Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-11-20

rviai i 1.e&1et1Stes Of me
PrescnA = rerslent,Ee-
nals, feahlOns.
aunnrneS I anA VvelDsT1meA Pre-.
1vtg tess.



r. : ~, this session. is fss rcd, 90 Gay the
- ,,;on writer's. Red !fesses red skirts, red
!. 49,. III clc.As. red in the bonnsts, red
:Iss.s = sdorn the hair, and, TO come down
:" ~ sstsst Partisan innovation, bright red
SSSScDed skirts and equally bright scarlet
corssss. "what 10 the object Of scarlet cor
- and scerist hoop skirts p cid I lady to
The attendant in store where these gsudy
articles were displayed "Objectw repsai
- the woman, cycling her intsrloOutor con
tsmptously. why, they arS the latest
style" This WAS suficieht. A Rsfment
nay b oppossd 70 every idea Of pfopriety,
good ssnss and taste L may be ugly in l.
sslf, % well - unbecoming to the wearer /;
but II Il 10 the 'slstest style" that 10 indorse
msnt enough; the most courageous woman
would not after that dare to question it,
claims 70 respect and admiration.
The reign Of scarlet 10 not incompatible
with the reign Of gold, which has been in.
aueurated about the same time, and divides
the honors about equally in the world Of
lAGhion. Bat What shall b dous WITH this
rae. for scarlet and this rage for gold which
has broken out like the small. pox or the
ssysipslAs, and exhibits itself in giaring
bitches, in gilt bands and brassy pendants,
suitable enough - an adjournment for win.
dow curtains, but to our crude notion out Of
place on the delicate and graceful form Of .
pretty woman.
W. soy nothing Of the scandal and i'm
propriety Of blazing out in the loose 6ncry
Of shameless Partisan loretteS while the earth
10 yet fresh above the graves Of thousands
Of the noblest and b'avest among US, while
Thousands Of homes are yet dark epsd by the
loss ofall that made life worth ths living, or
wsssted it from the grasp Of wsht and mis-
sry-bscauss such considerations, though
we'll enough for the visitors Of tract socie
ty, or - the ground ofappeal for charitable
assistance. afford no reason .. Ill why fash.
ioaabls ladies' should not follow their fancies
and indulge their caprices.
But, unfortunately, our fashionable ladies
ore also our wives, sisters, mothers, friends,
the guardians Of our households, the angel
ofths hearthst0ne, upon whom. under Prov
idence, the future destiniss Of the republic
depend.
Tho King rules the people,
But thou rules the King"
Men rule the nation, but women make men.
And what sort Of men shall these won. n
in scarlet, and gold, and gew gaws make .
Alas not men honest, not men true. not
men incorruptiblc, but false men, PREACHER
ous men, scheming men. men willing to sell
themselves or their country for that gold
aud mockery Of wealth, the love Of which
they drank in with their mothers milk.
Shall We have modest and true women
for our wives and daughters, or shall w.
have purple aud scarlet women. their shame
lcssness scarcely disguised by thin sem
blance OF respect for dccency and virtue !
Al this supreme moment, when the nation
is struggling to regain the life and strength
which It spent in the effort to maintain Il,
completeness and power, it needs the COOP
Grafton OF all good and earnest people I,
heal, purify, strengthen and consolidate tn
elements so lately disunited, now under
skillful manipulation, rapidly fusing them
selves together. And can women do nothing
TO aid in accomplishing this desired work :
Are they really the dolls which some men
consider then, or the something worse that
they are held to be by others, that they cast
aside duty, dcccncy, and every other wo-
manly attribute. and c0ntentedlv. nav
proudly, become the copyists Of those who
are excluded from the humblest Ere side
whose feet go down to destruction, who's,
hands lay hold on death.
Such = course Of action on the palt O
American women is bad enough as . pres
ont evil, bu il in worse in IT'S future conse-
Quences. We cannot touch pitch and moi
b. dctiled. Already the results are seen il
the loose habits, the reckless expenditures
the free and easy style Of conversation, th,
adoption Of slang terms and phrases, anJ
tha nj al ~
ideas Of good taste and proprety among the
women, especially the young women, WIZ
constitute what IS called the best society
MARY Brandagec," novel which pro,
fesses to give III insight tito upper New
York life, represents young ladies Is total
" emancipated from al moral or social re
straint, and, worse still, as quite uncon
seious Of the evil, not to say iniamy, which
attaches to the unbridled indulgence Of
loose and vicious habits and inclnations-
Yet mahy people say of this book, =" how
NATURAL aud are willing to forgive it,
want Of conference aud ccmmon sense OF
account Of its truth to nature.
We do not believe that the poor youuc
girlnature which all men love. and which
poets have paid homsgc to, is vet who'll,
lost; we have ialth that it even vet remain,
unsullied in many young hearts, notwith.
standing the bad influences Of the DAYS mo,
which It has fallen 1t is true that Whit
ever can be done is done to make them false
lying, deceittui, and selfish they are earl,
taught to despise Inodesty and sincerity. a.
Old iahioned virtues, and tn It their business
- TO get themselves mp, with oil the arts an,
alos they can muster, Tor the market The,
bury their freshness beneath q vile load o
paint, powder, false hair, and dirty hors.
hair, and lose their innocence in their love
Of display and unmaidenly attempts to At
tract aud secure tho attention tirey consider
It their business to win. Fashions are fol-
lowed without any reference to their modes
~, any more than their beauty, and are ex.
aggcrated, let the consequences bc what they
may.
A veil known writer drew down upou her
eelf walls Of wrath some time AGO by he,
structures upon the revelations made by tn,
hooped skirts Of The young lady visitor,
during the commencement festivities Al
Harvard college. At that time the SINAI
hooped skirt known - the Quaker was in
vogue. What would she say now to tn.
"oell-shape," that expanse Of crinoline
which extends its area At its base, and willpo,
eiioW iad'es to move. stoop, sit down, enter q
car or leave an omnibus, without exposure
Is Ahoud crimson their cheeks with shame
but which has become 50 common that i,
rarely EFFORTS more than laugh or a look
Of indiitersnc. Over these immense boon.
one thin skirt is often, and above this tn,
dress Is cftcc drawn in such way that thu
sughtest disarrangement Of drapery reveals
the skeleton" in all its naked deformity
Inc ,'e!l shape, in most expansive form. il
ne style Of the new scarlet aud "sijeer''
hooped skirts are intended to add their hhow
and glitter to the splendor or the coming
rinEsr tollettcs. Plainly, and possibly, not
neutrality-suspicious. they will bein the swift
moving redswss via salop; but We doubt
IT the sighs would add to the pleasure i;tli
which any man would sec his wife or si.tsr
engaged in these fascinating exercises.
The apaiogists for modern morals and
nseaers charge sp<n our great -gs.ndmoth
e!s, whom We are wont to consider models
% decNsp. afreq1Va ofspeeeh and action
Greater even than Thai Of their dascendants.