Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1857-10-30
pUYCH's DEFENCE OF LADIES'

PUNCH'S DEFENCE OF LADIES'
DRESSES. are two sides to. the
Crinoline question; hear boih-vhat may
be said for, as we'll as What has been said
against ladies' present attire. Equity To-
everybody, but especially fairness to the
fair.
The superaaity in length and eireumfer-
cnce of dresses, SO much complained of, is
good for trade; and against excess in tie
uillncr's bill set-off Is afforded BY dimi-
mutton in that of The laundress. Stockings
may be wcrn for any length of time, More-
over, they may be made of the very cheap
est and coarsest material: there being, as
far as they are concerned, no longer any
necessity for even so much as common neat
ness.
It is very true that that the length and
expansion of the fashionable dress gives its
wcarer the form Of a bell-moutLcd glass
tumJler with a stem to it, turned upside
down. No doubt, lady might be a fish
from The waist downward, and stand upou
caudol ia in that dress, withoat looking at
all the worse than she looks in it now. But
this is precisely its Recommendation; that
Of serving To conceal those perfeetions of
form, which, when they are allowed to be
perceptitle, attract an amount of obserya-
ton which must be unpleasant TO the oh
ject of it and can dc the observer no good.
Many men now living, are old enough to re
member the time when the style of dress, in
consequence OF being calculated to exhibit,
and not to hide, personal advantages, affect
ed young men with very frivolous and vain
Impressions. Dresses were then worn SO
short as not quite to sweep the street, and
wherever you went, if iLeIe were we'll
dressed girls there, You were continually
catching glimpse of much too dainty |
foot and ankle, twinkliag with far too ele-
gaut little sandal. This trivial object con-
tiuually attracted the attention of young
ulen, who oaght to have been thinking
of other thinking of other things. Now
you never see anything Of the sort, and at
the same time lady can holt her clothes |
at any elevation she likes, when she simply |
shows "a passing swell how to step out Ike a
man, in boots the same as bis own-except |
that they are not SO interesting 60 him.
Every husband and father ought to APP
prove of the fashionable dresses, for they
preclude his wife from attracting unneces-
aary attention, and if they tend slightly 10
hinder him from getting his daughters off
his hands, they have an exactly equal ten
deucy to preveut his sons from marrying for |
mere b,auty, so that if they marry at al,
they marry prudently, looking 10 the tiuau-
cial and not the bodily figure, and ,hus be-
come comforts Instead of burdens 70 their |
parents aud friends. And sons who marry |
iluPrudcntiy are infinitely more expensive
tLan unmarried daughters.
Lastly, these dresses are considered very |
pretty by the great majority of the wearars,
who tLiuk about dress, as they DO abou, ev-
crythins else. gregariously, and have no
other idea Of what is pretty than what is
fashionable, Shrouling their charms in
excess Q: muslin, they indulge in harmless
vanity, apd dattet themselves that they arc
creating sensation, whereas they create |
mind b tundle Of clothes