NGX

TO THE WHITE WINGED BUTTERFLY.

INSECT of the snowy wing,
Trembling 'midst the Linden's green,
White as snowdrop of the spring,

Dimly through its foliage seen

Living flowers, fair and bright,

Clustering 'mid the tender leaves,
Looking like the blossoms white
Which the young Clematis weaves-

Tell me, in this cool twilight,

Little stranger, of thy home,
Whence thy sudden timid flight,
What has lured thee forth to roam?

Has the south wind borne thee up,
With its gentle loving breath,
From the proud Magnolia's cup,

Or the Woodbine's humble wreath?

What attracts thy restless wing
To the city's sultry air
While on hill and dale there spring
Flowers that woo with odours rare?

Dost thou call me fair and bright?
Still remember I the day

MARCH, 1815

THE

When a worm, I met thy sight,
Loathing, thou did'st turn away.
Yet within the lowly worm,

Wrapped as with a garment lay
The white wings, the graceful form
Thou hast welcomed so to day.

Dost thou marvel at the change
Which a few short days have brought,
Faith can point to one more strange,
In thy future shall be wrought.

Though thy life be full of care,

Though despised thy lot may be,
And life's burden thou dost bear,
Panting, struggling to be free-

Yet if faith be strong and bright,

In a few short days shalt thou Wear in heaven the garments white,

And the crown upon thy brow.

Washed from every stain of sin

Which the soul from earth has caught, Grateful wonder shall begin

At the change within thee wrought.

ARETHUSA.

NOT in gardens stately,

The Arethusa groweth ;

Not by the way side

Her rarest beauty showeth.

In wet lonely meadows,

She waits for those who seek;

Bending on her leafless stem

Her crowned head so meek.

Her crystal purple petals,
With pearls and gold adorned:
She looketh like a fairy,
Leaning on her wand.

I think of fair sweet children,
In strange places scattered;
When I meet the Arethusa

With meadow damps all watered.
When I weep to think of them,
I dry my tears and say.

That innocence must needs be sure,
And dwell with God alway.
Out of dreariest places

It will an Eden make;

Earth is still an Eden

For its own dear sake.

R

LONDON FASHIONS FOR THE MONTH.

BEFORE the present rapid progress of fashion, the month of March was one in which our office was a complete sinecure. No change, even of the most trifling kind, was thought of, till the summer fashions made their appearance. How different is it at present, when every month brings us, if not actual changes, at least such modifications, as look very like them. We have presented some of the most striking of these in our plates, and our notes of the month will supply us with others, that we trust will be equally acceptable and interesting to our fair readers.

The severity of the weather has brought fur cardinals very much into use, and where they are not adopted, silk and velvet cloaks, trimmed with sable fur, are more seen than they were even in begining of winter. Cloth robes have also been more numerous, and we have observed lately that a good many of the habit form have appeared. They are trimmed in a somewhat novel style; a row of richly wrought silk buttons descends from the top of the corsage to the bottom of the skirt, three rows of narrow velvet ribbons are disposed in waves, placed lengthways on each side of the buttons; these waves, very small on the corsage, increase gradually in size as they descend upon the skirt, so as to take the form of a broken cone, The jacket is deeper than any we have yet seen, and very open in front; it is bordered with the same kind of velvet trimming, placed horizontally; the cuffs are decorated to correspond, and a very deep garniture of a similar description encircles the bottom of the skirt. We have seen these dresses worn under satin and velvet paletots, or mantles trimmed with sable furs; but they are also very frequently adopted with fur cardinals only.

We have few observations to make respecting chapeaux and capots, the latter continue to be the most numerous, both in promenade and carriage dress. Those of satin of a close form, and padded, are especially in favour, since the weather has been so very cold; a good many are composed of black satin lined with rosecoloured satin, or with a full shade of yellow. The interior of these bonnets has no trimming. The exterior is always decorated with black satin ribbon figured in the colour of the lining, or else with ribbons shaded in different shades of that colour. Some are trimmed with ribbons only, others with a mixture of ribbon and lace, or else with tufts of flowers inserted in lace. A few velvet drawn bonnets are similarly trimmed, but the chapeaux in general are decorated with feathers. Peilesse robes maintain their vogue both in morning and half dress. Cashmere and the other fine woollen materials that we described in the beginning the season are generally adopted in morning dress, and velvet, satin, soie Cameleon

and other silks in demi toilette. Robes Caracos are a good deal in vogue in the latter. They are made with round deep jackets descending over the hips; and sleeves a three quarter length with square cuffs; the under sleeves are of muslin bouillonné trimmed with Valenciennes lace. Some of these robes are decorated en echelle with brandebourgs. Others with passementerie disposed in a spiral direction down the front.

Caps retain all their vogue in home dress, they continue to be made small, round, and very short at the ears, a good many have the head-pieces, trimmed with several rows of narrow lace laid on flat. The garniture is always of ribbon arranged in a simple style.,

Although lace and crape robes are frequently seen in evening dresses, they ar by no means so numerous as the silks, satins, and velvets that we announced in the beginning of the season; damasks and brocades are confined to full dress but velvet and satin are adopted both in grande parure and evening dress. Taffetas of which there are several new patterns, are confined to the latter only. These robes and also satin ones, are frequently decorated en pyramide, that is to say, the skirt is trimmed very high, with lace rolants, disposed in separate compartments and in the form of pyramids; the lace is set on with very little fulness. Lace is indeed the garniture, par excellence, for evening robes; it is employed also for ball dresses, though not so generally. Besides the usnal mode of deep flounces, and the pyramids, that we have just spoken of, it is employed to border the lappels and the robings of dresses. We must observe also that a good many rich silks are made without trimmings on the skirts, and this is more especially the case with velvets. The corsages are always deeply pointed at the bottom; a good many are made round at the top, but a greater number descend in the demi cœur style in the centre of the breast, displaying a lace chemissette, or one of organdy, the embroidery of which is quite as expensive. If the corsage is round at the top, it is usually ornamented with a lace Berthe, made open and pointed at the bottom.

We have no alterations to announce in the forms of sleeves. Long ones of expensive lace are sometimes adopted, but rarely. Tight short sleeves are in a majority, they are made very short, and the garniture always corresponds with that of the corsage.

The chief attention of our elegantes, at least of the juvenile part of them, is at present directed to ball dress; crape, tulle, and gauze compose the majority of these robes, there are also a good many of white and pink satin; the first mentioned are made in general with double skirts, and a good many of those of tulle, with triple skirts. These robes are always worn over satin under dresses, but there never are two skirts to a satin dress, though the latter are frequently worn with a second short skir of lace or tulle. When that is the case the corsage of