LINEN EMBROIDERY. 
Embroidery upon linen with colored cottons or silks 
is a very popular and practical kind of decorative work 
and should be. when artistically done, the same on both 
sides. The different stitches used in this work are easily 
learned, and have been so plainly described in one of 
our art exchanges that we take the liberty to quote 
from their article. Describing the first of these, which 
is a square stitch, known as point sans envers, it says: 
*• Take up two threads on the needle, and leave two, and 
continue this exactly like darning in a straight row by 
the thread to the end of the line: return by taking up 
the stitches left, and there will be a row resembling 
stitehiug, excepting that botli sides will be exactly 
alike* Begin the next line two threads apart, and con¬ 
tinue until as many rows are done as may be desired. 
Cross these lines with others worked precisely in the 
same way, and the result will be a piece of grounding 
in squares. 
This stitch may be varied in many ways. It can be 
done on four threads, or on one, in which latter case it 
is known as point minuscule. Another variety has two 
sides of the square omitted, so that the stitches form 
little Vandykes; another is simply darning, the return 
stitches being omitted, but the stitches in the different 
rows alternating; and another variety again, which is 
now popularly known as ‘■Holbein work,” looks liko 
simple stitching. Properly speaking, however, Holbein 
work is not executed as stitching, but as the point sans 
envers, taking up and leaving alternate stitches and 
returning the same way ; so that instead of there being 
a right and a wrong side as in stitching, it will bo the 
same on both sides. A design will be formed sometimes 
by a combination of two of the varieties—for instance, 
the ground will be in the square stitch and the design 
filled in with oblique rows of Holbein stitch. 
A third stitch is point tic devant. This is worked in 
squares of three stitches taken over six threads, the 
alternating lines having the squares beginning on the 
centre space of the proceeding ones, cushion stitches 
together. This is much used for backgrounded designs, 
squares being omitted every here and there in conven¬ 
tional patterns. 
BEAUTIFUL RED HAIR. 
I shall be considered unorthodox when I say that 
next in loveliness of all the hair I have ever seen comes 
a chevelure of golden red. Very red hair is orange, and 
orange hair is far from beautiful; but the abundant 
tresses to which I refer were of the color of perfectly 
ripe com, with that reddish tinge which makes the 
waving harvest fields so beautiful. Red hah-, even if 
unlovely, has its advantages in a practical age, when a 
girl or woman dares not be insignificant. “ invisible,” 
on penalty of being nobody. The writer of a little book 
on the toilet sets forth as follows one of these advan¬ 
tages : “ Enter a room in daylight (by artificial light 
red loses much of its ferocity), where there are women 
without bonnets or hats ; and if there be one of them 
with bright, unmistakable red hair, she will stand out 
from the rest with a never-failing prominence, which, if 
she be a pretty woman—and red-haired women have 
often great beauty of feature, and very often lovely 
complexions—is of the greatest advantage to her, socially 
speaking.” 
Another advantage lies in the fact that the possession 
of red hair restricts the owner to a narrow but select 
color. “And you call that an advantage!” cry the 
phalanx of the red-haired sisters. Undoubtedly I do, 
and to prove it, I ask if, in your inmost souls, you do 
not adore pink and cherish the belief that it suits you ? 
Of course you do. I never knew any one of your 
coloring who did not. Restriction as to color, if uni¬ 
versal, and regulated on a basis of good taste, would 
make England more celebrated than ever for handsome 
women or pretty girls, many of whom now ruin then- 
looks by wearing wrong tints. And what may the red- 
haired wear? I will tell you. If you wish to be in¬ 
sipid and commonplace, wear pale blue. That has been 
the heritage of the red-haired for centimes. If you 
would like to jump out of that deepened groove, and 
wish to look a very poem, buy warm golden browns, 
orange-tinted yellows, ruddy cream colors, with a flash 
as from russet leaves upon them, terra-cottas, and the 
whole range of such tints as are exemplified in Prim¬ 
roses, Buttercups, Marigolds, Tea-roses, Marshal Niels 
and Gloire de Dijou, Chestnut browns, chocolate, dull 
wall-flower reds and dull gold color. A beautiful rousse, 
who is a great favorite in English society, wears a gold 
band in her hair, and usually dresses in the evening in 
yellow satin ,or gold-colored velvet. She is a picture, 
indeed ; and in her walking-gowns of chocolate, re¬ 
lieved with amber, or of tawny-red and gold, is as 
picturesque a woman as one would wish to meet.— 
Whitehall Review. 
SPRING WRAPS AND DRESS GOODS. 
There is nothing especially new among spring wraps, 
most of the designs being varieties of the dolman, visite 
and the close-fitting jackets used last season, and they 
are shown in green, tan, brown, black, and blue, also in 
plaids, formed by one or more of these colors combined 
with dark red and orange shades. They are trimmed 
with braid, passementerie, heavy guipure lace, chenille, 
fringes (which, by-the-way, are more beautiful than 
durable), long loops of velvet or satin ribbon, as may 
seem best adapted to the style or material of the 
garment. 
The shorter jackets so useful for general wear are cut 
single-breasted, having either box-pleatings for fullness 
in the back, or else cut to fit smoothly over hips and 
