NEW USE FOR A BUSTLE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1323, 7 April 1877, Page 21

NEW USE FOR A BUSTLE.

Calling on a friend the other day, I found her engaged in making a large bag of coarse linen, ham-shaped. " What's that ?" I asked. " It's to hold my baggage," she said ; " I'm going a journey." " What a queer thing to hold baggage ; why don't you take a trunk 1" ■ " Oh,it'a not worth while ; I'm only going to be gone two or three days,- and as. l don't want to be bothered to carry even a handbag, I shall put all my v baggage on my back." "How? I don't understand." " There ! It's done now," she ' said, 1 shaking it out. " Wait, and see me : pack up." She began by putting into the oddly-shaped bag toilet necessaries, comb, face powders, hair-pins, bottle of perfume, and handkerchiefs, &c, until it was packed tight, and was just about the size of an ordinary ham, only the neck was long enough to reach from the waist to below the bend of the knee. She put on this pack instead of a bustle. Bustles, I must tell you, in this city, are worn very large below the knee, with very little rise at the waist — hence the enormous neck. My friend then took a tape, and strung it on one nightgown, one , ahem !, one ditto for, the lower extremities, and; two pairs of stockings ; these she tied ! over the bag, put on her skirba and dress, and, behold ! she had a fashionable bustle' of usual size containing all she needed for. two or three days. " Wha^ a fearful' weight to carry !" I exclaimed ; " and if; you should get an unlucky jolt or knock, \ the bottle of scent will be emptied over' your heels and the pins be jammed into ; your ankles." "It's not much heavier; than an ordinary bustle, and don't wobble, which is an advantage, and as for getting ' things broken, a little care will avoid that. Ta, ta ; I'm off in the two o'clock train." And yet men say that women can never travel without a dozen parcels and several trunks. My friend carried nothing in her hand but a sun umbrella, which is Very light marching order indeed. — Celia Logan.