The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1851-09-13
The Bl0Omer Costume.

OIL Ssl luitH III ulIu iNNoiutloli,
and have tried to like the idea of bring
ing the orietal female fashions into New
England. But all to no purpose. In
descriptive paragraphs, and in illustra-
tons, the thing looked somewhat agree
able. But we have seen the female form
divine in this outlandish toggery-and
we are driven to the verdict which JEFF
rey once pronounced on the affections
of Wordsworth. Our first impressions
on seeing the costume were disagreeable.
The women appeared reduced in height,
and angular exceedingly. Women al
ways look shortened in anything like
mans dress. Those that we saw-of
the usual height-presented the figures
Of little girls; till you looked at their ia
ces, and where concous of all the incon-
gruity. Our New England women are
generally spare and thin; and pale for
the most part. The effect of a great
haping straw hat over their features and
neck, is particularly bad--it absolutely
annlhilates whatever grace belongs to
the feminine bust. For want of the ex-
ercise taken by the rougher sex, the
shoulders and genefly shape of ladies are
not sufficiently developed Or rounded;
and consequently, in this dress, the up
per portion of the bodies show very
hard outlines, totally inconsistent with
the soitness and fitness which should be-
belong to them. Altogether the ladies
we have seen in our streets had the APP
pearance of big, awkward school girls.
Heaven hel p us, we have no more favor
able opinion to pronounce, in this dis
tressing business! Why that immeasura-
Bile somrero is chosen for the head puz-
zles U.s. "A neat bonnet would be a
thousand times more womanly, and be-
coming. We saw the wind dragging at
one Of these vast umbrella things, and
such struggle as the wearer had to keep
it on her head! We could not laugh;
delusions are not laughabla.
The fact ls-this dress onlp becomes
children and youne girles; it requires the
round faces and rounded proportions of
youth. 1t will never answer for our a.
dult women. A respectable woman of
middle age would look like an absolute
monster in it. We believe that, in spite
Of their natural desire to seen, as they
cannot be,tof the superior division of
the race, woman will be frightened from
the use Of these man ISL garments by the
ugliness Of them. Woman always and
everywhere require long, loose gar
ments. They require paddings and
shawlings and drapery of the legs and
feet. The fuller and fatter woman of
England require these things and the
thinner woman of New England cannot
do without them.
Plaintru,h, dear ladies, needs flowers orspccch;
So take it--wilh smile or with screech.
People advocate the curt garments, on
principle--the principle of usefulness.
1t is on that very prtnci pie We chiefly
condemn them. We have too much of
this militariunism. We are too much
to sacrifice to it most of the gra-
ces and amenities of life. These last
are of little account, compared with the
necessity of doing things smartly, going
ahead everywhere-eve-where realizing.
Rough and ready" is too much the mot.
to. But, without geing as far as Lord
Chesterfield, in homage to ''the graces,"
if we do not think more of the finer and
softer senses Of our nature we will only
enjoy life in crude and hasty way. and
make this civilization of which we boast
SO much, but a poor part of the large
and genial thing it ought to be. Our
business here is not merel Y to work and
run, and cook and trada and put machin-
cries in motion. This runaing OF the
woman into utlitarian trowsers and hats,
shows the somewhat hard and material
tendencies of our commercial society.
So much for the principle.
The thing itself will subside very soon.
The pettcoat and skirts may be
much shorter, and must be; and young
girls will wear pantalets not unbecom-
ingly. But for all the purpose of grace
fulness, the deluding putiincss and gener-
al affluence of skirt must continue RI or-
ouslv necessary, not alone to the SYM
metries; but to the happy influences OF
women.-.NorM American .1ge.
IMMIGRATION STATISTICS ar
rived at N. York last month 1925 i'm
migrants, being an increase of II, l49
ovea the same month last year,-The
Ilisq immigration exceeds one half the
whole number, counting 1921. There
were 1881 Germans, and about 1000
from Grert Britain.
Franklin says every man and wo-
manlwould work four honrs day at some
thing useful, want and misery would be-
banished from the world, and the remain
ing portion of the twenty-sour hours
might be leisure and pleasure.
Affection, like spring flowers, breaks
through the most frozen ground at last,