THE LADIES' PAG E.

CROCHET CIRCLE.

MATERIALS.-Boar's-head crochet cotton, of Messrs. Walter Evans and Co., Derby.

This circle will form a pretty cover for a toilet-pincushion. It may also be used as a centre for a couvrette, with smaller circles round it.

loop. At the end of the round fasten off and cut the cotton.

7th. Fasten the cotton to the point of one of the loops, and work 1 slip-stitch, * 7 chain, 1 Begin in the centre. Make a chain of ten slip-stitch in the point of the following loop. stitches, and join it into a circle. Repeat from *.

1st round. 20 double within the circle.

2nd. 1 double, 17 chain, 1 slip-stitch in the one double to form a loop; work round the loop in double crochet. Increase once on each side, and once at the top. Work once more in double crochet round the loop, increasing as before, and working one slip-stitch at the bottom of the loop. Six purl are worked in this second round over the loop, three on either side. Each purl is composed of 4 chain. At the end of this round fasten off and cut the cotton. There should be four leaves similar to the first, each divided by 4 double.

3rd. Fasten the cotton at the point of one of the four leaves, and work 1 double, * 5 chain, 1 purl, 5 chain. Now for the small pattern, joining two leaves together; make 3 chain, 1 purl placed downwards, 1 chain, 1 purl placed upwards, 2 chain, 1 double between the two first purl of one leaf, 2 chain, 1 purl, 2 chain, 1 double between the two first purl of next leaf, 2 chain, 1 purl placed upwards, 1 chain, 1 pur downwards, 3 chain, 1 slip-stitch in the first of the three chain at the beginning of the pattern to complete the pattern, then 5 chain, 1 purl, 5 chain, 1 double in the point of the next leaf, and repeat always from **

4th. Between each leaf and each pattern which divides them you have 10 chain, with a purl in the centre; work 1 double in each of these chains, and 1 in the lower part of the purl; also work 1 double in the point of each leaf, and of each triangular pattern, so as to form an entire circle of double stitches.

5th. All double crochet, increasing here and

there.

6th. 5 double, 1 chain, 1 purl, 1 chain, 1 purl, 3 chain, 1 purl, 1 chain, 1 purl, 1 chain, fasten the loop of chain and purl by stitch, and repeat from *. There must be 16 sliploops in the round, and 5 double between each

8th. The same as the 5th.

9th. Double crochet with 1 purl over every 10th stitch.

small circles of the outer border, which are Before beginning the 10th row, prepare the centre. Make 4 chain for a first long double, 7 made separately, as follows:-Begin in the chain, 1 long double in the first of the 4 chain forming the first long double; work 2 more long double, always divided by 7 chain; then again 7 chain, and fasten the last to the top of the first long double. Nowwork in close crochet all round the star, adding one purl over every fourth stitch. When you have completed sixteen similar small circles, continue to work round the large one.

and work I slip-stitch, 7 chain, 1 slip-stitch in 10th. Begin upon the 3rd stitch after 1 purl, one stitch of a circle, between 2 purl; turn, and 1 long double, 1 short treble, 1 treble, 1 long over the 7 chain work one slip stitch, 1 double, formed, and work 1 double in the fourth; now treble, miss 3 stitches under the leaf thus begin a loop, formed of 1 chain, 1 purl, 1 chain, 1 purl, 3 chain, 1 purl, 1 chain, 1 purl, 1 chain; under this loop miss two stitches, 1 purl, and two more stitches of preceding round, and then begin another leaf similar to the first. Work alternately one of the pointed leaves, and one loop with purls. There should be sixteen leaves in the round, and one of the smaller cirles is fastened on to the point of each leaf. To render the work firmer, insert the needle at the back of one circle, in the first space, from the point where the circle was joined on to a leaf.

Make a chain of six or seven stitches, and fasten loop. Make a second chain of the same length, it by a slip-stitch in the point of the nearest and join it on in the nearest space of the next They are also joined together by a stitch worked circle. Repeat the same process for each circle. in one purl on either side.

THE TOILET.
(Specially from Paris.)

TOILETS FOR COUNTRY-SEATS.

