Fig. 2.-Promenade Costume. Round dress of dark-blue silk. The skirt is closely plaited. The close corsage and straight sleeves are trimmed with bias folds of the material. Overdress of pale golden-brown silk. This skirt is rather short, and is gracefully draped; it is trimmed with narrow velvet of a darker shade, and is cut slightly open at intervals. Two very large blue loops rest upon the bouffant. The small jacket and large sleeves are open, and similarly cut and trimmed. White lace collar and undersleeves. Bonnet of straw-colored silk, edged with a narrow blonde lace ruffle. At each side of the high crown are two small puffs of blue gros-grains ribbons, framed in lace, whilst at the back is a large bow and floating ends of broad ribbon. The strings fasten in front. A spray of white roses and foliage crosses the top.

PLATE N. Y. 57.

Fig. 1.- Visiting toilet. The material is light-green drap de soie. The very deep flounce of the gored skirt is gathered, and set on in points with a heading of darker velvet. Higher up is a row of larger velvet points. Buttons of the same fasten the close-fitting casaque. Three ruffles of black lace, with a heading, and a black silk rouleau trim the rounded fronts. At the back the basque forms two scallops, with ruffles of the same, and at each side of these scallops is a revers, bordered with velvet, and finished at the waist by a large button. A deeper basque falls below the others. This is trimmed with velvet, and turns over at the sides, thus confining the seven graduating sash-ends of wide gros-grains ribbon to match the dress. Lace ruffle at the neck. The straight sleeve has four ruffles; the upper one serves as a heading to the ribbon band and bow with small ends. Valenciennes collar and undersleeves. Bonnet of fine

straw, trimmed with a black lace scarf, green and pink ribbons,

and a white marabout feather.

Fig. 2.-Promenade costume. Long and closely-plaited skirt of black silk. Overdress of pale yellowish-brown cashmere. This skirt is draped, and very bouffante. It has three rows of black velvet ribbon, and a white lace flounce. The pointed fronts of the close-fitting casaque open upon a black silk vest, with velvet buttons. The basque is round, but the trimming simulates openings at the sides and back. A lace ruffle, surmounted by two rows of velvet, entirely borders the casaque. The deep ruffle that finishes the straight sleeve is trimmed with lace and velvet. The full heading rises above a velvet band, with a bow Lace collar and undersleeves. Bonnet of pale corn-colored silk, with a white gauze vail falling at the back. The high crown is encircled by a band of violet-colored gros-grains ribbon, with two large loops at one side, from which droop sprays of bright yellow flowers with foliage.

at the outer seam.

For our Paris correspondence, see page 300

WE would specially direct the attention of our readers to something entirely new, "The National Dress Trimmings," cuts of which are given on the advertising page of the present number of the MAGAZINE.

The trimmings are manufactured of the Buffalo and Otter brands of alpacas, and of the Beaver brand of Mohair. All these materials are of a rich deep black, and are remarkably fine. They wear better than any others of the samé class, and, moreover, they are comparatively inexpensive. These are points in their favor which are universally known and acknowledged.

And now the same house which imports the above-mentioned goods gives us a new style of garniture, which is not only wonderfully effective, but the most labor-saving imaginable; for as these trimmings are all machine-made, they not only greatly facilitate the work of the dressmaker, but are also of inestimable assistance to those ladies whose chief objection to dressmaking at home lies in the apparently insurmountable difficul- | ties to be overcome in the way of headings for folds, plaits, and flounces. A reference to the illustration will show that the trimmings are formed of puffings, framed either in stitched or double-corded borders. The puffings are also lined with glazed

form. Nothing, therefore, could be more convenient, and we are quite positive that nothing could be neater, handsomer, or better adapted to the purposes for which they are intended than these new dress trimmings.

BONNETS.

TIME brings about many changes, and often strangely perverts the primitive meaning of many words; and in nothing is this made more manifest than in the present and original meaning of the word "bonnet." It was the name formerly given to a man's head-gear, not to a woman's; or, to speak more accurately, it was the name of the stuff of which the head-gear was made.

Guillaume de Nangis, writing about the year 1300, says "he never wore the scarlet or green cloth, or bonnet." And in the "Romance of William Short-nose," the hero is spoken of as wearing "a chaplet of bonnet" on his head. Subsequently the name of the cloth was used to signify the cap itself; and thus we find mention of the bonnets of priests, and of those of nobles, which last were of velvet, surrounded by a coronet.

