The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-07-13
Toilet-Talk.

There are certain moralsts in the
world who labor under the impression
that it is no matter what people wear.or
how they put OF their apparel. Such
people cover themselves up, they do not
dress No one doubts that the mind is |
more important than the body, the jewel !
than the setting and yet the virtue of
the one and the brilliancy Of the other !
is enhanced by the mode in which they J
are presented 10 the senses. Let wo- |
man have every virtue under the sun, if |
she is slatternly, or even inappropriate
in her dress, her merits will be- more
than half obscured. If, being young
she is dowdy or uutidy, OF being old, fan
tastic Or slovenly, her mental qualifca
tions stand chance of being passed over
with indifference or disgust
We can hardly ovcrestimate the effect |
Of pure and delicate costume on the ru-
der sex. a family of brothers and sis-
ters, with, it may be- a cousin, Or Wis
iior here and there, assemble round the
oarly meal. The ladies have complex
ions fresh from plentiful morning ablu-
tions, hair carefully parted and braided |
or floating in silky curls the plain well
fitting dark dress of winter, or the still
more attractive small patterned floating
muslin Of a warmer season The deli
cately embroidered collar and cuffs the
suspicion of black velvet, that, encircling
the throat, just suggests its shape, and
breaks the line Some hand OF taste has
been at work on other matters, as well as
self-adornment. Taste is seldom soil.
tary gift, evinccd i'll one department only
Look at those sweet violets on the table,
low lying among moss; or those primros-
cs, almost hidden in their own leaves.
not mixed up and dressed with gaudier
flowers, The father of that family car
rios to his dusty countinghouse, his toll
some or anxious daily business, sense
of happiness and rciinement-noto one of
those scents is lost. Checrfully will he
labor, that his home may DC reserved in
violate, that not one of those bright pre-
cious heads may ever know change or
privation And those young men-will
they ever dare approach such sanctua-
ry with fumes of tobacco or beer2 Will
they not turn with disgust from persons
and places less pure and pleasant than
those Of their own home
To a much greater extent than we arc
at all aware, is dress indicative of char
acter VIII IIoneycomb says he can
tell the humor of woman by the color
Of her hood And not only do VIC read
The cap, the whip, the masculine attire
Alright. but all the finer gradatons of
proprioty and elegance Fortunately
an attractive exterior is not dependent
on wealth, an adequate consideration OF
place and circumstances being one of the
great secrets of dressing we'll. The port
ly dame, who waddles along the street
stiff with satin, crowned with feathers,
glaring with orminc and the strong
minded individual, who pays her morning
calls in clamping shoes, dusty bonnet,
, and dismal gown, deposltiug hor cotton
! umbrella in the hall, are both out Of
place The former should be hidden in
carriage; tho latter, walking in the
country, paying for her last weeks but,
!. tor and eggs. And yet there are circnm'
stances in which wealth stands beside
the toilet, with ameliorating grace. The
diffident lady, who feels that she has nc
taste or experience herself, but who can
! enter the sanctum of real artistic, and
i, say: "Bchold me--my eyes, hair, stature
position dress me r' will prabably, in
the end, have relieved mind as well n:
pocket Among the lesser Affections Of
life, there is none greater than when Il
gentlewoman of narrow means, in some
moment of iufatuation OF of unwarrant
able descrtion by her guardian angel
has possessed herself of a decidedly objec
tionable article--a suspicious shawl, ol
an inoongruous drcss-and yet feels witt
shame and sorrow that it must be conscl
cntiously worn out : in this case, also
money would indeed be a relief There
are certain fundamental rules, however
that, if constantly borne in mind, will &c
, far to prevent evil. No woman can dress
,, well who docs not consider her own sta
tion, her own points, and her own age
Her first study should be the becoming
her second the good her third, the fash
ionable in uniting in one happy unior
, these great principles, consists the real
art of pleasing the eye, and thro' the eye
, impressing the judgment and the feel
; ings,
We live in an age that has attained tC
muoh Gxed principle on the subject oi
! dress, though part of its charm must CIV
er consist in change and variety. The
! Empress of the French has lately deeid
/, ed in favor of waists in their natnra
place. Our own Queen, God bless her
, has always, for reasons best known t.
; herself. been a tower of strength in tho
=, matter of long petticoats. Indeed, fol
this reason there never could have beer
:. any real danger that the Bloomer cos
! tune should obtain favor in our land
For the acknowledged ovh Of trailing
!, garments, there are other remedies than
an approach to masculine attire-abhor
red of gods and men. The proposition
of American taste was extreme scnsi
! bic women may shorten their walking
, dresses, and sensitive ladies display elo
: gance in adjusting their falling drapery
:. but in the evening, the example Of
!. Troy's proud danes, whose garments swcc
the ground,
will still bo followed; and the last of ou
poets will long haveto rejoice that tn
!, terminals of his mistress are
o Little feet lost in her garments falls
J. Lace, the most feminine of all adorr
= mcnts, is now duly used and appreciated