Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-04-29

too, if ladies would only wearss their
dresses shorter, say perhaps a foot
from the ground, you have no idea what
an Improvement it would be.''
"Not if the lady happens to own a
mammoth foot, which would thereby
become decidedly conspicuous" OBJ
served Bella, drily.
"That, l think, would be Slight"
replied her husband, compared with
the slovcnly appearance which a dress
trailing in the dust and mud has. !"
Henry Carlton had always entertain
ed u sort of ideal theory Of how he
would like to see woman dressed he
had never collected his notions together
in array before his minds eye, survey
ing them as a whole, but he had his
views Of each part Of lady's attire
separately, and it appeared to him that,
would his wife only conform to his
ideas on this subject, it would add to
the perfection Of her character. Bella
was forming her plans for future action,
and so she listened patiently to his har-
angue. Pleased with what appeared to
him SO attentive an auditor, Mr.. Carl
ton continued:
IL see, Bella, that you are beginning
to perceive the truthfulness Of what |
say. AS to your hair, nature gave
you that for an ornament, and itself in
it is such, but you spoil it by bestowing
50 much labor on it; were you to brush
it entirely out Of your face, and twist
it into simple knot, l think it would
be much more becoming"
"What do you think Of my sleeyes:"
asked Bella, smiling; edo you admire
them 20
81 cannot say that I do,'' replied he.
II think closely fitting sleeve, fasten-
ed at the wrist, would be much heater. ="
elbow is it you are so particular
) about your own clothes, if you dislike
to see ladies take pains with theirs -
"You do not quite understand me,
} my dear wife, l do like to see ladies
take pains with their dress it should
be made to fit nicely, otherwise it would
not be neat. My cloth is fine, 1 know,
and so l like to see lady's dress good
and fine of its kind; but you know
that fashion, with us seldom alters
! matters materially, while with you it is
! constantly changing. What we wear
is generally plain, substantial and ne
cessary, while your sex wear thousand
,, little fussy, fxy things, intended mere
ly fer ornament. Look at our hats,
for instance. There is some sense in
them, for they shade our faces, while
yours retreat modestly to the back of
! your heads, afording you no shelter
whatever. Now if they could be brought
far enough over your face to protect
you from the sun, it would be worth
while.''
; Bella had listened to all this with an
expression Of edited gravity which Was
) truly ludicrous, and Henry, pleased al
having so attentive a listener, had un-
, consciously overdrawn his ideas to such
an extent, that, had his opinions, as
expressed to Bella, been written down
and handed to him he could scarcely
have recognized them as his own.
Anxious to avail himself Of the advan-
/ tage he had evidently gained, he con.
) tinued:
81 know your own good sense must
! tell yoltthat 1 am right. Now you will
' dress sensibly, will you not 20
, ooh, yes" replied Bella, you shall
soon see me dressed in such way thai
i even you cannot possibly find any fault
t with it,"
! "Thank you," said Henry, earnest
ly, and he began to picture to himself
how his wife would look in the charac.
7 ter OF sweet simplicity.
5 Several days passed away, and still
Mr.. Carlton could see no change in his
wife's style Of dress +; but then he re-
r Aected that it must probably take some
time to get the new suit ready, and he
' resolved to be patient. He little knew
1 poor man how much more he
| would need be a second Job, with his
t wishes being executed, than now.
: One afternoon Mr.. Carlton entered
the drawing-room, accompanied by ar
old friend, Of whose coming he had be-
; fore appraised his wife. Henry fell
pleased with the admiration which he
: saw his wife's charms draw forth, ano
3 it was with feeling of innocent pride
: that he now fastened to present her
3 He began
"Mr. Lander, I will make you &C.
quainted with my-Good Heavens
5 Bella, what is the matter ?"
Our hero had come from the glaring
sun into particularly darkened room:
; and for moment he had not noticed
the curiosity which presented itself in
the person Of his wife, but as she rose
to receive her visitor, the oddly Of hel
attire broke upon him with overpower-
ing effect. Her hair was put plainly
behind her ears, and twisted into a
, simple knot behind, presenting the ap-
pearance Of being glued to her head to
keep it from running away she was
t perfectly innocent Of anything Of the
nature Of crinoline, and her calico dress
hung almost perpendicularly from her
waist, and finished at about foot from
the ground, thus displaying in full view
pair Of heavy morocco boots, which
: squeaked loud enough to set a nervous
man crazy every time she moved; her
, dress was very high in the neck, and
! terminated by a scrupuleuslywhite COL
lar !; her sleeves were long and tight
and fastened at the wrist. No orna-
ment Of any kind was visible about her;