New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-08-19
The New Cos;ume-A Woman, Reply 10 Mrs
>wiS>heIm.


{ To ruE Editors or rHE SEv-yoEK TRIBUNE
Mrs. Swisshelm occupies two columns
o; her last paper on tie short dress. She condemns
it IN toto. She says She has tined It. and i = bese:
with difficulties al over, and 4 adopted, viii doom
her 20 perpetual bushes She bushes now 10 see
woman IN II. and she bushes 70 hear a woman OF
sense advocate i and vet she IS be~iesed on all
sides with enTeaues 10 adopt the costume.
Now viii you permit me. through your columns. TO
beg the friends OF the short skirts, TO let Mrs SWISS
helm alone IN her drapery II she finds the long
dress convenient, thinks It beautiful and "a neces-
sary apPendage OF womanhood, pray let her wear
II Il l. downright tyranny % a,iemp, TO force her
out OF It. But Mrs. ;. can SPEAK for herself only.
There are many other women who ind the long
dress very announcement, and think It unraceAll,
cumbersome and indecent. In regard to the short
dress the experience Of Mrs :. Is worth Just much
a and no more than that of any other individual
After wearing It few times. she threw II aside.
Convinced u Wa a mistake, she made the mistake
IN cutting H. no doubt We have women IN
TINS state who have worn the dress three or
four wears. and some many months, ard all
who have gwen u 4 far trial and altered
their garments until they elt perfectly easy, pro-
uOuuCc II Is most comfortable dress, and a great I'M
pTCyement Ou thu Old style All The objections made
ty Mrs can.0e easily oOvIaed. except that Of her
scif away when a y Oman IN skirts should chance 10
>lCOp 10 Dick w thImble or pluck flower and
thus expose her understands and the shadow OF a
PAIR o. legs encasec M trousers. On such occasions
We might recommend her 10 try her own pan lcea
for al exec moGest, that which she often pre-
scribe for those whO are easily put 70 the blush.
shocked or houlhet-slz the smelling bottle
man IN roundabout would no doubt taFo" hcT INTO
% >pasm But what would She do on ocholdlng a
LADY dressed according 10 her fashion. with two thln
skirts and no bliuIcated garment gong up or down
a steep hill or pair 0. stairs. on very WINDY day
There can be- no question of the superiority Of the
costume, IN all respects for all times and places,
over me one recommended by the editor of The
ViStftT. but We al know that the comfort of any
garment depends much on the MT We nave no war
10 wage against long petucoalS. We say let All
the men and women who like them wear them. and
let H. whodIke the short dress wear It. nasmuch
IL The great Father MADE the form very nicely,
see 10 reason for beng 80 shocked a. the sight
of H. II seems 70 me that might contemplate
PAIR OF legs IN trousers with a. much cainlneSS
aS PAR of bare arms or shoulders. Our most IA
shlOnable men and women VIII cOOy look NJ the re-
male form on canvass. or IN marble without any
drapory and It IS the ShecTeSt afectailon that they
shocked al tie bare idea that woman has
legs. Now. m my opinion leg Is a leg whether on
a man or on a woman and If Mrs. Sw SShelm cannoi
endure the sight OF womans leg IN pants, advise
all the men who setk her presence hereafter 10 wear
aprons and never turn their backs her unless the
atiais reach the floor. but back out rs from the
presence OF ROYALTY Bless me how the modesiy of
Mrs. ;. would be tortured IN tour round the world
She would have to dodge through the Celestial En-
pre- and the domains of TIN Grand Nogul, and other
/ eastern confines. for fear of meeting woman M
pants anu cut through Holland Germany, France,
switzerland. Italy. SC. for fear of meeting some
pretty peasant gIr with legs. Even IN Great Britain
She would md no fepOSe, for IN scotland the bare
legs Of The Highland soldiers would meet her eye AZ
every turn. Coming back to ms Continent, 10, pc
hold m South America The women rlte on horse
back as men do. legs separately en"aSei and even
here alas IN the model Republic, We have revealed
the fac; that woman too Is forNed ANIMAL ana Is
/ not. a. She seems 20 be. 50 churn an ctssorS
Mrs : blaneS Us for all the ewsnaper twaddle
on the costume and regrets that women OF III
tolhgence should turn aside from great questions OF
reform 10 get up doughty campaign on pettlcoats
Now she : mistaken saying that We VINO nave
donned ;he short dress have set all " Chnstendom IN
q hzz |, Il not those rather, who have commented
upon our act-thO>e who have questioned our rigm
10 dress as We please We grew tired OF the pat
terms OF rench mlluerS ard American apes
there was TOO much misery entalcd by The one ana
too much tail 20 be dragged by the other. - We
halted IN the grand hghi by The way, but Tor mo-
/ ment merely 10 UNLOCK our dresses, lop on super
hulti,s and lake long breath, that We might WORK
on IN MOI freedom and ease Mrs ;, instead OF
mOy ug Oh with the man army 10 battle the enemy
TUNED round 20 oOA at wonder AT, ana Scold az Us
and or legs She SAYS that neither Calvin Luther
Melarcthon. GaihCr Mathew, Jonn h Cough, nor
William Burlelgh would ever have allowed iueir
great minds To entertain So iriylal question well
Nfs = has hCr moral yaTd-stck Tor measuring Tue
altitude of questions that come before her AMI We
have ours II She thinks The paramours OF pOhti-
Clans Tho detailed account OF how country sirs can
nathe themselves IN punt of water, With Their
clothes on. or the mysterious knocAngs quesnonso I
more importance than the freedom 81 woman pow
ers OF respiration, lOcomouon or the night every
individual 10 consult HI or her own comfort IA their
clothes thatchHg,-why. all women DO not agree
with hcr-thal i all there j. OF that. II time ana
space would admit nregard 10 the long line Of wor-
thies above mentioned ! could clie many little ueS-
lions on which each and all OF them have been greatly
agitated, some small that Mr. : would ScoIn
.ven In measure them As to William ii. Burlelgh,
| heard him. on recent occasion. make quite a
speecb on the short dress. and he has for himself
forSworn the Partisan s'ove-ppe nat, AMI got up
one after hi. own fancy Only think OF the great
mind OF William IL Burlegh ceniesedln hat
Yours IN behalf OF The SRiRr~.