The Mountain Sentinel

Fashions, &c.

The fashionable season in New York has commenced unusually early this year. Receptions are full, and large balls have been called forth a magnificence of toilette never before equalled in this New World. Ladies wear gold and silver brocades costing a thousand dollars and more, a dress, or rich silks trimmed with lace flounces, from one to three thousand dollars in value.

One lady of high ton recently appeared in a costume partly embroidered with pearls, another wore a dress whose lace flounces were wrought with seed pearls, at the same fete. Another wore a set of diamonds which cost thirty thousand dollars, at a grand party, and even the young belles are costumed a la Pompadour, instead of wearing gauze or muslin, thereby making themselves old and matronly in dress at least, and yielding to fashion the simplicity of attire so becoming to youth, and which has heretofore marked the New York girl out from others in strange cities as being the best dressed of all, from her very absence of ornament.

Being in a French modiste's the other morning, we were amazed at her prices, by the way, for these airy ball dresses, which in reality cost very little, and are only becoming to the young. A youthful face gazing at a skirt of pink tulle, displayed by Madame, which looped up here and there with ribbons to suit, was quite a tasteful affair, costing five or ten dollars perhaps.

"What is the price of this dress Madame?"

"Oh, Mam'selle, all complete, only sixty dollars, and very cheap at that. With flowers it would be eighty; oh, vera cheep, Mam'selle—all the best material, you see."

So money goes, and so money is made. Wealth has lately been accumulated so fast that expense is not minded. Venice and Genoa, in their palmy days, will soon be cut out by the merchant princes of New York.—New York Express.