A WHITE SALE IN PARIS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 211, 30 May 1908, Page 11

A WHITE SALE IN PARIS.

In a recent number of tho " Guardian " Alico M. Irving gives an interesting account of tho annual whito salo held by tho great drapery establishments in Pans, perhaps tho most important shopping event of the year to thrifty Parisian housekeepers. This is tho momont whon madamo replenishes her storo of. house-linen—a very largo item of' ovory family budget in a city, where tho blanchisseur do fin beats to death all that is washablo, and then burns up the remains with his deadly irons. The material has hot yet been invented which will long withstand the weekly onslaught, but an Englishwoman will notice directly that the medium quality and' mcdiuin-priccd goods in both house and body linon arc considerably heavier in make than articles of tho same character in London. There are, for instance, pocket-handkerchiefs at fair pricos that have a solid .substance and a weight that. would snrpriso you, and you will see the neatly-heaped piles disappearing rapidly beforo the mothers of families who aro buying economically for their . offspring, and thero is no doubt that the stout cloth is patronised as offering most resistance to tho laundrymen. Handkerchiefs are indeed the first objects of the chaso for most women, and they occupy a great deal of space in the sales. A showy stand is that pt " shams," which, sad to rolate, find favour in the eyes of Parisians. Tho "sham" pillow-slip and the "sham" top-sheet aro more elaborate than ever, fine drawn-thread work being embroidored and incrust-ed with laces of various makes. Irish point is still popular, though thero is none so good in Paris as that to be obtained in London. But Irish lace is responsible for a -large proportion of the " shams" being introduced as motives in tho open-work ground with rich offect. But all these housekeeping necessaries pale in interest and splendour beside the great display upstairs which forms the clou of the great white sale. This clou is a trousseau —that is, a number of designs on most luxurious lines for articles of feminine wear. Five minutes will suffice to prove to you how caroful and how well-thought-out is Parisian underwear, and also how quickly adapted to tho fashion of the hour in dress. An entertaining offshoot of the whito isalo in Paris is held on tho site of tho old Tomplo Market, or Rag Fair, abolished two years ago. ' In what remains of those huge iron sheds that formerly harboured wo ■ -cut finery and remnants of house-furnishings there are a few stalls at which linen sheets, withdrawn from - uso in tho barracks, and sold by auction as surplus Govormnont stores, can ho purchased for a song— f ora song, that is, if you know how to set about it, as the Parisian does. ; The sheets aro of oxcellent quality and in very good condition, and housekeepers purcbaso them iu bundles to cut up as kitchen-cloths, glasscloths, etc. You will see madame pulling these sheets about,' examining all their length and breadth, making disparaging remarks about their quality, expressing astonishment at tho prico asked, offering a tenth, .aud then coming to closo quarters and fighting the prico, forced upwards by tho seller, not in/ francs but in fivopences, until at length tho bargain is concluded, - a cab called, and the bundle hoisted in and carried off in triumph. Having thus attended to her housekeeping, madame pays a weekly visit to .tho salo

as long as it lasts, picking up bargains oil \ Wednesdays in collars and cuffs, on l 1'; id ays 1 in . gloves, and on Saturdays in shop-soiled f summer blouses of lino linen or cambric unci ; lace. : Every now and then some sensational < roductions sro announced, and these bring all feminine Paris to thq spot. The wise 1 woman pays , great attention to the lace- : counters, knowing that when summer comes i an odd length of fine filet lace or a remnant 1 of delicate embroidery will go to r.ako a ( beautiful, corsage or a smart evening cloak, i No self-respecting housekeeper would consent 1 to start for the Riviera until sho had bought i all she required for the year of whito goods i at the Great Whito Salt*. j APPEAL FROM THE HAREM. 1 MOSLEM WOMEN'S PETITION TO THE ! DUMA. A committed'of Maliommedan women at Orenburg, a town on .the eastern border of Russia,'has sent an address to the Mussulman deputies in the Duma, saying: "Although our holy religion made us free, we are oppressed by our ignorant despots of husbands, and, like slaves, wo are compelled to submit to their caprices. Tho Mahomme- ; dan Chariat law prescribes that women havo tho right to study, to travel, to pray in tho mosques, to niako pilgrimages to Mecca, to engago in all branches of trade, to sign bills of exchange, and to be sisters of charity. "Our husbands deprive us of liberty and keep us confined within four walls. They take unto themselves women who-jpleafco them, and have many wives. The Chariat gives us many rights, and husbands may not look upon strange women with eyes of covoteousnoss. Yet the majority of them lead a dissolute life, and amuse themselves in restaurants, hotels, and other places of entertainment. • "Mussulman deputies! You must obtain laws which will safeguard us from the arbitrariness of our husband despots, from, oppression and martyrdom. We are tho mothers of tho people, tho companions of men; tho' education and progress of the people lie in our hands. If men do not change their attitude towards us, lot them know that the day mil come when they, too, will be slaves, and then the whole, Mussulman race, will perish." The Russian champions of women's rights are jubilant over the fact that a lady doctor, Mme. Golovin-Skrjynsky, has just been heard as an oxpert before tho St. Petersburg Dis-. trict .Court. NOVEL COMMITTEE DANCES. Now that tho dancing season has begun , (says "Rex" in the "Australasian") girls and matrons are exercising their brains for i names to givo committee dances. The matrons' dance, tho spinsters' dance, and ■ tho bachelors' dance-, besides the numerous • names of flowers, such as tho forgot-mc-not danco and the poppy dance, etc., are becoming old-fashioned. Lately_ tho vegetable 5 kingdom has heen brought into prominence;. • and a "carrot danco" was got up in Sydney, j 'fho twelve girls who formed the committco ; woro artistically dressed to represent tho - homely carrot,' in full carrotty silk skirts, r and bright green "bodices, only rolievod by a f bertho of laco at tho ncck. A little bunch 1 of artificially-mado carrots adorned the hair. The dress, though grotesque, was far from I unbecoming, and girls of a certain coloured - hair were "all in it." The men threaten to ' return tho compliment in a "parsnip dance," p and dress ill cream flannels, instead of tho authorised stiff shirt and tight-fitting coat.