  day — unjustly,  but  perhaps  not  illogically. 
For  Delartism,  as  it  has  been  known,  was  discolored  by 
its  filtration  through  the  ill-informed  minds  of  its 
teachers.”  She  further  affirms  that  his  system  existed 
only  in  the  recollection  of  his  wife  and  daughters  who 
had  been  his  assistants,  Delsarte  having  died  leaving 
no  perfected  works. 
One  of  these  daughters  denies  his  paternity  as  re¬ 
gards  the  so-called  Delsarte  gymnastic  movements. 
“  He  was  not  an  acrobat,”  she  observed  in  rather 
bitter  humor,  “  he  knew  nothing  of  this  system  of  con¬ 
tortion.” 
This  writer  gives  a  table  of  nine  species  of  attitudes, 
explained  to  be  the  first  lesson  in  the  Delsarte  grammar 
of  expression.  After  wading  through  this  labyrinth 
of  “concentric-normal,  eccentric-concentric,”  etc., 
one  is  tempted  to  exclaim:  “  What,  after  all,  is  Del¬ 
sartism  ?”  The  “  system  of  contortion”  at  least  gave 
grace  of  movement  to  many  who  were  aforetime 
strangers  to  it. 
Denim  for  Dresses. 
The  use  of  denim  in  every  conceivable  way  as  a 
decorative  material  is  by  no  means  a  new  thing. 
Mothers  of  very  boyish  boys  who  would  make  too 
familiar  acquaintance  with  nails  and  kindred  means 
of  snagging  have  even  used  it  for  suits  for  these  same 
trying  boys,  and  made  in  the  latest  styles  it  looked 
very  neat  indeed.  But  it  remained  for  Harper’s  Bazar, 
the  authority  of  authorities,  to  tell  under  the  heading, 
“  A  Sensible  Gown,”  how  some  young  women  artists 
and  picnickers  arrayed  themselves  daintily,  becomingly 
and  artistically  in  denim  gowns.  A  blue  one  was 
trimmed  with  five  rows  of  narrow,  white  tape.  The 
brunette  of  the  party  used  the  brown  material,  and 
made  a  box  plaited  blouse.  She  feather-stitched  cuffs, 
hem,  etc.,  with  Turkey-red  cotton,  and  girdled  the 
blouse  with  a  soft  sash  of  red,  knotted  at  the  side. 
Still  another  worked  a  scroll  pattern  in  white  linen 
tloss  on  every  available  edge,  with  pretty  and  most 
artistic  effect.  These  city  girls  were  quick  to  dis¬ 
cover  that  there  was  nothing  like  denim  for  coun¬ 
try  wear,  and  were  loud  in  their  praises  of  their 
rough-and-ready  suits. 
The  Woman  in  New  York. 
THIS  is  the  reverse  side,  the  complement  of  the 
letter  given  last  week  with  regard  to  a  Texan 
woman’s  purchases  in  New  York  through  the  mail. 
“  Can  you  not  picture  the  writer  of  that  letter  ?  Can 
you  not  read  her  life  between  the  lines  ?  She  has  a 
great  many  wrinkles  in  her  face.  Women  who  are 
obliged  to  look  after  pennies  eventually  get  many 
wrinkles.  But  she  has  bright,  hopeful  eyes  and  a  kind 
heart.  She  has  a  little  daughter  whom  she  loves. 
Mary  is  a  gentle,  well-behaved  child,  fair-haired  and 
bashful  and  very  much  interested  in  the  bill  of  goods 
from  New  York.  She  dreams  of  the  gown  and  the 
sacque  from  New  York,  and  grows  very  impatient, 
does  little  Mary,  because  it  takes  so  long  to  send  a 
word  from  Texas  to  New  York. 
Here  is  the  problem :  A  woman  in  New  York  had 
$13.50  in  her  purse.  She  was  expected  to  purchase  the 
following  articles  :  three  Bedford  cord  dress  patterns, 
one  gray  dress  pattern,  one  dress  and  sacque  for  little 
girl  named  Mary,  lining  for  all  the  gowns,  buttons  for 
gowns  and  sacque,  kid  gloves  not  more  than  five  but¬ 
tons,  sewing  silk,  handkerchiefs,  cotton  hose,  lace 
curtains,  prepay  express  charges  over  2,000  miles  of 
railroad,  and  retain  her  car  fare  and  commission.  How 
much  commission  did  she  receive  ? 
The  shopping  woman  never  bought  so  many  things 
for  $13.50  in  her  life  before.  ’Tis  thus  mortals  live  up 
to  what  is  expected  of  them.  The  express  company 
offers  no  bargains  and  it  cost  $2  to  send  the  parcel,  it 
was  so  large.  Among  the  things  was  an  envelope 
sealed  and  addressed  to  the  parson’s  wife.  It  contained 
cinnamon  brown  silk  gimp.  It  was  a  donation  from  a 
shopping  woman  in  New  York  who  believes  ministers’ 
wives  should  have  trimming  on  their  gowns.” 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clever  Watch  the  Trend 
of  the  Times. 
