Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-12-10
THE GAZETTE.
tI.tC led
FEMALE SliANS d"

Como OF 'ne lpOrOHi5 tHu- o'@'-hatN t"F
extension skirts" paraied 60 deliberately 10
front OF retaii shops, Swinging over the heacs
oi iassers by. and starinL 10 peoples iac"s
from wiodows. the epithet Is suggestive.
crd has awaked in US several trains u
tuoucht l. the first place. ho~ may ar'l-
cie-. made after the same patent, but With
ladies in them. might not he called "shams"
with equal justice? The Alterations OF the
toile:--we dare no LONGER Call them mysteries
-.sunued and aired in Broadway IS thy are
cover L vas, deal Of coarse and COMMON rea!-
jiv. not worth veneering With wooc OF me
aud POLISHED grain. Society, III every cree
above toe savage state. wears cosmetics, acu
il i, lat seldom its real complexion l. ree",
except 10 spots. Tbe7e are hctions waking
around Us IN iull-U!0gn eTluOilue, ah! la
gorgeous co.Ors, in sweeping tram ana ""u
~ reform" short skirts; IL al! aHu every
s;y!e which, if the mask were Piucked "1'
would De seen 10 be a vain SHOW, ana 10 nave
f,atures very different iron those eX"io!teu
~ ,uriic Sally Brass Abigail, who dreamed
Nersrii & MarshiUness, ard tahcled De!
orange peel, and water wine, 10 type Vi
ynar.y OF her sex. Perhaps il l. not %t 81!
times excellent 10 iavads the cohV"nii'nA4-
ism Ut those whose aim Is to please Us, or 10
ungui the swathiOgs OF sham from the lae's
which, alter al, will he found uumn'es; ouS
il is veil 70 remind ourselves Bow aDd 'teh
Of tie -eality trappings Conceal irom the gen.
Crli view.
There is the woman devoted to fashionable
6is,i, Of 2sie'y IN The cry
aud snnmeFs uf frivolty at SiratcSh,-the
"a ri,'s pas,erre; what is she bat sham
The CxuUerant snimat!oo sbe exaItits 10
tie brIinant circle is aesGmco, her @it1 con
ccals eunui and often veXai!Jn; nee iate
hgucs are sacrifices 10 the IDOL II which She
ipar,lates er,eli. Her ardent 'ursoit O! en-
io,m TT and her afectation OF i's possession
-. rut make believes sue u mace ep oi
..sc.m-." ard h"r resl,ty would be - 'PpSi'
linz 90 Otners a. il IL wearIs'me T. herS'H'-
Tnga thc-a is Mrs. -, whom vulgar Pto'
,le uii enil "sno;;" her pride "a pcFHs'n-
.liy % the qu rire 10 prevent toe entrance !h'o
her charmed circle of a"y less FT'FHnscc oy
Nv fortune who is -, and! = Der
nervous eaqliry. Sac aims at beng thoVs"t
ezc.usi. and aristocrauc, snd "isLee 70 ca@s
mo ooiiV.on the fact thas her lathe: OF
grandfather vas al ignorant mechanic OF
Ia her mother VAS seacisireSs orr SVaca-
,nan's VIE. Her 's5am" Is o. the tblnhess
a.d most transparent sort, aid the coarse
ness Of what It aims 20 hide, Is ;he Laughing
stock Of her pretended aomIFer9
But shgms do nus belong ai0ue to t1e 'ash'
jonable ana wealthy; they are iouod am7uE
t1,s, wAo raj! most iuudty at the Affect stems
OF Such. One urim matron sets heret w
10 censure ali who q fer 10 opinion or IL
practice from herself: svo.her desplses those
who ioye dress, ard Is S'aitorn by way ~
exlmpie Of the virtue of sei!-doUial b0.E
are slam: for self display. Is ct the bottom
oil :heir iaucies. There are those hiiSiei-
,la-ters Of Eumanity--those rc.tics that irTl-
safe wherever their contact Is tet-cross-
cr.i'ed iaulifnderS AID scanddimoh@ers'
aud lbere are smooth, unctuous, creiture''
hardly les troublesome, VINO would otii'ef-
utG toe distinctions between vice ard VIRTUE.
