grey hair filling up the back!  Sometimes we have seen old women spurning the sober tints which accord with their years, and coming out dressed like Queens of the May in garlands and flowers; and wearing bonnets that would be trying even to a belle of eighteen.  But when people resolutely refuse to accept the fact that they are no longer young, it is not surprising that they should run into some extremes, and offend against good taste by dressing in a style utterly unsuited to their years.  And yet there is no more pleasing sight than a good-looking old woman, who is neither afraid or ashamed to recognize the fact of her age, and wears the quiet and sober colours which belong to her years, modifying the fashion of the day to suit herself, that she may neither ape the young nor affect to revive in her own person the fashions of by-gone days.  Affectation of all kinds is detestable.

So also there are rules for the young, which, if attended to, will prevent their offending against good taste.  The young are, of all people, without excuse.  The freshness of youth has a beauty of its own which needs but little outward adornment.  The ravages of time have not to be repaired.  Youth has charms of its own, and the more simply it is attired the better.  Everything is in favour of the young.  When they adopt elaborate or rich toilets, when they make flower-gardens of their heads, or wear strong and glaring colours, the chances are that they disfigure themselves.  A young girl should never make herself conspicuous by her dress.  Let it be as good as she pleases, as costly as she can afford, still let it be simple and unobtrusive.  Let the general effect be pleasing and grateful to the eye; but at the same time let it be impossible to say in what it consists, or to remember her on account of any peculiarity in it.  If she is beautiful, let her dress aid her beauty by not drawing away the attention from it.  If she is plain, let her not attract all eyes to her plainness.  Let not people say of her, “Did you see that ugly girl with that scarlet feather in her hat?” or, “with that bonnet covered with pearl beads, contrasting with her dark and sallow complexion?” or, “with that bright green gown, which made her look so bilious?”

It is in small things, as well as in great, that good taste shows itself.  Well-fitting gloves and boots, things of small moment in themselves, tell of a neat and refined taste.  Quiet colours, well assorted; an absence of glare and display, nothing in extremes, betoken a correct eye and good taste.

It is, then, in the harmony of colour; in the use of a few colours at one and the same time; in dressing according to their means, according to their station, as well as according to their age, that people may be said to show their good taste in dress.  There are, doubtless, other points of detail which will suggest themselves to the minds of our readers; but we are confident that, if attention is given to the points which it has been our wish to place prominently before them, there will be fewer of those startling peculiarities and eccentricities which offend against good taste.