Shake

The bonnet worn by men in England in Henry VIII.'s time may still be seen on the heads of beef-eaters (buffetiers, or men who formerly waited at table) of that king's court. speare used the word "bonnet" to signify a man's cap. He makes Voluminia, the mother of Coriolanus, say to that haughty patrician, "Go to them with this bonnet in thy hand." And Hamlet says to Osric, Your bonnet to its right use: 'tis for the head."

66

Afterward hats were

England alone, of all European countries, applied the word "bonnet" to the covering of a lady's head. During Queen Anne's reign, the ladies wore gay-colored hoods, which were then quite the rage. In William III.'s time they wore towers of hair covered with lace caps, or ornamented with little hats. But the hoods of Queen Anne's time were a revival of the pretty hood-bonnet known as the "Mary Stuart hood," which first appeared in the fifteenth century, though not till a hundred years later did it receive the name of the unfortunate princess who always wore it. This was in reality a hood, and not properly a bonnet.

In Charles II.'s reign something like the modern bonnet was used, with deep strings and mantilla. Our older readers are familiar by remembrance, and our younger ones by illustrations, of the "coal-scuttle" bonnets worn by the English ladies at the beginning of the present century, which were so called from their resemblance, when worn, to that article of furniture inverted. When a lady's head was enveloped in one of these fearful appendages, it was impossible to see her profile, and very difficult to get a sight of her face. Perhaps this was why they went out of fashion—that is, they grew smaller and smaller until they became what is termed "a cottage bonnet," and it was the fashion to adorn this with gay ribbons and flowers. The cottage bonnets were vastly more becoming than the coalscuttle, and they were worn, with modifications, down to very recent times. They were for a time superseded by "gipsy hats," a form of the old Spanish sombrero, with a good breadth of brim, which flapped in walking, and in squalls sometimes almost lifted one off from her feet.

understand that you deliberately invited me down in order that I should lend my countenance to this scheme of forcing your only sca into a marriage with that notorious woman?" "She is visited by several of the county families," retorted Lady Jane," and I never heard that she went beyond the limits of allowable flirtation with that person."

"Then you are unacquainted with the fact that her husband's death was that of a suicide, driven to madness by her conduct?'' Lady Jane's datintless eyes quailed before the mild rebuke conveyed in the veteran's voice and glance, and she was hesitating for a reply, when a servant man threw open the door and announced "Mrs. Grace to your ladyship," thus sparing her the necessity of framing an immediate answer.

Colonel Ashton at first thought of withdrawing, but another idea occurred to him, and after placing a chair for the visitor, he resumed his seat, placing himself with his back to the light, in order that he might attentively observe Lady Jane's visitor, with whom he had already had a slight acquaintance, though they had not met for a considerable time.

With perfect confidence in her complexion, Mrs. Grace nestled down into a chair directly facing the cold, Autumnal light pouring in through one of the lofty windows, and a sweet, luxurious glow seemed to shine from her over all the grand and gloomy apartment. She was a fair, gracious, sleepy-eyed looking creature, blonde-but blonde is one of Rubens's glowing creations-an undertone of rose blushing through all the lovely skin, and deepening on the cheeks and lips to a rare, delicate scarlet, the hair, taking a red gold where the light fell on its massive braids, and the eyes that decided blue that one sees in a July sky. The long, curled lashes of brown gold lent a softness and depth to them which they did not possess, and the whole effect of the lovely face was that of a soft, impressionable nature. She was tall, and her figure inclined to a certain embonpoint, not yet erring beyond the perfect curves of grace, and her tightly fitting robe of black velvet displayed its undulating beauty to perfection. Her smile was dazzling, parting the scarlet curves of her rich lips easily, like the laughter of a child, and showing the small, fine teeth, and her laugh was infectious, low, mellow, musical, creeping into the most ascetic soul, and charming its owner to a sympathetic smile. Consequently she smiled more than she spoke, and taught her languishing eyes to express what she would have known.

She had thrown aside the distinctive dress of a widow, though she still wore black, especially, indeed, because it suited her radiant complexion; but flashes of fire and red gleamed from the ruby and diamond locket at her magnificent throat, and a white ostrich plume decorated the black velvet toque that crowned her lovely head. Her muff was of priceless sable, the rose lining gleaming warmly; and on the leaf-strewn drive below there was a little park phaeton, lined with rose-colored velvet, and drawn by a pair of ponies, black and gleaming as though carved from jet, and held by a groom mounted on a horse that might have borne an Alexander to conquest.

