“Dr. Jaeger’s sanitary woollen clothing,” about which I have so often written in praise, has raised up some rival manufactures amongst our English makers, who have long been famous for their merino or lambswool stuffs.  Pure woollen under-garments in England have always been thought to wear and to wash badly, and much of this has probably been owing to the fact that the washing was very bad and that no one before Dr. Jaeger ever tried washing woollens scientifically, so as to take out the grease and perspiration, and not to harden the material at the same time.  By Jaeger’s method this is done with lump ammonia and soap.  The soap is cut into small pieces and boiled into a lather with water, and the lump ammonia is then added.  This lather is used at about 100 deg.  Fahrenheit, and the clothes must not be rubbed, but allowed to soak for about an hour in the water, and must then be drawn backwards and forwards repeatedly in the bath till clean.  Three waters are to be used, the two after the first lather being of the same heat, and of pure clean water.  This leaves the clothes delightfully soft and supple, and their wearing qualities suggest nothing further as an improvement.

Some of the new English underclothing is very light and good, and claims to be of pure merino-wool.  It is of varying thickness, and many ladies, both young and old, are adopting it for combinations; these and one petticoat forming the whole of the clothing.  Of course, the thickness of these garments is to be suited to the season, and the gossamer clothing manufactured for the warm season leaves nothing to be desired in its lightness and apparent coolness.

[Illustration:  By the lake side with the boats.]

One does not associate thick materials with great heat, and the mere look of thick wool would make one begin to feel hot, however foolish it may sound to say so.  When the skin becomes used to wearing wool it will be found more comfortable than either cotton or linen, and we, moreover, avoid the chance of chills after being over-heated.  I know several people who date their almost perfect immunity from colds to the use of woollen underclothing, who previously had been martyrs to colds and coughs, and had been constantly imprisoned in the house during quite mild seasons.  In England the climate (need I say so?) is fickle and changeable, and, singular to say, we may be, and many people are, apparently wrapped up carefully and seasonably, and yet we may all err on every hygienic point, in regard to the weight and porosity of materials.

So far as I can see in the newest styles, the loose-fronted bodices have it all their own way.  Many of them only fasten at the throat and waist, either large buttons or handsome clasps being used.  These jackets stretch open over the front to show a full waistcoat, this latter being a scarf long enough to continue below the waist and round it at either side, so as to form a sort of sash, showing under the edge of the bodice and ending under the long coat-tails at the back in ends or a bow.