DON’T  believe  it,”  said  Mrs.  Clever,  energeti¬ 
cally. 
Now,  when  Mrs.  Clever  says  “  I  don’t  believe  it,”  a 
something  peculiar  to  himself  is  frequently  brought  to 
the  surface  of  Mr.  Clever’s  being.  The  resultant  of 
this  strange  topsy-turveying  is  that  whatever  Mrs. 
Clever  disbelieves  he  at  once  sees  to  be  sensible  and 
right,  and  therefore  to  be  stoutly  defended.  So  he 
said,  promptly  : 
“  I  think  you  are  laboring  under  a  misapprehension, 
my  dear.  What  is  it  you  cannot  believe  ?  I  am  sure 
I  can  set  you  right.” 
Mrs.  Clever  was  so  upborne  by  the  strength  of  her 
subject  that  she  failed  to  notice  this  evidence  of  in¬ 
herent  opposition  on  the  part  of  her  spouse. 
“  It  is  this  story  that  professes  to  be  about  Socrates. 
They  are  beginning  to  say  that  he  made  it  a  point  that 
his  wife  eat  onions  whenever  leaving  the  home  para¬ 
dise,  in  order  that  she  should  not  be  kissed  by  dese¬ 
crating  lips. 
“  I  see  nothing  in  the  story  itself  to  indicate  that  it 
is  other  than  true,  my  dear  Mathilde,”  said  Mr.  Clever. 
“  But  it  is  nonsense  !  Notice  the  modern  flavor  of 
the  whole  thing.  This  idea  of  compelling  a  woman  to 
eat  onions  in  order  to  protect  her  from  insult,  smacks 
too  much  of  Yankee  progress  to  have  come  down  from 
the  time  of  Socrates.” 
“  But,  dear,  you  forget,  I  am  sure,  that  there  is  noth¬ 
ing  new  under  the  sun.  and  that  the  lost  arts  of  the 
ancients  are  almost  legion.  May  not  this  idea  rank 
with  the  arts  ?  ” 
“  It  is  surely  artful  enough  to  belong  there.  Iam 
amazed  at  its  possibilities.  Apply  it,  for  instance,  to 
those  cases  in  which  there  is  a  movement  to  pass  new 
laws.  Our  modern  legislators  are  thinking  it  necessary 
to  pass  a  law  making  it  a  misdemeanor  to  alienate  the 
affections  of  the  husband  or  wife  from  the  lawful 
partner.  But  think  how  much  simpler,  how  far  more 
effective,  to  administer  continuous  doses  of  onions  to 
the  offending  party  until  a  revulsion  set  in  !  Cheapness 
would  be  a  taking  feature  of  the  plan,  too.” 
“  Are  you  really  in  earnest,  Mathilde  ?  ” 
“  Am  I  ever  anything  else  ?  I  want  you  to  notice  that 
there  is  really  no  limit  to  the  practical  effective¬ 
ness  of  the  scheme.  Does  the  fond  and  careful  mother 
fear  that  an  undesirable  young  man  is  becoming  too 
deeply  interested  in  her  favorite  Angelica  ?  A  few 
days’  diet  of  onions  for  the  party  of  the  second  part — 
the  one  over  whom  she  has  jurisdiction — will  correct 
the  penchant  of  the  party  of  the  first  part.  Is  the  hus¬ 
band  inclined  to  be  attentive  to  the  pretty  nurse  girl  ? 
Onions  in  the  servant’s  bill-of-fare.  Does  one’s  best 
friend  have  a  gushing  habit — not  q-u-i-te  good  form, 
you  know — of  kissing  one  upon  the  street  ?  The  remedy 
suggested  is  still  merely  a  judicious  use  of  onions  in 
the  privacy  of  one’s  own  dining  room.” 
“It  couldn’t  be  done,  Mathilde.  You  would  pull  the 
whole  fabric  of  society  about  our  ears  in  your  efforts 
to  prove  a  plausible  theory.” 
“Do  you  deny  that  the  onion  is  a  most  potent  weapon 
of  offense,  Mr.  Clever?” 
“  N-o-o;  that  is,  the  offense  can  hardly  be  denied.” 
“  Then  what  is  to  hinder  the  plans  suggested  from 
lieing  carried  out  in  practical  form  ?” 
“  Why — why — I  don't  know.  But  they  are  absurd.” 
“  Absurd  ?  Would  they  not  have  the  desired  effect  ? 