Lady Jane's eyes roved hungrily over the richly-clad form of the wealthy beauty, and she glanced impatiently toward the door, in the faint hope of seeing the stalwart form of her son, Lord Usher, enter, for a quick step rang along the echoing corridor without; and by the sudden leaping open of the languid eyes of her guest, the parting of her dewy lips, and the slow tide of darker rose that dyed her from throat to brow, she understood that Mrs. Grace had recognized the footfall. But it passed the closed door, and then a sudden laugh came ringing back through the silent house-the jubilant laugh of a young girl, clear, pure, ringing like the peal of silver joy-bells swinging under a crescent moon, followed by a man's deeper tones in gay remonstrance. There was the thunderous closing of a distant door, and silence dropped suddenly upon the house.

Lady Jane's face turned to the gray of sunless granite, and she rang the bell with a quick, imperious peal that brought a gray-haired servant quickly to the room.

"Tell Lord Usher that I wish to see him," she said, quickly; and turning graciously to Mrs. Grace, she added: "Lionel was so anxious to have your opinion upon the re-furnishing of the South Room. Why do you not go?" she said, sharply, seeing that the old man hesitated.

I beg your ladyship's pardon, but my lord has gone out." "Follow him, then; he cannot have gone far."

"He went on Boreas, my lady, and he and Miss Arundel rode away very swift."

"That will do," said Lady Jane, in the measured, expressionless voice of one who is secretly torn with a rage she would fain conceal.

Mrs. Grace smiled as the man withdrew-a soft smile, that brought into play the fairy dimples that lingered round her lips, and Lady Jane leaned sternly back in her chair, and her mellow voice said:

"We are not so distant that Lord Usher could not make leisure to pay me a visit at my honse of Ivy Grange, when it would suit his convenience. My mornings are always at my disposal. I am a lonesome woman," she said, looking up at Colonel Ashton with humid eyes, "with no family ties, and I really feel grateful to any one who gives me occupation for my weary hours. I shall be only too happy to place my art experience at the disposal of Lord Usher."

She felt the necessity of conciliating Colonel Ashton, whose influence she knew to be paramount with the young peer; but the veteran had seen the dull, sullen opacity that had suddenly clouded the dreamy azure of her eyes on hearing the distant laughter of her young rival; and he believed as much in ber smooth repose and tender smile as in the harmlessness of the coiled serpent in its lair in the fiery jungle. Yet he remained chatting with his cousin and her guest until the latter took her departure, and stood bare-headed on the great steps until the fairy equipage and its owner had crossed the moat bridge, and flashed away amongst the great beeches and oaks of the park, with faint gleams of silver and rose sparkling back amongst the brown boles of the ancestral timbers.

Then resting his hand on the head of a noble dog that walked gravely at his side, he strolled past the bridge, and wandered thoughtfully along the outer margin of the wide moat, where melancholy yews leant over the unruffled water, buried in a profound and painful reverie.

Lady Jane, left to solitude, tried to busy herself with some business papers, awaiting her attention on a quaintly carved escritoir of oak, black with age, but after a few moments of restless rustling amongst the documents, the grim woman recommenced pacing the floor, and finally paused at one of the windows, and resting against the framework, stared vacantly out over the swaying trees to where, in the extreme distance, the mellow old walls of Ivy Grange caught the fading glow of parting day.

Mrs. Grace's principal property lay in a neighboring county, but the old red brick house, with its mullioned windows, wide moat, and picturesque grounds, brought a sombre fire to Lady Jane's eyes, as they called more vividly than ever to her memory the fact that they had once formed a portion of the Usher estate, and that her son's ring fence had to make an ugly curve instead of sweeping round The Grange property in a bold embrace.

From this her mind sprang to the lordly towers, some score of miles away, with their kingly stretches of park, their nestling hamlets, their smiling pastures, their myriad farms, all, all owning the bright beauty who worshiped her son, for their mistress, and between him and all this a girl's face rose, with wide, starry eyes, that snared his heart, steeled him against the iron will of his mother, and lent him a triple armor of indifference to the wealth of beauty and gold that was ready to fall into his careless hand.

Lady Jane Jane clinched her muscular hands, and her brows met in a deadly frown. She made a sudden gesture, as though crushing something under her heel, and drew a little back from the window as her son and Miss Arundel came flying up the avenue, the girl's loosened hair swaying on the air like a golden cloud, while Lord Usher leant toward her, laughing at something she was saying.

She watched them unperceived while he lifted the girl from the saddle, and then she observed Colonel Ashton join them, and slipping his hand through Lord Usher's arm, drew him away by the moat walk, while Miss Arundel lingered for an instant looking after them, and then entered the house.