A DIVIDED SKIRT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1033, 24 January 1911, Page 9

A DIVIDED SKIRT.

SENSATION AT A UECErTION. ' HOSTESS EOItSAKEX. A "New York Tribune" reporter seems to have enjoyed himself at :i certain reception in that city. Hero is some, of iiis "story":— If the solemn gentlemen in the portraits on the walls of the Governor's Room in the. City Hall 'had not been so much in the habit of maintaining dignified silenco they' would have exchanged some' excited remarks yesterday when hobble skirts and willow plumes invaded their decorous haunts, liiiter they might even havo picked up their coat-tails ana iied. .

It all looked very innocent on the programme, too, so the famous statesmen were taken quite without warning. It was booked as .a reception to .Mrs; Eliza Littlo, who has been the gracious hostess of tho Governor's- Room in the City Hall for eighteen years, and-the Public- Good Society- was the hostess. ; It began very decorously, too:.'fhere was an address by :tho Rev. James B; ■\Vasson, chaplain of tho Old Guard and chaplain to strangers. ■ .

. After'this address a string orchestra played a romanzo by Grieg as an-intro-duction to Mrs. Alma "Webster-Powell's singing of, "Mysterious .:lLove" . from "Traviata." .. ... . . '.'..'.'..

Before singing, Mrs. "•'Webster-Powell laughingly, said she Would have to'inti'O; duco herself. ..Then, she referred, to her divided skirts,' saying: • "Tho ' Public Good Scoiety would 'like "to-- reform everything, and if its president'wanted to reform herself, she'd have' a life task, beginning with her skirts."

The gentlemen on tho wall were surprised.

What was the matter.with her skirt's? they wondered, but the crowd was so dense all around the president of: the Public" Good 'Society-' that all they' could see were tho six- willow plumes' oh her' hat. ■■■•■■■■-•■ '

Mayor.Gaynor had been invite[l"to...be present,' but the prospect was too itfuch for him. Ho sent a gracious lit't!e : .note. instead, ..Borough, President. George M'Aneny went so far as to Jet his name, appear on the programme, but'ho.was taken ill, so he sent n letter, too. - William A. Prendergast, the Controller, also was'unable to attend. Ho sent a secretary.

_ Mrs. Webster-Powell, though, was right on the spot when it came her turn to speak on "Our American Woman." Things were pretty good hero,'in spite,' of tho hobble skirts, she admitted.' ■'• . After some more music tho reception crush began, and it whs'theiv that tho■ dignified statesmen 'oii ,tlie :; wal!s,;bef;an to feel uneasy. _ ; A.'swarm ot : interes.tcd wom'.eri'dragged •Mrs';,Webster>Pqw ; cll off tho line-.into,!!'recess Washington's desk and-the'grand,piand,-and made.her show off : her : costume,' especially thq lower part of it.-:. '".•■:■;:. To. begin at tho very bottom, sho held up for inspection a foot encased in a black velvet booi with a very high heel. "I don't see anything reformed about that," muttered a woman in a rosecoloured hobble gown. ". ' • But tho' "AYebster-Pbwclls" . themselves were,.tho real thing. A long black. volyet '[coat," which looked 'for. all the world like.a princess gown until ono-discovered'that it buttoned all the .-way up the front,was pulled'back; upon the urgent request of tho bystanders/ and there they .were! ."■.'■• "•:'.

". Black satin-''Webster-Powells,'' :em-.'broi.d-er.cd. with jot,:that was all; yet. the : woma'n..wlio wore them .'could, attract.'a whole" ..Governor's-- "room, full.' of.-p.ebplo awnf.- fro'm'th'pir regretful hostess. ■'.: ■■■ }\ ith tliese . bifurcated garment's; which liavcmado her famous, Mrs. Web-ster-Powell declared that sho 'couldsolve tho problem of tho "high -cost -■ of living; for although they looked-as if they cost 500 'dollars, they are guaran-'-teed to wear forever. . •';•:

. There was ono little man present—the only, one—and ho semed' to.have no interest, in,.the reformed, costume. .He is was' Mr. AVebster-Powell.