FROM DAY TO DAY. 
A VERY pretty sofa-pillow cover may 
be made in the shape of a large square, 
which is folded diamond-wise over the 
cushion, the points meeting in the back 
like the flaps of an envelope. The square 
is made of fine white linen, hemstitched 
all around, and embroidered with a suit¬ 
able design in washing silks. A charm¬ 
ing cushion of this style recently noted 
was decorated with sweet peas, embroid¬ 
ered in shades of pink. A frill of pink 
dimity went around the sides of the 
cushion and, where the flaps met in the 
back, a bow of pink ribbon apparently 
held them together. Such a cover would 
wash perfectly, and is always dainty. A 
similar idea, carried out in blue Corn¬ 
flowers, is very pretty. 
* 
Tiie prettiest shirt waists so far 
are of piqu6 in solid colors. They look 
like wool Bedford cord. They are with¬ 
out studs, and with ordinary pearl but¬ 
tons. Collars again are adjustable, and 
they are white. White linen is more 
becoming than most colored cottons or 
linens. No special eccentricities in cut 
of collar have appeared. Usually they 
are “ standing ” in variety, medium as 
to height. Sleeves are small, but not 
close. Cuffs are not white or turned 
over. Of the sleeve material, they are 
of ordinary depth, and fasten with linked 
buttons. Other wash waists are tucked 
from collar to belt, in groups of three 
or four, quarter-inch each. Plaid ging¬ 
ham is conspicuous among made-up 
cotton waists. 
* 
Pressed pansies formed the decoration 
of a photograph frame recently noted, 
giving the soft effect of painting in water 
colors. The foundation of the frame, of 
firm pasteboard, was covered with fine 
white linen, upon which the pansies were 
arranged. Being carefully pressed, the 
natural shape and colors were preserved, 
and they were smoothly fixed in place 
with library paste, which does not smear 
or discolor as mucilage does. A wreath 
of pressed four-leafed clovers makes a 
charming decoration in this way. The 
natural clover leaves, under glass, are 
now used as a setting in all sorts of 
trinkets, as a luck emblem, and their 
use on a photograph frame would be very 
attractive. Still another beautiful mater¬ 
ial for similar use is fine seaweed. In 
mounting this for pressing, it should be 
put in a vessel of water and floated on to 
the card or paper on which it is to be 
pressed, this being the only way in which 
it may be spread out. 
* 
Public card parties, for the benefit of 
some local charity, have been very plenti¬ 
ful during the present season ; one can 
hardly recall a town where such an en¬ 
tertainment has not been given. The 
management has been similar in all. The 
entertainments are given in the after¬ 
noon, and tickets are sold, entitling the 
holder to entry and refreshments. The 
games played are usually hearts or 
euchre, and numerous handsome prizes 
are offered for competition. Right here 
the pernicious feature of the affair comes 
in. We do not wish to say anything 
concerning the abstract morality of card- 
playing, but a public card party, at 
which the participants play for prizes, 
certainly belongs to the same class as 
the gift enterprises and gambling devices 
that are barred by our statutes. So long 
as women of good standing participate 
in such affairs, allaying any conscien¬ 
tious scruples by the plea that the pro¬ 
ceeds are for charity, any onslaught 
upon gambling among men is useless 
and absurd. There is little to choose, 
morally, between the woman who pays 
a dollar for a ticket to a card party, in 
the hope of winning a prize, and the poor 
wretch who stakes his last dollar upon 
a horse race. It should, also, be remem¬ 
bered that a public card party, at which 
prizes are offered, is clearly a violation 
of the statutes against gambling and 
lotteries, existing, though slackly en¬ 
forced, in most of our States. 
MORE ABOUT WORKING DRESSES. 
