"In Fashions now describe the magic art

Of charming through th' admiring eye the heart,
Nor deem our modern modes may be complete,
Unless we prove them by the obsolete."

The "extravagance of fashions," and the injury inflicted on the health of woman by absurd modes of dress, have probably been themes of lamentation to "reformers" in every age since the arts of millinery and mantuamaking were practised.

It would be a curious history, and by no means uninstructive, could we trace the changes in dress since the days of the high-spirited and patriotic Boadicea, when the brave Britons were compelled, much against their savage inclinations, to pay some attention to their own toilets, as well as considerable tribute to their Roman conquerors. This paying of taxes, like the changes of fashions in dress, seems a civilizing process in the beginning; but legislators, like milliners, are too apt to run into those extravagances which make the tithings of the one as ruinous to the people, as the trimmings of the other. We are all much too easily persuaded that what is diffi cult to obtain or dearly purchased must have some peculiar excellence. The Dutch Burgomaster, who paid ten thousand dollars for an ugly scentless tulip, when he might have had the love-breathing rose for a sixpence, has many imitators among our fashionables of the present day, those who can see no beauty, except in the rare and dear.

The pure and elegant taste which can discover the loveliness of simplicity, is indeed a gift as uncommon as that

of genius. Still the cultivation of the mind has a tendency to correct the barbarian admiration for ornaments and glaring colours, which is always found in savage nations. A better influence, however, is seen when the moral feelings gain ascendency in a community, as taste is more dependent for its refinement on feeling than reasoning.

Judged by the criterion of dress, much as there is still to improve, we think the moral taste of the present day is decidedly more pure and perfect than in any preceding age of the Anglo-Saxon race. This we consider a subject of no small importance, and to make the "Conversation on Fashions," which we intend occasionally to introduce into our "Editors' Table," more interesting, we shall every month give specimens of antiquated modes of dif

ferent eras. The dresses here shown were the very top of the fashion sixty years ago, or about the close of our Revolutionary war. Thus our respected grandmothers were wont to adorn themselves for the church or ball-room. The cap with its lappets, resembles those worn at a much earlier period, in the time of Henry the Seventh. Such a head

In whalebone bondage gall the slender waist,
Nor waving lappets should the dancing fair,
Nor ruffles edged with dangling fringes wear;
Oft will the cobweb ornaments catch hold
Of the approaching button, rough with gold;
Nor force, nor art can then the bonds divide,
When once the entangled gordian knot is tied."*

And here, in relation to the tight lacing of our present

* See Art of Dancing.

fashions, so much condemned as an unheard of enormity by superficial writers, we can see by a glance at these figures that the ladies sixty years ago were far more obnoxious to censure. The corsets of this age, with here and there a slender slip of whalebone inserted, would no more compare with the thick-ribbed, close-stitched, armor-like stays of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, than the modern fortresses around Paris with the walls of Troy. Assuredly we are improving, not only in the taste which regulates fashions, but what is of more importance, in our knowledge of the natural laws which govern the physical constitution. We know the penalty of tight lacing much better than our grandmothers did; that health and beauty are essentially injured by it, and, if continued, on the high-pressure system, life will be the sacrifice.

"Every young lady should be taught that all the muscles of the body may be made more strong by judicious exertion," says a late physician; "that those of the breast and shoulders require it more than any others, as they are the first to exhibit weakness, if neglected, and also they are the most important. Look at a girl whose exercise is limited to an occasional promenade or dance; you will find her shoulders round and her body stooping; or you will perceive that in the absence of all muscular ability to sit upright, fashionable dress has intervened to correct the deformity produced by idleness. The complaint is often heard that females are weak without the support of dress. The truth is, they have taken from the frame its uniform action, and have transferred to articles of apparel those duties which belong entirely to the muscles which God created for certain well-known definite purposes.

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"A female who cannot sit erect, and remain so with ease, without the assistance of artificial means, has so long trifled with her constitution, that muscle after muscle will yield, action after action will cease; the first indication of the coming evil is weakness of some particular part, the next confirmed disease of the digestive organs, or of the spine, or consumption."

