Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1841-12-09
From he Norfolk Beacon.

Resolutions, and enlistlng the sympathie
of all, who are disposed TO check the pre-
railing epidemic, tight Iacing, and Their
were assembled on this momentous oc
%casion, females of all ages, some were up
wards Of seventy years old, many wer'
under twenty years of age, and very
beautiful.
The Chair was taken b. Mrs. HARE
who was supported by the usual array O.
Vice Presidents, and a Secretary pro tenn
as the regular secretary was absent.
The meeting was then opened by 6
hymn from Mr.. Duff. commencing
And must | be to judgment brosght,
For what these stays have done, &c. &c.
After which, the following preamble
and resolutions were read and adopted (:
Resolred, That as women protesting
godliness, we are about 10 set an example
OF christian forbearance, with regard to
stay laclug-and instead of expanding
money for these useless fixtures, 10 ap-
propriate what may be thus saved, to the
futherance of our s~tupendous cause, in the
distribution Of pamphlets, &c. &c.
RESOLVED, That woman is in her ap.
propriate sphere when endeavoring to
beautify society, by refusing to counter.
ance stay lacing in any form-and by
that means promote the interests o fhealth,
intellectual worth, and primitive lowell
ness.
Mr.. Slocum, a delegate from Boston
here arose, stroked his chin, looked very
nmiable, and as dignifed as he could,
made a low bow and said nothing, bu,
modestly cast his eyes on Mrs. Hare's
waist. After a few inaudible whisper
ings he thus proceeded am ready, end
willing to assist in this intellectual cause,
but the women are slow TO be convinced
of the deleterious effects both oil mind and
body, produced by the sbominable practice
of COMPRISING the waist, by these " in
ventions of folly," thereby giving Them
selves more the appearance of an hour
glass or a fsherman's gourd, than sensi-
Bile creatures. At Boston our society is
not so prosperous as formerly, there are
in all about 100 members, but they don't
have the cooperation of their wives /;
however, they expect to organize a body
Of lovely young female missionaries to
send through the city, in order to sup
press this "idolatrous worship" by which
thousands annually meet with premature
death. The influence of elderly ladies', is
greatly desired, as their erisimmeuse.
Give US help then there is a loud call
for help! if our united efforts were only
the mean of saving one poor girl from
destruction, it would be something
pamphlets ought TO be distributed we
have a great deal to do, and should not
suffer ourselves TO rest till we have made
our daughters lights in the world, and our
sons corner stones.
Miss Feeble, who last year could HARD.
ly raise her voice 10 speak, was here a
gain restored to perfect health, and arose
and delivered a very concise and pathetic
address-thus : My dear Sisters, l feel
great cause for gratitude, many Of you
have manifested your surprise at seeing
me out again, but |, by the %interposition
of providence, am standing before you q
living witness Of the bad effects, caused
by tight lacing. | feel now able to enter
into this subject with a two.lold energy ;
and since God has been so good as TO re.
store me to health, | mean to manifest my
gratitude as far as in me lies, by ~devoting
the remainder ofmy life in this meritori'
Gus cause.
Here a lady arose, who was the finest
specimen OF healthy old age that we ever
saw. Many of our young beauties rear.
ed in the lap OF luxury, and SUBJECT to all
the evils consequent upon a life Of surfeit-
ing and idleness, might envy her the rudy
glow of health playing upon her cheeks
and such a flow of animal spirits, lighting
up her aged features, filling her bright
beaming eye with animation as she arose
to testify to the good of this society. She
said, | have numbered three score and
ten summers, and yet, By Heavens
blessing, | am here and what is more, |
am in perfect health. | never used stays
in my life, therefore, bad health, diseased
intellect, and waspish waists, may be
considered as strangers in my family.
have seen the young buds put forth in
spring, the fields covered with the green
velvet of nature, and the birds beginning
to tune their little throats with harmony,
and pour forth songs Of praise to the i'm
perial majesty of Heaven and then again
/ have seen The buds opened, the trees of
the field put forth all their vlgor, and the
flowers Of the garden stand rearing their
beautiful heads to the sun, as if looking to
him as the author oftheir being, and in.
voking him to continue their short lives,
by the influence of his beams and then
again | have seen the flowers droop, the
leaves and the grass turn yellow, under
the s~corching influence of the autumnal
sun, the fruit ripen on the trees, and even
the voices of the little birds seem more
feeble, in accordance with the langour OF
nature and yet again the scene changes
when winter, with his icy hand comes,
and as with the wand Of a magician
strikes a chill over the face Of nature; the
harmony with which the air was filled is
stopped; the little streams that were wont
to flow among the hills, and in the %vallies,
watering the earth, and making it beau
tiful, are frozen over, and nature is chang
ed from a fruitful field, to the barren de.
sert. All this ! have seen, yes, and
have seen my children, and my children'i
children, and my children's children'i
children rise up and soon too, have sunk
before me into the grave, and yet ] II
my 10th year, am allowed to stand befor'