And  did  you  never  know  anything  absurd  to  occupy  the 
sage  powers  that  be  ?  ” 
“  Ye-  -  I  don’t  know.  Really,  you  would  drive 
Socrates  himself  wild  with  so  many  questions, 
Mathilde  ?  ” 
“  So?  That  brings  us  back  to  Socrates.  I  remember 
his  wife  had  a  fair  reputation  as  to  ability  to  drive  him 
wild,  though  perhaps  not  with  questions.  And  do  you 
really  believe,  Mr.  Clever,  that  even  Socrates  was  able 
to  compel  Xantippe  to  eat  onions,  if  she  happened  to 
prefer  sauerkraut  ?  ” 
“Do  you  really  believe,  Mrs.  Clever,  that  the  various 
classes  embraced  in  your  scheme  could  be  compelled  to 
take  the  onion  remedy  as  proposed  by  you  ?  ” 
“  There  was  but  one  Xantippe,  my  dear;  until  of 
late,  our  modern  women  have  been  taught  to  obey, 
you  remember.  But  if  this  law  were  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  women  for  enforcement,  we  should  be 
too  shrewd  to  attempt  compulsion,  we  would  rather 
gain  our  point  by  finesse.  O,  I  am  not  saying  that  such 
wise  reforms  could  be  carried  out  by  the  men  !  ” 
MYRA  V.  NORY8. 
Exposition  Notes  of  Woman’s  Work. 
HARPER’S  BAZAR  is  authority  for  the  following: 
Mrs.  Potter  Palmer  has  asked  permission  of  the 
German  Government  to  have  the  great  doors  of  the 
Strasburg  Cathedral,  that  were  designed  and  wrought 
by  Sabina  Steinbock,  reproduced  for  the  Woman’s 
Building  of  the  Exposition. 
It  is  announced  that  at  the  Columbian  Exposition 
there  will  be  displayed  specimens  of  spinning  and 
knitting  done  by  Queen  Victoria  when  she  was  a  girl, 
as  well  as  some  of  her  embroidery,  fine  drawing,  and 
water-color  painting.  Princess  Christian  will  also 
contribute  embroidery.  Princess  Louise  specimens  of 
clay  modeling,  and  Princess  Beatrice  several  paintings. 
One  of  the  latest  schemes  of  Chicago  women,  who 
are  not  less  wide-awake  than  the  men  to  the  possibili¬ 
ties  of  their  big  fair,  is  to  build  and  run  a  mammoth 
woman’s  hotel  on  a  profit-sharing  plan.  The  use  of 
the  land  has  been  contributed;  the  material,  the  pro¬ 
jectors  hope,  may  come  out  of  the  wigwam  which  is 
being  constructed  for  the  National  Democratic  Con¬ 
vention;  and  the  expense  of  construction  is  to  be 
borne  by  subscriptions,  to  start  at  $5  a  share,  from 
women  all  over  the  country.  Mrs.  Matilda  B.  Carse 
and  Mrs.  Potter  Palmer  are  working  out  the  problem, 
and  hope  that  during  the  Exposition  5,000  working- 
women  may  be  entertained  daily  at  the  hotel  at  a  cost 
of  SO  cents  a  day  for  each  one.  If  there  are  any  profits, 
the  stockholders  will  divide  them. 
Russian  and  Other  Salads. 
TOASTED  crackers  should  be  served  with  the  salad 
course,  says  the  World,  and  follows  the  state¬ 
ment  with  some  salad  recipes.  With  the  present  popu¬ 
larity  of  anything  Russian,  it  goes  without  saying  that 
Russian  salad  is  the  correct  accompaniment  to  a  fash¬ 
ionable  meal. 
Russian  Salad. — Cut  up  separately  in  small  die- 
shaped  pieces  one  ounce  of  cooked  roast  beef,  one  ounce 
of  cooked  ham,  one  ounce  of  cooked  beef  tonghe,  same 
quantity  of  cooked  chicken  and  leg  of  cooked  mutton 
and  two  truffles.  Put  them  in  a  salad  bowl,  separating 
each  kind  bv  six  boned  anchovies.  Then  pour  a  table¬ 
spoonful  of  tartare  sauce  in  the  center  ;  cover  the  sauce 
with  two  chopped  leaves  of  lettuce.  Do  not  mix  until 
just  before  serving. 
Lobster  Salad. — Break  out  the  meat  from  a  lob¬ 
ster  ;  chop  it  with  a  hard-boiled  egg  and  a  head  of  let¬ 
tuce,  being  careful  to  save  the  juice  ;  add  melted  butter 
the  size  of  an  egg,  a  teaspoonful  of  mustard,  one-half 
a  teaspoonful  of  sugar,  a  little  vinegar,  pepper  and 
salt.  Arrange  on  the  platter,  garnishing  with  the 
claws,  and  slice  the  white  of  an  egg  very  thin  and  ar¬ 
range  over  the  salad.  Have  a  dressing  made  of  two 
well  beaten  eggs,  eight  teaspoonfuls  of  vinegar,  one- 
third  of  a  teaspoonful  of  mustard,  butter  the  size  of 
an  egg.  Cook  over  hot  water  until  the  consistency  of 
custard.  Salt  and  pepper  to  taste. 
Italian  Salad. — This  is  made  by  picking  the  white 
portion  of  a  cold  fowl  from  the  bones  in  small  flakes, 
piling  it  in  the  center  of  a  dish.  Pour  over  the  salad 
