ly diminished; the wedding gown, with some slight
changes, such as the removal of the high collar and long sleeves, can
be used as an evening dress; the traveling, church, and visiting suit
may be one and the same; the house dresses may be reduced to a minimum
by frequent washing. That one cannot provide an elaborate wardrobe
with which to begin married life should not be a barrier to a marriage
which in every other respect appears to be auspicious.

The bride's trousseau proper, or that store of linen which she
provides for her new home, should consist of approximately the
following:

For every bed three pairs of sheets, three pairs of pillow cases,
three bolster cases, one or two pairs of blankets, two counterpanes,
and an extra quilt.

For her bedrooms she should provide table, stand, and bureau covers,
as the style of the furniture may suggest, and also such covers for
couch pillows or armchairs as a thrifty housewife would desire for the
sake of cleanliness.

For the bath-room there should be three dozen towels, a half-dozen
bath towels. Towels for the maid should also be included.

For the dining-room, four tablecloths and two dozen napkins for common
use, with two finer tablecloths and two dozen napkins for special
occasions, make ample provision for the average home. There should be
doilies and tray cloths, covers for the sideboard, also mats and
centerpieces for the table.

For the kitchen, three dozen cloth towels for dishes, hand towels,
cleaning cloths, holders, and every necessary sort of towel in
abundance. With the increasing use of the paper towel, much of this
provision for bath-room and kitchen may be dispensed with, as the
paper towel is much neater and more economical.

The wedding gown, which is of white satin or silk, and usually as rich
and elegant as the bride can afford, is always cut high in the neck
and with long sleeves, or, if elbow sleeves, they are supplemented by
long gloves, which are not removed even at the wedding breakfast. The
custom is to wear white exclusively from veil to shoes. Whether or not
the veil is worn, a hat is never provided for this gown.

It is customary, in case a bride is married in her traveling suit, for
her to wear the hat and gloves which go with it. At a home wedding,
however, this rule is not usually adhered to, unless the couple leave
at once.

The bridal veil and orange blossoms are worn only at the first
marriage of a woman, and usually only with