The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-09-27
BAD HABITS.
To every one Of you, ladies, | believe
can say with safe Conscience

To every one Of you, ladies, ] believe
can say with a safe conscience
g, do, as my duty,
Honor the shadow Of your shoe-tie."
claim, however that shoe-,ies, to be
honored, should be seen. Atpresent, they
are enyeloped ia such Longitude OF the
skirt as utterly extinguished them. Every
now and then, we find you, dear ladies',
under some monstrous extravaganza OF al
tire, as wide sleeves, orchnoid waists and SO
forth. Now the reignng so!ecism IS over
long gowns. II is case which may almost
excite some doubts as TO the soundness oil
the feminine understanding, SO entirely
does it seem to defy all the ordinary rules
cfconmon sense. All. gentle danes! but
let Us look into the matter little in detail.
See yonder elegant lady moving along
the pavement, Ike "Troy's proud danes,
whose garments sweep the ground" Very
well for Trojan danes. perhaps, to indulge
in such dress in sounding epic: but Oh !!
look at the modern imitatriy oil modern Eng
land9 II has been damp morning, and
the flag-stones are despatched with mud.
Our fine ladies' skirts just skim this soft
substance, and behold they are thickly dab
bled for few inches upward with mud,
which they have communicated in no small
quantities to their shoes and Stockings
She dares not hold up her skirts to save
them from further pollution, because they
would expose state OF matters about her
feet and ankles. at which everybody's eye
would revolt. She, therefore walks desper-
ately on, knowing she is always getting
worse, vet unable TO help herself until she
shall reach home, by which time she will be
10 $ state fit only for considersiio of her
maid, to whom leave her. Is this rea-
sonable ire atmept, either for silk or mousse
line de la;ne? Il it doing justice to pair
of the neatest hose in the world? Is right
to visit mortal shoes and stockings with such
indign.y?
Were there any irresistible elegance in
long skirts, would, dear ladies, have some
little sympathy in your submitting. for its
sake, to these Inconvenience. But the
fact is that, while trail is a fine thing in
state room, trailing gown is an unple as
ant thing to look upon in the street. We
cannot admire anything, if it grossly shocks
nationality: therefore, we cannot admire
long skirts in walking dress. Il is the
plainest and most uncontroyertible syllo-
eism. Skirts which leave the feet free to
move without being touched By them, fulfil
the common. sense idea of the matter, and
felt handsomer accordingly. There is also
what may call positive or absolute grace
in the neatly-shod female feet seen moving
snartly along a ety-way. A woman
should not be a purely bellshaped object,
with the edge touching the ground. The
feet afe required for the basis Of the figure,
otherwise painful sense of incompleteness
and imperfection possesses us. | am not
prepared to advocate the Seavonian brevity
Of petiicoat, with supplement Of frilled
trousers; perhaps our habits Of feeling forbid
the hope Of such fashion ever being intro
duced. But certainly recommend that
the skirts of walking dresses should never
come within three inches Of the ground,
whether with supplement or not.
Chambers Edin. Journal.