The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-01-01
A Champion Of Woman's Rights.

A Champion Of Woman's Rights.
The Lowell Offering furnishes an in
teresting account of Miss Weber,
young Belgian lady, who stands pre.em>
inent among the advocates of woman's
rights Her practice is in accordance
with her theory, and she wears male at>
tire and carries on farm. Her de-
fence Of the fashion she has adopted is
racy:
The neither garment was first worn
in the bi(urcated forms by the women Of
Ancient Judea How far il resembled
the modern trowsers we have no definite
information, but the fact is worth keeps
ing in mind that women were the orig,
nal wearers Of trowsers. The exclusive
claim which man so perlinaciousy main
tans TO the use of this garment, is
founded upon no prlncip lie Of moral or
social policy. 1t is an arbitrary claim.
without an argument to support it, not
even that Of prior usage.-Nature never
intended that the sexes should be dis
tiugulshed by apparel. The beard, which
she assigned solely to man, is the natural
token OF his sex. But man effemnates
himself, contrary TO the evident purpose
of nature, by shaving off his beard and
them lest his sex should lie mistaken. he
arroga,es 10 himself particular form OF
dress, the wearing Of which BY the fc-
male sex, he declares to be grave mis-.
demeanor.
" Common sense teaches us that the
dress which is more convenient, and best
adapted to our wants and circumstances,
is the dress mos, proper for US to wear.
Scarcely a case can be imagined in which
the superiority of the male attire is not
palpable. AN cognizant of TO reason
why woman should not wear this dress
If girls were accustomed to it from early
age, we would see fewer deicately form
ed women, and none with over-lapped
ribs"
The following is description of the
personal appearance aud manners of
Miss Neber, from the pen Of an Amer
lean lady, who visited her in the spring
OF 1919.
Miss Weber's figure, being unus-
ually tall and straight, is well adapted to
masculine costume. She dresses ia the
Paris fashion, generally in a black dress
coat, with panialoons to correspond !;
though | have seen her in the evening
wear stylish blue coat, enriched with
luslrous plain gilt buttons, and small
clothes Of light color. Her vest is OF
Juii Cashmere, with row Of fla, sur
faced gold buttons, perfectly PLAIN, but
exquisitelyrolished this is the only Style
of vest that she ever wears. Her hair
Of course, is cut short. She is about
Iwenly-iour years Of age, and is possessed d
Of beautiful face, aud her manners are
strictly lady.like. She enjoy. the friend
ship Of the great and good of both sexes
Unlike most learned ladies. she is foil of
sa!uIary and unnlgging merriment; but
her every word, look aud action is chars
acterlzed with the most refined womany
dellcac,."
She ha, an excellent farm, the busi-
ness OF which she manages in person /;
and by all accounts, her farming opera
tons have proved to be a steady source
of profit and pleasure to her. Her fam
ily consists Of widowed mother, with
Two female cousins, between fifteen and
twenty-five years of age.
Miss Weber's style Is .enicntiou., Wig.
orons, aud graceful, vilh dash Of quiet
humor. sufficient to relax the gravity OF
the surlcst old bachelor in the world
She claims the rigt of women 10 enjoy
the elective franchise, to Gil every de-
,cription of civil and ecclesiastical off.
ces, to hold their own property indcpen-
dent Of their husbands, to have a full
moiety Of domestic authority, to dress
without restriction as to the form OF gar
ments, and to be The compeers instead
ofIhc legal slaves OF their husbands
1t will be perceived tha, these demands
embrace everything except the right 10
command armies and ships of war. The
omission Of this claim, however. was no
oversight Though herself the daugh,
ter of a military man, she is opposed to
warfare, and has no opinion of plumed
heroes.
EDIToRrALs. - A noted chap once