Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1865-12-15
The Riot of the Women.

Astounding. ~ eta
invlv without though, either for nro,,,io,,. -.
dpcenrv. II & disgrace TO the tns,e ~ ,bo
,onntry. dishonor TO the men who bnves re.
cen,lv died on hattie fields. and reprooch n
o,or, rop,or /, tho land who in onv NOV
courto,oncos tho ,vickaI contovion. Tho vilos;
aud tho ru,es, amman side hv side nm tbo
siree, IN tho social ossembloge' and ai npblic
eotber;nos ,i,seIed alike in oit and gornisb
Thoyn is no mark IN dis,inouisb between tho
truc and ,he false. Tbere seems to he but one
;dJ ot with MI how down. and beforo which
cnnd sense and good character arc niLe bsing
Sacrificed. Tn The name of that ro6nemorI AMI
economv' which ouobt 10 he the cnnobling cbor-
neteris,ics or Americon womanhood we c,ll for
the Shaving of his wild tide ofrecklessness
Among the looked for results of the war. IL
was hoped Tim, the country vould be n,,rged of
slavish obedience 10 the mandates of parisian
monde. and its attendant ex,ravoeapce Tvicc
every wear the followers of en- caIled f,sb;on
were wont ia attend nt snecial disniovs of ibo
milliners and ,nodistes. and learn t6ero what
they were to wear the ensuing season Nanv
of the most refined in the land thouobt Il No
disgrace TO seek instruction in the or,s of
French courtesans-vbo are in reality the ma
kers of the fashions that are so layisEly odont-
ed in This country. With scarcely Thought
,hev Yielded snbseryiencv 10 land wholly alien
to ms in morals. religion. poli,ical and sociol
life. and no, the least Of all. in climate. Bnt
!, did mt seem that so much of imitation. reck
less waste. and useless display. could possiblv
surviye the sad discipline Of great war. And
when our literature came out of the ordeal
clotbpd with nobler life and in stprdier firm il
gave cause for hone that the tastes and habits
of the women of the land would also be of a
nurer and more provident character. How de-
lusive was the hone. the wild destinations of
disp,oys of The fashion.monrers. Zoo well at
test. There is. i3dred. danger before us. and
every interest demands that il be fairly met he
fore /, shall he too late.
AT tie breaking up of the war. in the sprinp.
it did not seen, nossible that The sorrow md
desolotion ofs,ur ye,rs of conflict could he so
entirely ignored as TO hermit n season of unex-
amped pronigacy. What with half million
men either dead or manned for Hfe. aud with
mourning at the inner or outer door of every
house in the land there was reason 10 expect that
motives Of propretv, if no other would STAY
t,r time the reviving of any useless scenes Of
extravaganza. But while the procession of
death was vet filing rast,-wih eripples, and
bereaved homes, and sights and sounds of pain
on every hand,-the seryility Of borrowed fash
ion. and The sbamelesspess of unaccountable
riot. began their round anew, We look hack
upon the season of pleasure now ended with
shame and regret; shame that the women Of
the country should manifest so little regard for
the lessons of the hour. and regret that ihev
did not set nobler example Of economy and
oond taste.
The tide has turned towards the metropolis
aooin. with its fashion and ,houubilessness
hunperipr. it would seem. for new carnival of
vet wilder Measure. There is mn ndicoiion
anywhere Of the dreadful scene from which we
an war The Enplsh Goyernmen, forbade tho
wearing of moTrnino lest il should create n
feelinc of gloom. No such edict is needed in
opr land for already the streets oye oolow Win
the fnery and Aummery of fFrencbrxtrsvapance
II soor,s IN matter liiile to tho lovers of dreso
,ba, tho countryNis veinhe6 down with vast
Iah, and that every motive calls for economv
and prudence. In and ont they 90 the women
that should hear faithful hand IN bringing the
no,ion hack TO lis former position. decked ont
in ;ovels and silk and all ,he ,lse.ss ornaments
,b6t nre con;.J from the Partisan demi monde
Snrelv !, is n di,croce that these ,hinos are so.
and the organs of public opinion should not
co. 10 l;n The vs;l and derrv ,Le 6c,ic;ous die.
uia, The limo has long nassau for servila
,rrcLl;rc to F,anch fast life and E,r limitations
of ev.rv kind As the war has ahakcn off sub
sary;ercv tn Encrsh ;honobt. 50 sboulI il leach
onr woman that French courtesans nre NOT
r,n,,bv exomnlars in any resuec,. We have
had anouob of this thing. and The time has f,l-
Iy coma for nurer and more refined. n truer
American taste Be,ter Walt Whitmas in lei
Tors and Bloomerism in dress than wretcbed
oo,,;nc ~ Corei,,n tbon,,h, and cnsroms
whi,ber these things lead-upon what rock
their foolish extravaganza will wreck themP 1t
can he nothing short cfhetayis,a and the break
;n,, ~, of tho laws of socioI life Tho bubble