FIRST FIGURE.-Dress of gray pou de soie, consisting of a skirt and corselet cut out of a single piece, and having one large plait at the waist behind. The skirt is gored in every width, and cut in notches at the bottom. The corselet is cut at the top in similar notches, and the short sleeves are finished in the same manner. Under-body of muslin, with guipure transparents, in which a ribbon is run, and the long undersleeves are finished up the back of the arm with the same description of ornament. A jacket, in the rotonde form, trimmed with a jet embroidery above a flounce of guipure, is worn with this dress out-of-doors. I may mention that a band of the material, edged with narrow guipure and studded with large buttons, ornaments the front of the skirt.

SECOND FIGURE.-Silk gauze dress, with two skirts. The first is trimmed with four rows of silk bias-pieces of the same colour as the dress. The second skirt, which is raised à l'antique on each side, has three similar rows. Basquine body, lined with silk to match. Tight sleeves, lined with the same, and finished round the arm-hole and at the wrist with rows of bias-pieces to match those on the skirt. Belgian-straw bonnet, in the plateau form, trimmed with convolvolus flowers and foliage. Barb-strings of Chantilly lace, fastened by a

cluster of convolvolus.

port, but are made to fit the upper part of the
very pretty supporters have been invented in the
figure quite closely. For long dresses several
shape of loops &c.; and dresses tied up at the
sides and backs are in favour both for street
and evening wear.
at the Tuileries in full-dress. A very pretty
Short skirts have appeared
walking dress is composed of an under-skirt of
striped grey silk, of two shades. The over-skirt
is of plain gros-grain, of the lighter shade, with
a piping of green silk between each of the gored
widths. The upper skirt is much shorter than
the under one.
short pointed basques at the back. Buttons of
Bodice of plain silk, with two
the edge of the tight sleeves, and half circling
green velvet down the front of the dress, on
the arm-hole. For these short dresses summer-
poplin, Mohair, and Alpaca, either plain or
striped, are much in favour. For serious robes
of silk, the newest and most favourite is
grenat; the tint is a charming one, and is very
distinguée.

I am glad to say that natural flowers are being greatly worn for ornaments in the hair; and the difficulty of keeping them fresh through the evening has been overcome by the use of hollow flexible tubes of India-rubber perforated with holes for the reception of the flower-stems, and filled with moss previously saturated with water. These tubes take the form and colour of natural branches, and are easily adapted to

any style of coiffure.

Long sash-ends continue to be worn, as do the pointed waist-bands. Everything-shawls, mantles, basques-affect the peplum-form, while the graceful drapery (properly so-called) continues to be in general vogue.

Trimmings are worn both on the fronts and backs of dresses, and while short skirts are in favour (with young persons for promenade), trained dresses are made more deeply trained than ever, but the skirts, in either case, are gored; and the short waists and scanty fulness remind one of the days of Queen Charlotte. Here the dresses are, for the most part, worn without any fulness whatever, and appear almost drawn over tight-fitting crinolines. The latter, when intended for trained dresses, are wider than ever at the bottom, where these caudal appendages require sup-flowers-a pretty idea, is it not?

Chignons are worn higher every day: some appear on the very summit of the head, and long plaits have in some measure taken the place of curls; but the newest style of coiffure adopted by lovers of originality is, instead of curling or plaiting the hair, to let it fall on each side of the chignon as low as the waist, merely tying it at intervals with a tuft of beads or

ANSWERS

TO

CORRESPONDENTS.

POETRY accepted, with thanks.-" Roses from the Harem;" Doomed;" "The Soul and the Willow;" "Hope in Despair;" "Receipt for a Head;" "Mowers tossed the Hay."

Declined, with thanks. Among the Mows;"
"Tell Him" (very sweet and refined in sentiment,
but the inequalities of the rhyme require amend-
ment). "Tellefer's Song to the Conqueror' labours
under the same defect. "The Squire of "Ashbury"
(the MS. has been returned by post).
Received." Out with King Mob" (the writer shall
have an answer as soon as the MS. is read); "Be-
fore the Wind" (not equal to the author's intention.

PRINTED BY ROGERSON AND TUXFORD, 246, STRAND.

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SEC

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