Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-05-23

"they snail not t0uch thee, Nate,
s'Pn buckler thee against milion"
have not been requested to write you a
letter. in reply to yours of the 5th addressed to
"mankind" generally, but do so spontaneously,
and without consultation with any one. My OBJ
ject in writing is to deprecate your wrath and
that of the fair aud gentle friends you 'champi-
on" so chivalrOusly, for what you and they seem
to think wOefu breach of good manners on the
part of the gentlemen, viz: crowding the side
walk between the 'bazarre of fancy and the house
Of her who plies the busy needle"
1t is therefore,
'With sbated' breath and whispering humbleness,"
address YOU, dear Kate And in the first place
hope shall DC permitted to express nay aston
ishment that ''madens fair, wives and Widows
should have permitted themselves to be "vexed''
by what is nicely the effect of their natural
charms. For men ''do most congregate" on that
sidewalk because the ladies pass ''that way" IA
dozen or more times" day and this is not
strange, for
"You may as well spread out the unsound heaps"
''Ofmiser's treasure by an outlaws den,'
"And tell me it is safe,
"a TO hope that the ladies' with their "ver neil
tincur'd lips, love darting eyes and tresses like
the mora" can walk our streets and not be admir-
ed and talked about. You surely cannot expect
dead" to the charms of women as not to gaze
"while beauty's penSiye eye" receives from Ibis
heart the homage of sigh" And assure you,
Kate, there is not one of us who "does not own
with rapture smitten frame" 1.-the power ofgrace"
when he beholds one of Ewes fair daughters"
gather up the ample folds of rich silk eIe
giant brocade and trip so daintily over the street
crossings ''ou the light fantastic toe" Then
s'why are you vexed Kate why do you fruwn Z"
at that which is both natural and laudable. and
which can only he prevented by graduating from
the soul of man all appreciation of the beautiful.
For as long as ladies',
"With eyes Ike light on the MORNINGS blue stream,
"and checks like Strawberries smothcrcd in cream
all too innocent Of the obscuring and concealing
obtruSiyeness of b0nnets, 'peram6uate" the
streets, they will be followed by the admiriug eyes
and laudatory tongues of the ''sterner SEX"
Be 50 kind then as TO assure those ''blushng
fair ones" at whose request You write 50 elo-
quently, that we crowd the side walks from no
prurient curiosity or bold impertiuence. but from
n sincere, ardent and reverential admiration of
woman in general. aud Stanton women in par
ticuar. For it is when she goes ''to look at the
new goods that she may emphaticaly be said to
move
"Wth grace in all her steps, heaven in her eye,"
"ln evory gesture dignity and love-"
And as
"By the pattern Of my own thoughts Gu; out''
"The purity OF Others
feel safe in assuring you. "gentle Kate" that
no unkind or cauStic criticisms on the 'Sex" are
ever INDUCED in by the occupants of the side
walks they have never for Inornent Imagined
that there was anything about the ladies that was
"waspsh' except the waist. and in the wreath
ed smiles"
''Such as hung on Hcbe's Cheek
they see only the indications Of heart that is
the hume Of the tenderest affections aud sweetest
emotions. You do us, assure you, great injus-
tice when you think we only open our mouths 10
utter bitter ests at the expense Of the Ladies IA
ces and dresses >Or to propose patriotic wagers"
on the coming election. have already told you
we do noae Of these things. whatever else ''we
may do. not knowing what we do" The poet
expressed our sincere sentiments about woman
when he wrote,
''And when she spaic,''
"Sweet words, like dropping honey, she did she'd"
'And 'twixt the pearls aud rabics softly brake
"a silver sound that heavenly music seemed TO make
hope therefore your pale visag'd maids" will
mot
''Their thimsles into armed gauntlets Change
"Thcir needles to lanccs, aud their gentle hearts
''To fierce and bloody inclination
and drive us by force from the ''boxes aud bar
refs" which We have 50 long and pleasantly occu-
pied, and to which there comes So often from the
passing ''fair one's' eyes the "long eYelled rule
Of streaming light" to cheer ard warm our 9TH
erwjse dull and cold natures. But before close
this hasty epistle there is one word / wish to
whisper in your ear, coafdeniially,
''For constant you are,'
''Rut yet a woman; and Cor secrecy
"No lady closer; for well believe
".Thou wilt not utter what thou dost not know:
"And so fax, viii trust thee gentle Kate"
Know, then. there is une crusty old Bachelor
who upon reading your letter vowed that ne be-
lievpa he ladies' walked by that flair resort Of
gentlemen" solely because they would thus ''be
seen of men" | know it is absolutely false, and
one Of those SANDERS,
"Whose sting is sharper than the swords"
Adieu, dear Kate.
WILL WAFFLE.
NAV. Goth 1855.