We trust our fair, intelligent readers will not seek to imitate those objectionable fashions of dress, the stiff stays and unwieldy hoop, which are entirely out of keeping in this locomotive age, when every thing seems hurried onward by steam power. Nor can ladies avoid being affected by this increased activity. They cannot, if they would devote half their time to doing nothing, and the other half to making nothings. Let us hope that one good effect of the general taste now cultivated for reading, and the increased respect in which female intellect is held, will be the correction of public taste in regard to fashions of dress, perfecting the simple and modest style which now, in some measure, prevails, and inspiring our young and lovely country women with the ambition of being models of that pure elegance in costume, which may be described in three words, neat, appropriate, and becoming.

The costume of gentlemen, sixty years ago, appears decidedly calculated to give an air of gravity to the person. It seems as though all men must have looked "elderly." Think of our gay young dandies in bag wigs and square toed shoes, with enormous buckles, and the threecornered hat! The low crowns-ungraceful things—some of the exquisites have adopted. But, the ladies are our care-we leave the follies of the gentlemen to Mr. Graham.

The summer walking dress of this female figure is more showy than our present fashions-the long streaming sash is decidedly bad taste for street costume. The hat, white chip, with feathers, would be becoming to a young, pretty face, yet is not so as a general fashion. But royalty then set this fashion, as we learn from Mrs. Delany, the lady to whom Miss Burney, in her "Memoirs," so often alludes. Mrs. Delany, in her "Letters," thus describes the dresses of the royal ladies, who came to call on the Duchess of Portsmouth and herself.

"The company were the king, queen, princess royal, and princesses Augusta, Elizabeth, Mary, and Sophia, a lovely group," (of course!) "all dressed in white muslin

polonaises, white chip hats with white feathers, except the queen, who wore a black hat and cloak."

This was October, 1783. Since that time our own broad land has, from the condition of dependent colonies, risen to be one of the most powerful nations on earth. Our "brave men" make their own laws, and maintain their own freedom. Ought not our "fair women" to be careful in selecting and modifying those European fashions which they adopt, so that these shall be in unison with the purer principles of virtue and moral propriety, which in a republic must be cherished, if we would make it superior to royal and aristocratic governments?

One of the most attractive books of the season is the "Attache, or Sam Slick in England," published by Messrs. Lea & Blanchard, from the London edition. The good-natured satire of Haliburton is very cleverly applied to England. Sam has lost none of his racy originality; he lays about him, right and left, with unsparing vigour. In closing the book, the reader only regrets that the satirist has not gone over half the ground. The same publishers have just issued "Lights and Shadows, and Reflections of Whigs and Tories," by a Country Gentleman. It is a series of very clever sketches of the leading political characters in England, from the days of John Wilkes nearly to the close of the reign of George the Third. The opinions of the author are bold and often startling; but he is evidently very familiar with his subject, and writes in an off-hand, sketchy, readable style, particularly acceptable to those who would learn history by a short-hand process. It would be an amusing exer. cise to compare his characters of the great statesmen of George's reign with those given by Lord Brougham.

Mr. Wm. H. Graham of our city, has published "Ringwood the Rover, a Tale of Florida, by W. H. Herbert," a thrilling story of Buccaneer exploits, in which the author displays his usual mastery of a historical theme.

Messrs. Appleton of New York and Philadelphia, have published "The Farmer's Manual, a Practical Treatise on the Nature and Value of Manures." As this work is founded on actual experiments, and gives the most recent discoveries in Agricultural Chemistry, it will of course attract the attention of all readers who are interested in this important subject.

Messrs. T. H. Carter & Co. of Boston, have now completed four volumes of "Marco Paul's Travels and Adventures in the Pursuit of Knowledge," by the author of the Rollo Books, one of the most popular writers for young people in our country. It is embellished with engravings from original designs, and will be completed in six volumes. The author has exerted his best powers in this work, and it will undoubtedly be popular.

