The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1860-01-27
WAR UPON LONG DRESSES.


An Autocrat' and an Empress-Dr.
Holmes OF Boston, andEugenic on the other
side of the Atlantic-have together opened
the campaign. We join them by throwing
in oar humble bomb-shcll in the shape of
the following Scientific Problem -
Round women the pure
Floats an air, we are sure
That is sacred from all profanation
But those eddies Of dirt
Swept up under her skirt
How get they their purfica,ioni
In short, what is it that makes women
down with the dust! But leaving this
problem to be solved, let us quote what
says the Autocrat Of the Breakfast. Table
on the subject -
But confound the make believe women
We have turned loose in our streets where
do they come from ? Why, there isn't a
beast or bird that would drag its tail
through the dirt in the way these creatures
do their dresses. Because queen or
duchess wears long robes on great occa-
sions, a maid of,allw work, or factory girl,
thinks she must make herself nuisance
BY trailing through tho street, pick
ins; up dirt and carrying it about with her
bali that's what call getting vulgarity
into your bones and marrow. Making be
lIeve be what you are not, is the essence Of
vulgarity. Show over dirt is the ono at
tribute Of vulgar people. Ii any man can
walk behind one OF these women, and sec
what she rakes Up as she goes, and not feel
squcalnsh, he has got Il tough stomach.
wouldn't let one of them into my room
without serving them as David did Saul at
the cave in the wilderness off his
skirts. Don't tell me that true aIv ever
sacrifices the duty Of keeping all around her
sweet aud Clean, to the wish of making a
vulgar show. | won't believe it of lady.
There are some things which no fashion
mas any right to touch, and cleanliness is one
of these things. Ii II woman wishes 10 show
that her husband or her father has got
money, which she warts and means to
spend, but dosen't know how, let her buy u
yard or two Of silk and pin it to her dress
when she goes out to walk but let her un-
pin it before she goes into the house there
may be some poor woman that will think it
worth disl,fectng.'
And thus says paragraph in the Trib-
nnc, as to the blow struck at the fashion by
the Empress =
we did not give all the news of the
banislment Of crinoline by the Empress
Eugenic. 1t is now our joyful duty to add
that, at the request of her majesty, which
at court amounts to a command for prom
enades in ordinary toilettes, mousscleme de
lain has been adopted. All dresses will be
Of this material, but not long and trailing
They are to be short, SO as to show til c
lower part Of the leg little
Grace Greenwood, however, thinks the
war likely TO be desperate. She said in
her Lecture at Boston -
4 have had my heroic moments, when I
even dreamed myself equal to the part ot
Joan Of Arc, and Grace Darling but nev,
er, in my utmost exultation, have I felt ca
pabe Of leading in this desperate effort to
row against the wind and tile, perhaps the
mountainous pillows Of ridcule. I might
be tortured by the pin-pricks Of newspaper
wit, and smile amid my pain; might be
cut by high fashion, and survive; buts1
must confess Young America OH the street
corners would nppal mel!
We must add, to this, that we haar Of
two variations Of the fashion below the
knee-first, a slightly constructed rail car
to be wbeel-bearer Of lady's skirt as
she walks the street, and second, an intro
ducion Of the Spanish custom Of silve,
ankiets for those who choose TO walk out
in short pctticoats. Home Journal.