Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-18

When the enlightened Washington
jury acquitted Miss Mary Harris of the
murder OF the young man who did not
marry her, everybody felt that a great in
jury had been done to American morals,
that society at large had good cause
TO tear the most unfortunate results from
such an extraordinary precedent. The
1rult Is ripening rapidly, and the rising
generation of American young women
are giving such tokens of their deternin-
alton to follow Miss Harris example that
tlmId men are becoming seriously alarmed.
Ii has becomethe fashion for young ladies
who are engaged to be married to go
armed, and, although we have as vet
neard OF no repetition of the Washing
Ton tragedy in our own streets, we live in
the daily expectation of it. In the wild
times Of our new Western country men
carried their Arkansas tooth-picks in the
side OF their boots or down the back of
their necks, but concealed weapons a1e
now forbidden by law, and the modern
young lady foufishes her deadly wesnons
In the light of the sun. The nHarrisettes
as they are so appropriately called. are
worn in the hat and are Of terious f5rrns
Swords, tomahawks, battle axes, arrows
ana lance glitter ominously along our
fashionable promenades, and woe to the
ialthless swain who falters for a moment
IN MS allegiance. Firearms have rot vet |
been introduced, but we have no doubt
tnat before the winter is otor we shall ACC
the "boofer ladies' setting their percus-
sion caps at us helpless men-folk with the
same audacity with which thew now
threaten our scalp-locks.
Inc progress of feminine fashion Is no.
coming positively alarming. In matters
q dress everything has gone wild. When
Ihe bonnet merged into the pork-pie. We
knew that the Outworks of our male de-
Ienses were gone. When the mantilla
gave way to the monkey jacket We retreat
Still nearer to our citadel. When the
Shippers grew up to the stature of thc
ioisn boot our haarts sank lower within
us When the trailing skirts ceased 70
sweep up the accumulatiohs of onr s;do
walks, and We're ~jauntily tucked nm 70 tbo
attitude OF the boot top, we knew orr time
coming. And now, IA We no,s 49,
irresistible dafnsels, wearing our own don
.IcaI mats, boots and collars and Ao,r;sL
ny tnese Hateful land hatefuO aHarr;a
III, H before our astonished ewes to Shell
itnL U lnnermost fastneSsas an5 IL
: our IaSt remaining treasure onr hoinr
= va ahtaloons, with the grasp of dasna;. (
we know they must 90. W. despair. l
laS me Tune is close at hand W. nnow
Uuern Omphales will demand omr our
OF our lives, and we shall be eomn s.H%
about in the costumes of
go STALKING - = our conoro-L
,llet, unless, perchRne.r eonquerors .
az allow us to fall back upon the nneodes :
Rome and Greece. Already we hear
int ~whisperings of a Ladies' Base Ball
ub, and next summer will probably
inch the Spinster's Barge Clubupon the
huylkill, and we are left to cry as Sir
aac did to his mischievous "Diamond"-
lary Harris Harrisl thou little knowest
e mischief thou hast doner ~
look back, with hopeless sighs, to
ose good old days when the 'glittering
the nimble needle and the twirl-
2 distaff were the worthy emblems of
e fair sisterhood, and we cling to the be-
f that the better half of creation was p
ore feminine, more gentle, more, we
had said more lovable, but we still
life and in the spirit of "Le Toi est
ort! ViUe Le roi r we accept the situa-
and declare that "WoRanl with all
Harrisettes, We love thee stiIlg-PhiL
eIDLi1 10e