The dress which suits me best when 
engaged in ordinary housework in the 
Summer, is a skirt of wool, gray mixed 
goods or blue storm serge, made with 
the front breadth slightly sloped, one 
gore on either side, and a plain full back, 
put on the belt somewhat full in front, 
some fullness on the sides and the re¬ 
mainder of the fullness in the back. I 
have the skirt unlined, with a wide 
facing, and just long enough to clear the 
floor nicely. I greatly dislike a short 
skirt. I have six loops sewed at inter¬ 
vals on the belt (they may be tucked un¬ 
der the leather belt when not in use); 
then several inches beneath the loops, I 
sew small, inconspicuous buttons. When 
occasion requires me to go out in the 
early morning, to attend to poultry, or 
do other out-of-door work, the skirt may 
be shortened several inches, thus avoid¬ 
ing a wet or soiled garment. During 
Summer, I wore full-length gingham 
skirts, and generally had them to change, 
and sometimes to wash after my morn¬ 
ing work, for it was impossible to keep 
them up away from the dew ; so “ neces¬ 
sity became the mother of invention ” 
to me, with the above result. Such a 
skirt does not get draggled, limpy or 
faded, and needs very little washing. 
With the above, I wear a shirt waist 
of gingham or percale of medium color 
with the lower edge under the dress 
skirt, and a leather helt over that. 
I have a belt sewed on the waist 
Avith buttons on back, front and sides, 
Avith buttonholes in the skirt belt to 
fasten together, so it always stays in 
place, and fits the figure nicely. My 
sleeves I have of medium size, and large 
enough to admit of being pulled up to 
my elbows when engaged in Avashing 
dishes, or other such Avork. In Winter, 
the Avaist may be made of flannel or 
some avooI material of medium weight 
and color, plainly made so that an occa- 
sonal washing Avill not injure it. With 
this, I wear a large, plain gingham apron. 
Such a costume I find is neat, clean, 
convenient and dressy, and I find the 
latter qualification quite an important 
one, for we really do feel better when we 
feel that we “ look nice.” Then, if we 
have a morning caller, or our Avork ex¬ 
tends into the afternoon, as it frequently 
does, hoAV much better we feel than we 
should in a calico, Avhich is generally 
minus its freshness after a few wash¬ 
ings. 
One very nice way of making a morn¬ 
ing dress is to make a plain, full skirt, 
sewed to a Gretchen or round waist. 
with slight fullness, or tucks or pleats, 
from neck to Avaist. It is quite neat 
and pretty, and I like one made of ging¬ 
ham for a change in the summer, though 
the shirt Avaist and skirt above described 
are my standby. They are not at all a 
complication, as, perhaps, some may 
think from my description. 
A dress which is too shabby for visit¬ 
ing or afternoon Avear, in my opinion, 
would look still Avorse in the kitchen. If 
I wished to utilize such a dress, I would 
take it apart and have it plainly made 
over to serve its new purpose. If the 
material were either very fine or fancy, 
I Avould not make use of it in such a Avay, 
but would use it for other purposes. 
I do not like a wrapper for general 
use, as there are only a f eAv who look neat 
in such garments when working, and 
they so soon become limp and ill-fitting, 
though they are very nice for some occa¬ 
sions, such as giving the house a thor¬ 
ough sweeping, when they are easily 
donned, removed and shaken, and are 
light and comfortable while at work. I 
also like a pretty wrapper to wear for 
the few hours before church time Sun¬ 
day morning, as it makes a pleasant 
change. 
When I have on an afternoon dress, I 
have a calico sack (or plain, unbelted, 
shirt Avaist) to wear Avhile in the kitchen; 
it affords more protection, and is more 
easily slipped on and off than oversleeves 
and bib apron and, I think looks quite 
as neat. viola wood. 
When Fashion 
A Picture of Social Life in 
Old New York, by 
MRS. BURTON HARRISON 
Graced the Bowery 
In the MARCH Number of 
THE LADIES’ HOME JOURNAL 
Four Special Pages on Spring and Easter Fashions, Handsomely Illustrated. 
Rooms of College Girls Photographed. MRS. RORER’S Second 
Paper on Indigestion. MORE THAN 700,000 COPIES PRINTED 
FOR 25 CENTS WE WILL SEND THE LADIES’ HOME 
JOURNAL ON TRIAL FOR THREE MONTHS. ALSO, 
a handsome illustrated booklet containing our Prospectus for 1898, 
with portraits of famous writers, and small reproductions of some 
of the illustrations that are to appear in the Journal in future numbers. 
10 cts. per Copy 
>1.00 per Year 
The Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia 
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