The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1858-03-12
From the Springfield (Mass.) Republican.
Timothy Titcomb.s Letters to Young
WomCn.


account q pure, beautiful, intel.
|ligent and we'll bred woman tho
most attractive object Of vision and
contemplation in the world. As
mother, sister and wife, such q wo.
man is an angel of grace and good.
ness, and makes heaven Of the
home which is sanctified and glorifi
ed by her presence. AS an element
Of society, che invites into finest
demonstrations all that is COOL in
the heart, and shames into secrecy
and silence all that is unbecoming
and dispecable. There may be more
of greatness and of glory in the
higher developments of manhood,
but, surely,in womanhood God most
delights to show the beauty Of the
holiness and tho sweetness of the
love Of which he is the infinite source.
IL is for this reason that girl or q
young woman is very sacred thing
to me. 1t is for this reason that q
silly young woman or vicious one
makes ne sigh or shudder. 1t is Tor
this reason that | pray that may
write worthily to young women.
In getting at piece of work it is
often necessary as a preliminary, to
clear away rubbish; and | say at first
that | do not write to masculine
young women. | deem masculine
women abnormal women, and there.
fore all those women who wish to
vote, who delight in the public ex-
Gibition of themselves, who bemoan
the fate which drapes them in petit
coats, who quarrel with st. Paul and
their lot, who own moro rights than
they possess, and fail to fulfill the du.
ties of their sphere while seeking for
its enlargement-l refer all these to
the eight letters recently addressed
to young men. They will find some
practical remarks in those letters
upon masculine development and q
manly discharge OF lite's duties. -
My theory may be very unsound but
it is my belief that the first natural
division Of the human race is mark
ed by the line that distinguishes the
sexes. | believe that true woman
is Just as different from a true man
as true MAJ is different from a true
woman. The nature and the con.
stitution OF the masculine are one,
and the nature and constitution of
the feminine are another. So Of the
glory attached to each; so OF the func-
tions; so OF the sphere. Therefore if
there be "strong minded women
who read these letters, bid them
with all kindness, to turn to the 9th
cr series for that which will most ben.
eft them.
shall talk first Of thu. thing
which, worthily or most unworthily,
engages the minds OF all young wo,
men, viz: dress. lspcai otthis first,
because it is part OF the rubbish
which | wish to Sct out of the way
before commencing more serious
work; an yet this is not altogether
trivial. | believe in dress. believt
that God delights in beautiful things
and rs he has never made anything
more beautiful than woman,I believ,
that the mode OF dressing the form
and face which best harmonizes witt
their beauty is that which pleaset
him best. | believe the mode of te
male dress prevalent among the Sha
kcr women is absolutely desecration
To take anything which intin;t'
ingenuity and power have NAL
beautiful, and capable by the grace
fulness of its form and the harmon,
of its parts of producing the pures
pleasure to the observer, and cloth
it with o meal bag and crown it will
a sugar-scoop, is an irrevcrent tri
fling with sacred things which shoul(
be punished with mulct and impris
onnent. II is shame to any wo
man who has the means to dres
well to dress meanly, and it is a par
ticular shame for any one to do thi
in the name ofreligion. | have seel
women who, believing the fashlouI
BILE devotion to dress to be sinful, Il
it doubtless is, 60 to that extreme il
plainness Of attire which, if it know
|, anything touching the power tina
governs them, proves that it is {
power which is at war with man
purest instincts and most elevate,
tastes. | say it is shame for wo
man to dress unattractively who ha
it in her power to dress well. 1t i
every woman's duty to make hersel
pleasant and attractive by such raj
ment and ornament as shall best &C
! cord with the style Of beauty wit
! which she is endowed. The beaut
!, Of woman's person was intended t
be a source Of pleasure-the fttin
accompaniment of that which in hu
, manity is the most nearly allied I
! the angelic. Surely if God plant
!, flowers upon a clod they may res
= upon a woman's bosom, or gloriiy
|, ! woman's hair.
4 But dress is subordinate thing
because beauty is not the essentii
thing. Beauty is very desirable;
: is a very great blessing; it is mis-
fortune to possess an unattractiv
person; but there are multitudes ,
!, women with priceless excellences {
' heart and mind who are not beaut
!. fol. Beauty, so far as it is depend
!. : ent upon form and oolors, is q ma
!, terial thing and belongs to the gros
. er nature, Therefore dress is q sui
ject which should occupy compar,
= lively but few of the thoughts OF
u true woman, whether beautiful ,
y lnOt To dress we'll hecominul