Messrs. Carey & Hart have issued, in the cheap form, "Celebrated Trials of All Countries, and Remarkable Cases of Criminal Jurisprudence, selected by a Member of the Philadelphia Bar," a well-known and very popular work. There are eighty-eight trials, each of which was probably published originally at a price not less than is now demanded for the whole. The same firm have issued "Ten Thousand a Year," in the same cheap form. This is one of the ablest novels ever written. It is to be hoped that Dr. Warren will again favour us with a work of the same power and interest which belong to this and the Diary of a Physician. The same publishers continue the "Farmer's Encyclopædia," which is now nearly completed. We have been favoured with a peep at the "Gift for 1844." It is truly magnificent, on large paper maxima charta, as the bibliomaniacs say; the engravings are superb. We shall read the matter, and notice it in extenso hereafter.

The Harpers continue "Allison's Europe," "M'Culloch's Gazetteer," "Hannah More's Works," "Brande's Cyclopædia. The first and last of these are nearly completed.

"Adrian, the Neophite. By George Lippard " This is a short sketch, or rather skeleton of a story, exhibiting the fierce struggles of a passionate nature, first aroused to the temptations of the world. The sketch is written with much skill, and is effective in showing the conflict of the heaven-aspiring but superstitious soul, when drawn down from its fancied high sanctity by the heart-engrossing influence of human love. These descriptions of the pen have a vividness which seems caught from the picturings of the pencil.-"The Poetry of Life, by Mrs. Ellis,"

has lately been republished in the cheap popular style, and a more acceptable or better work could hardly have been given to the readers of this kind of literature. New York, J. & H. G. Langley.

"Lady's Musical Library," for September, is an excellent number, containing fifteen pieces, among which are three beautiful Quadrilles, called the "Lea Spring Cotillions." There are also several exquisite songs and airs.

DESCRIPTION OF FASHIONS.

Fig. 1.-Of barege of a light fawn colour, the skirt trimmed with three moderately deep flounces, placed close, one over the other, and bound, put on nearly plain; tight half-high frock body; sleeves rather loose and reaching to a little below the elbow, showing the under puffed sleeve of white muslin. Mantilla of dark satin, richly trimmed with black lace, the facings on the front being decorated with buttons of the same. Bonnet of fluted tulle, the crown prettily decorated with a cluster of field flowers.

Fig. 2.-A dress of figured barege, the skirt trimmed with two immense deep flounces, put on rather scanty; tight half-high body, forming a point in the front, and trimmed with a frill of the same, forming a kind of smail pelerine; tight sleeves, headed with a narrow frill, falling just under the one on the body; cuffs of white lace, a row of rich white lace falling gracefully over the top of the corsage. Bonnet of straw-coloured crepe, drawn and decorated with a drooping heron's plume of the same colour at the tips, but shaded off to a perfect orange towards the end.

Fig. 3.-Of plain white batiste; body and sleeves fitting close to the figure. Mantelet scarf, of shaded green satin, edged all round with black lace, moderate width of open-work gympe divides the back of the mantelet, showing the waist, and giving a perfect tournour to the back part of the figure; collar of the same open fancy work, surrounded with a row of open black lace: the ends of this mantelet is confined to the waist in the front with a green ceinture, tying in a bow, and two rather long ends. Bonnet of pink areophane, the front slightly turned at the edge, the interior of which is decorated with a plaited fulling of the same, the exterior prettily trimmed with ribbon and flowers.

COMPLIMENTARY.-Godey's Lady's Book.-The August number of this deservedly popular Monthly well sustains its high reputation. The richness of its embellishment, the neatness and elegance of its execution, and more than aught else, the superior order of its contents, reflect no little credit upon the taste and ability of its editors.

Mr. Godey (the proprietor) numbers among his contributors many of the first American authors, men who unite, not to cater simply for the public taste, but to elevate and improve the general tone of society. Hence, the stories that adorn the pages of his Magazine, are always graphic, rich in sentiment, and first in morality. All who have daughters just blooming into womanhood, should, if they are not already so, become subscribers to the Lady's Book. Such tales as "Annetta Haverstraw," and "Mildred," cannot fail to make a deep impression upon the plastic mind of youth, to point out in what true nobility of nature consists-and to prove the power of religion to strengthen, chasten, and beautify the human character. By rendering his work, in time to come, as rich and attractive as the present number, Mr. G. will always secure a large share of public patronage.-Somerset Herald.