Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1862-01-25
Dress nnd Department of Women.

From late pastoral letter of the Bishop of Buff
Francisco. we extract the following:
Miss Catherine Beecher. in her work on do
mestlc economy, says One of the greatest diff
culties peculiar to American women is delicaey Of
constitution. which renders them early victims Of
disease and decay; and the fact that their youth
funess and beauty are of shorter duration than
those of any other nation always attracts atten-
tion.'
OF the ladies of Sweden Bayard Taylor says:
Their clothing is of healthy, substantial cbarac
ter, and the women consult comfort rather than
nament. have not seen a low-necked dress or a
thin shoe north of Stockholm. Yet sensible man
would sooner take such a woman for a wife than
any delicate Cinderella of the ball room
DR.. Ellis says: Who has not been panied by
seeing little girls walking streets, throwing up
their arms to keep on their dressesl This method
of dressing children and young ladies is one of the
surest means of causing deformity of the chest and
shoulders. If there is portion of the body which,
above all others, needs to be properly protected
from the cold and atmospheric changes, it is the
upper portion, and this is especially true during
the days of childhood and youth; therefore, avoid
low-neeked dresses Ayoidable causes of disease,
etc., by j. Ellis, NJ. D.
A justly celebrated physician says The object
of all dress should be, first, to the body in
such manner that decency shall not be violated,
and secondly, to protect 1t against all the vcissl-
tudes of the seasons. Proper clothing is essential
to the preservation of health in civilized life. For
those who are not forced TO labor, an imperiectly
protected state of the person is most injurious,
particularly to young persons. In connection with
this subject, cannot abstain from noticing the
pernicious effects of the modern system of female
dress. Since the free expansion of the chest and
its protection by suitable clothing essential
to health, the employment of tight stays and the
exposure of other parts that Oust to be protected,
must be injurious, and cannot be too highly CEN
sured.'
But whatever may be the sentiment of the learned
and the wise on the danger of low necked dresses
to the health and whatever may be our wishes for
the temporal happiness of the Christian women IN
our diocese; and whatever our zeal for the sacred
mission which women have to cultivate from
earliest youth and form, as only mother can, the
Christian life and spirit their and daughters
yet we dare not press upon them in the relations
of society those rules prudence, when they or
their children prefer to fashionable low neck
ed dresses in fashionable circles. But we most
earnestly exhort all ladies, the very young as well
as those of more mature age, not to appear IN
Church, assist at Catholic sacred functions, nor
present themselves for the reception of the sacra-
ments, without having their neck shoulders and
breast modestly covered And we request all pas
tors of souls and all religious ladies engaged In
teaching, to every possible influence and exer-
LlOn 10 see InaG duNlce De
of Charity and Of zeal for that which best peases
God, with which it is offered.
In every age the wise have considered the vanity
of dress the most foolish of all yanities. But
that fashionable pride of dress, which takes vanity
in displaying, as far as decency can permit, much
of what primeyal sin forced woman to hide, is
vanity far more dangerous, far more cOndemnable.
St. Eloi blamed Queen Bathilde of France for her
vanity in dress. Il do not dress too fashionable
for queen, said that royal lady. Be it so,' re-
piled the saint, but you dress too fashionably for
Christian The pous queen understood, and
thenceforward dressed more the Blessed Virgin
and as true Christian women were accustomed to
dress. We are convinced that our hOnored Chris
tian ladies will receive this paternal advice In the
spirit in which the Christian ladies of the apostolic
age received apostolic warnings of nearly the same
import Thus st. Paul tells US that in the Church
it would be a shame for u woman not to cover her
head with a veil, or rather kind of handkerchief;
and he says: Therefore ought the woman to have
veil over her head, because of the angels Cor.
II, l0."1