By PAT JONES
THE clothes of a lady of fashion of many years ago made a wonderful exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum recently.
Every so often this wealthy young lady packed up all her belongings into trunks, put them into storage, and never looked at them again. As she often bought blouses from well known couturiers, not singly but by the dozen, some of the clothes were unworn.
Hence a unique treasure was granted to the nation, and pleasure afforded to many people, for the
lady not only had stacks and stacks of money — she had what is beyond price — exquisite taste.
Did she know?
AND yet, she lived at a time when the poor in England were very poor, and to feed the hungry and to clothe the naked was even more necessary than today.
Could her beautiful, and often most practical clothes not have helped some poorer person? Was she blind to the needs of others,
or were they never brought to her attention?
Had she perhaps no convenient channel through which used and unwanted clothes could be sent to the needy?
Yet if she lived today, and perhaps had a twinge of conscience about spending such a fortune on personal adornment, she would have had an excellent salve for it.
No excuse for us!
ANEW COAT? Certainly and the old one can go to the Oxford Committee's overseas shipping department, Oxford/ Econe c/o Davies, Turner & Co., 50a Bourne Street. London, S.W.1, to protect some shivering mortal in distant lands from the night cold.
A new dress? By all means, and the St. Vincent de Paul Society in your parish will welcome the old one to pass on to a needy person.
Tired of last year's jewels? They can be despatched to the Oxford Committee shop in High Street, Oxford. which takes this kind of article for resale.
All the money thus obtained goes to help refugees. In times like these it is much easier for the rich to get through the eye of that needle!