Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-01-26
Hoped Skirts--are they Healthfull

Didly ill-natured remarks have been made Oy
thoughtes- people, tnAn that simple device for
uoman's comfort--lhe hooped skirt. We always
thought faVorably Of hoops from early association
with that glorious race Of women, ouf revoIu-
tIon.ry grandmotherh, when We stentd to the
description Of one Of those stately minueIs given
in honor OF the Inauguration Of General Wash
ington as President Of the United States. Hoops
we're invariably worn on all occasions OF ceremo-
Nv; Ii. true, we then had no omnibus or railroad
care 10 which women Of bad breeding, and often
worse temper, could display these accomplish
ments, by mistaking the vehicle for thsir own
private carriage, should any hurried u searied
pedestrian seek seat beside them nor was It
then customary to 70 10 market or shopping IN
an evening or ball dress; even Oh grand occa
slons, the train was ooped up on one OF both
aides; because the #earer had the good sense to
zee that an apartment wAs Of limited space, and a
man could not snnihilate himself for her convent
ence but the hoops were ample, and grandly
did they become the wearers, lor they too were
grand and ample women we have seen the cost
" brocadss aud the high heeled slippers, but the
hoops long since went into the Lven, or great
Franklin or Ten Plate that warmed the parlor or
cooked the dinner in those primitive and anti
,isl hickory and we have often trapped rabbits
on the very spot where some OF them grew
The ladies we're usuIy content With three circles,
20 disposed thai they gave the most elegant and
artistic disposition Of the rich and heavy fabrics,
whict, unlike most of the modern material,
would almost stand alone without either the
vearer or the hoops.
In those DAYS when most Of the wesrers we're
20 strangers to a horses back, and the broom or
bread-Irsy, those cunningly devised little sprlngy
crcets that now give such an exquisite and
Veuu.-ke curve to the tournure as il sweeps
downward and falls into the grand and loop like
folds Of the skirt, were entirely unknown. You
may completely clothe a barrel with The stouIest
hickory without imparing its excellence; but VT
should be 10th to waltz with partner .hus ar
ray.d, even il our ardor in the dance would per-
nit US 10 ignore the contact Of the lower circles
with our tba and fbula, or (breathe it softly,
our shins
Truth to speak, however, dear ladies, the
smaller circles we're quite unnsc ssafy Tor women
in those primitive days had hlrer chance iol
life and beauty Muscle aud superb ouIli 9
wer. not considered vulgar, nor dld she OF the
acumina.d bows and anstom zed bust and hlps
have a coadjutor in the crochet needle and Iht
vinegar bottle in her malicious rdcule OF d
Young woman whom nature had iOrmed a. woman
ought to be formed, with tue vital organs, breasts
and pelvis, adapted to the grand end and o. Jec
Of her creation-the CROW ming glory ol her sex
family Of healthy children.
We consider the modern hoop skirt one OF the
most admirably artistic and health-glyng devlce
of our time; and no sensible person can fail Il
appreciate i benefit 70 the young girl or woman
we give all our reasons for this oplnoni OF cours
they will b. entirely professional, for We are NJ
man-mlllner.
1t is conceded by all correct observers, an'
fully recognized by or anatomisls and g mnasti
teacbers, that the muscles OF the thorax and IL
sp,endapes the arms aud abdomen, are not usct
more than one fourth az much by our mo err
.omer as they are compelled 70 use those OF tn
legs: nearly all The movements winch our unlor
tunale young people are permitted 10 perform D.
the nexorable hat Of Japonlcadom are what ma
be called passive her hands must be revefen J.
and lovingly folded across her chest in order tha
their vhitsness may not suffer by permitting IL
least notion the lungs, of course, inu-t be KEEP
quiet not only because she IS not allowed
walk fast enough to require much air. but becaus
the position ol the srms and The weight OF th
forearm and hand resting upon The lower ribs
will not allow their elevation 50 that the air ca
enter the lower part OF The lungs at all; at best
but sixth part o those lii, -gvlas organs ar
used, ana only their upper part inflated now
be hoooed skirt be Locked TO the jacket IN fou
places, at least, and not eit to rest upon the hip
the reader will psrcslve that the backbone AM
all the muscles which incose and steady both tn
great cavities Of the body, aud keep them elegant
erect upon the hips, m 81 carry both the hoop
and the skirt; then these may be made bot
ight and elegant, OF heavy and grand US the sea
sons may requires while drawers OF materls
adapted to our severe winters, may be so arIlsllt
ally adjusted aud supported by suspendefs,
completely to protect and clio he the limbs
without the necessity Of the sAifts 50 glrding III
Dody by drawn corda TO keep them aud III
drawers in place, as not only seriously 10 crppI
all the slscera but TO interrupt the healthiul ri
tion of the muscles of the abdomen, and sors
than this, to compress all the veins that carr
back the blood from the lower limbs to the heal
for publication, and often, as we have seen,
render tue iptsgumen, below this girdle oi man
cords, very psrceptibly dropsical. Every lady,
she will use her eyes, can see this for herself ii
"horrid marks" that they cause, she often lament
NOV, Tthutf, VI hue NV WY NsNN w
sixth part, the muscles OF the body scarcely
all. and the ,enods blood from the lower limb
prevented from returning at the iull rate OF h'
.irths Of the speed intended by Nature, vhe
you are walking at the snail's pace you are ALLOW
r ed to, what must be the result on the nutrition
,, the muscles Of these mbss Tor you know tn,
; act aud grow by blood alone; depend upon
,, though you may make them dropscal aud dece
tive in size, they will not help you TO dance
well, or to go up and down stars.
1, Aud this brings US to another great evil; II '
, will sacrifice 20 much to brown stone fronts at
, the hnoisd necessity Of fashionable Streets
!. we musG live in houses turnaee-wa med, al
eighteen feet by five stories high, for PHYS sal
-. let US SO distribute the load OF dress our china
= requires, as to allow every part of the body to
used to carry it upstairs, let the jacket or Il
. shoulder,trsps give the chest its share of Il
work 10 a word, let our wives and daugbe
shoulder their loais, il they would have Iht
=, days prolonged in The lund.
, II the ladies will pardon us, We will venture
/! hint on the dimensions II the skirt Its mos. .
'' oelent end is TO insure the unrestricted use
= The negroes sold them In washingtoa, or ss 1t
l., then called scar MARKET, lady sht eften be se
carrying them home gu her arm, Win tss family u nn
'' following her op thas Of her servant,