The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1858-06-03
A Letter from Gossip.


Just above the knee there is no hollow or deprcs.
sion in which garter could be retained, no pro-
lection on which it could be made to hold. The
action Of the muscles in walking would surely dis
place an elastic put there, as they project quite
as ar if not beyond the knee pan, and would there
fore cause it to slide downward until arrested by
the swelling muscle that forms the calf of the leg
As legs were made before stockings, we can hard
ly suppose that this hollow purposcd for elias
tics, but whether it was or not we make use of
it as the proper place to attach our carriers TO
keep our stockings in place while ON promenade
This is the only spot where gortcrs can be retained
with any comfort, the spot designated by nature
and made use OF by ladies who have well formed
limbs Those women who resemble men in their
shape may, perhaps tic the garter above the knee,
but they are exceptions to the general rulc'
This speaks well for Young America-it shows
that even the garter question can be discussed by
the dear creatures who wear "those same them,
selves. What is the use Of being fastidiously
modest ? Why not discuss all these "vcXcd
questions" and have them settled once and for
ever Now, should ever marry, which by the
way is quite probable and should | ever have Il
bapy--l mean should my wife ever have baby
and should that baby be a girl baby, and should
that girl baby ever grow up to mans estate, |
should know just where to place her gartcrs !;
thanks to the Milwaukee Wisconsin correspondent.
The fact is dear Journal, that the ladies of the
present day are cnIightenng us men on many ques-
tions that our fathers knew nothing about This
is us it should be. What improperly is there in
a LADY, discussing any question? The tendency oI
the present ago is decidedly progressive. Women
are beginning to assert their rights and to show Us
mascuIiues that they know thing or two as well
as the best of us What shall We learn next -
Mrs. SwisSclhem Gf have not spelled the name
right correct me } has told US men hotp to 6athc IN
q tub of lcGtcr, describing mnutcly the way to
manage each limb, until the whole person had been
properly sponged and dried Now this, rather
like for to confess the truth, never had man
aged the thing quite SO well before reading her
instructions Ladies are now, in this country, our
writers they contribute more to our literary pa
pers than men do, and why Certainly it is be-
cause they write better articles, for though they
charge less for what they write that of has
nothing to do with the matter Then siucc our
women instruct us through the press, why should
they not teach us useful lcsSons-such as how to
tie our garters, battle, &c, &c am down on
all affected modesty like to hear the dear an
gels cali things by their right names. Then, |
repeat that the tendency of the present age is pro-
gressive-decdedly progressive. The time is not
far distant, it is to be hoped when women shall
still further assert their rights and their natural
equality with us coarser specimens OF tho genus
homo, by donning the ' indispensibIes' and being
in all things our equals. The idea that woman
was adapted for indoor cmpIoymcnts and that she
is more delicate, refined, and superior in all that
is good, than man, is beginning to be doubted.--
Why not educate the sex for the learned profes-
sions for farmers, for coachmen? Why not have
them labor in the fields ? 1t would be just as
we'll once we get used TO ii. To be sure, at first,
it would seem rather awkward, and the romance
Of the sex would be slightly impaired, but we
should soon become habituated to the change
and would shape our ideas accordingly. We
should hear no more about the " fair" fragile
creatures, but lady's good "ponts would rest
upon an entirely different basis for instance one
would be praised for stOutness or limb, ano hcl
for skill in debate, another for her proficiency ii
+, the "science called mathematics" and so on ao
infnitune. We should cease to think Of the ladies
and poetry in the same sentence. This may seen
impracticabe and visionary to you dear Journal
but to me, who have thought much on the subject
it is feasible and one OF the things that society
| in this country is fast approaching to. The ro
nance of life is giving way to reality 1t may bC
very pleasant and all that, to sit in the shade o
some "retirng tree" and with a delicate sof
hand clasped in "fond embrace to talk poetry
and think poetry, and to do great many imprac
tcable things which one would not think Of were
he side by side with rougher specimen o
EYES descendants, but what of all that This
is not an age for the cultivation Of sentiment and
romance. What use are you going to make o
sentiment? There's no money in it and what is
the good of anything that will fetch nothing
No sir, these pine-away-love dreaming days arc
happily going-I might say have gone. When
hear lady talking about her garters-and when
she tells me just lohsrs hers tied and just wha
is the shape of her leg both below and above the
knee, haven't the slightest curiosity to know any
thing more, of course haven't II ends the mat
ter short. Until know the fact however, | fee
unsatisfed with myself and uneasy like ; but once
properly informed by the lady herself, the romance
of the thing is dissolved-in other words has
evuporated.
shouldn't have said anything on this subject
dear Journal, had it not been that feel anxious
to keep you posted on tue progressive spirit of the
times. 1t shows well for humanity that such
things are.
Now that public spirited lady out west has
settled the garter que tiOn may we not reasonably
hope that other questions Of an equally important
nature will be set at rest There are many ques-
tions yet remaining that might name had | time
) that / should like TO have made clear and lucid
| have felt called upon, dear Journal, TO say
! what have on this topic, and now having relieved
myself beg leave to say no Inore--not even an