There are shnms of the type OF The lndian
tiggys-, the Rance Of Japsi, ADD OF tcat OF lie
angel OF mercy, Florence Nghticgt!e; to!
eyca : incrs has uawur;hy lu'itatn!s, VINO
Lii lie her actions without eInuiutips heF
po.iensss If soul.
distributes tracts, prays Ter the
heather, abhors the theatres, and rais at al!
auuscments, yet disgnsts those who i've WIN
her by her Rour, sOnotiDonious ASPECT, ano
Der seiisuGcicnt sseumptcp CT s1!r''usi
excellence. She BEES bundreGs Tor dong
cod at a distance, while she IS a thorn 10
She side of tcr own family She is religious
Sham, ard there are many varieties or tn!s
tvre. Mrs. has "tae first minds 0! the
country" 70 grace her soirees, and writes
briEur; articles for fsshicnabie moa'hiF.
while her children run elected IN the
streets, end turn out uuisances She is q
literary sham. Another puts forth po7e's
thatvsunt lofty moral. yet omtrsgss pr"prie'
" II her own Conduct The social sbaus
may lie called Legion. They meet Us seserJ
turn. Tho most dangerous are mlecn''l,
makers and scandal-mongers, who wear I'LL
kinds Of masks ;-scme OF soft and teiieate
painting. resembling the gentle and soui'
Leauirg intameuts of true hearted woman;
some Of gnudy brilisocy, that catch the
un. kIifUl aud inexperienced SOME stern
euj soinhre, Ia iIn itstIOn OF tho grave disn,ss
Of tTutt:--some obameleou-Nse and lriies-
cert: ,arying 10 suit different tastes loe
Father Of Lies has many devices Tor sugsElng
his irUiu :tions aud esea pa!ming on inc
spurious ~ genuine on his ulCorsciOO' e.
workers. Take sn instance ike this. HFe
4. calls Oh Mrs. C. and, giving Mrs. B. IS her
authority, com plains that Mrs d. has siar'
Gcraj her. Mrs. e. whose iavOrlie se!i de-
ceI'ioD is that she can set wrongs right ~
prUuotUg explanations, and beng l"ae'
maker iu general, asks leave to intofm Mrs.
D., aud is told she will do good service there
bv, BOT tbs; Mrs 3. must be sheltered tfCm
susnic!ou. Mrs. d naturally axis Mrs. A. tor
her authority, whereupoo Mrs A.c"oiiy denies
the whole thing charges Mr". Z. vii"
tne wholesale fabrication ther2o ARD peg,
tirs. d. 70 forgive he'! She IA sa'ity OF
tbi, seho, d for the purpose Of Shielding be-
FREUD Mrs. B-uot perceisirg thai she tells
n lie ard wrongs al innocep, party merely to
keen 90 sham. In this che shows mora!
cb.9u:ty people in general would be shocked
ct. Bot to such enormiiies the regard Tor
sAalns may lead every daY. The vice OF lay
ina--for we must give the thing IT. proper
ranc--ao less Than the vice o. cnpidlty, BE-
longs to cur age, and pervade. all the t'aHs'
act;las and ;i>iiiutcs CT SOCIAL lie. l'lt-
s0cl4ly--more regnans aDons women TN
men. wlc lutICduco II TGre iGto tnir oos!-
ness cpocerns ard nske capital co.. OF II
VII tho dsv ever cJme wheu women Will
pur Oh neral strength aud cast eh' Ike
sloucA. .aat disease Vi the soul wa'ch pros
tr,,e~ the whole being in mortal s'cs nes!-
n. J. ErpreSs