The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1865-01-26
myself doing nothing. Ihave lived use.
lessly about enough"

myself doing nothing. Ihave lived use
lessly about enough"
There were numberless objections &
this, but, by diligcnt en.reaty and argu
meut, l carried the day. Three day
later l assumed the position of Bridget
But bofore the half of the morning hat
elapsed was tired to death-yes "m,
lady was tired to death" If went VI
stairs, one hand must hold up quantity
of crinoline and skirts. If came dowl
stairs there was the "rat, tat, tat" Of tn
steel upon the stairs. If passed into
narrow place, both hands must be en-
listed in squeezing the balance into 1
collapsed state. was in constant feal
Of tipping boxes, jugs, catching my dres:
on nails, or wiping off some convenient
black kettle My dross must be pinned
up, or beautifully drabbled around the
bottom. My shoes were thin for out.
door wear.
l had another battle to fight. There
were no lives sacrifced-only few false
notions of gracefulness, dignity, etc,
quietly beheaded and buried. My first
attack was at the store and resulted in
the capture of pair of balmoral calf
skius-No 5-legally captured of course.
The dress question occupied my atteu-
tion next. | had heard of bloomcrs, but
most ungrac: :ously stuck up my proboseis
at them, like. hundreds of other foolish
women, who knew nothing of their ex-
cellen cies. l did not have any of DR..
Harriet Austin's patternSor guides
neither wanted any. l took from my
wardrobe cast-otf dress, very good, ex.
cept that it was most shamefully switch.
ed out around the bottom. Cutting off
the rags and hemming it up, l had
dress two or three inches above the top
of my shoes. The next morning I ap.
peared in the kitchen sans crinoliue,
sans trail, sans fummydiddles. Cousin
John, who happens in to see father, cries
out, "Och ! and Bridget, how long since
ye came over from Ould Ireland 2"
This put US all in roar of laughter,
which of itself was enough to pay for
one B|oomer scene. Father, who, like
all sensible men, never admired the Gin.
Gas he calls crinolne,) said,
"Bctsy Jane never looked better" He
always calls me Betsy Jane, and thinks
it very substantial name. He says
these Jennies, Carries, and Lotties do
very we'll for highfown folks, who are
always after some new tangled notions.
My new harness fitted ne so we'll that
]. f1u) Nd. p,x work cd -, I.~jr-4..
could not hunt for hens nests without
the hens with transient
ghost of a hay stack. So l started for
The barn. On my way my uncle passed
with,
"Well, there, you look like the last
run of shad My Kate had on some
thing like that the other day, and l
to turn her away"
"Whenever you tire of her." l re-
piled, "send her here. This shall be an
asylum for the oppressed hereafter"
l had fine time hunting for eggs
My movements were so free and unre-
strained that it seemed like living over
again my childhood.
Just before sitting down to dinner
cousin John came in, saying:
II thought I'd come over and dine
with you, Jennie, and see how you hold
out in your tangled costume"
"Well, Sir John, despite all your sar.
casm, l hold out faithful, and with the
aid of common sense, intend to, while
my laboripg life lasts"
"Will you receive visitors this after
noon in your really charming habit ?"
"No, 1 shall dress up this afternoon
but if my friends make morning calls,
they will find me in my working dress"
"But what if Doctor Wilson, or Hay
ward, Or
81 wouldn't run for all the gentlemen
in town. l presume the said dandies
would stare and wonder if I was sane,
fee faw fun a while, and suddenly call to
mind an engagement, and vamose. You
needn't laugh, Cousin JOHN, and think l
will not dare do as l say. l know I am
surrounded by fashion, and caste is at a
premium and women are sacrificing
health, comfort, and happiness for the
'look of the thing 1t is really relief
to see how a woman does look She had
been confoundcd with stays and hoops so
long that we cannot help. fancyipg her
moving pyramid An African woman
seeing French madame, with great
basket under her long robe, exclaimed,
Madame, is that all YOURSELF No won
der the japanese thought American
women very queer specimens. l am
sure you wouldn't hand down dry goods,
rummage among boxes and trumpery
with hogshead attached to your suspen
ders.
The dress question subsided by Johns
asking for another cup Of coffee, to
"quiet his nerves." adding, it was quite
palatab|o for "green hand"
Next morning. jingle went the door
bell at half past nine. I answered the
summons, and had the merrimcnt o.
seeing Dr. Wilson look at me as though
I was sight to behold. invited him
into the drawing,ro and did my bes,
to entertain him, which was poorly
no,rcL H. 20 ,uhok r.oas ko