Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-21
THE EVILS OF FAsHIOy--CoRRUP-
TION AMONG THE WOMEN.
rom the N. I. Freeman's Journal

Modern school education having beer
completed for girls, now, by doting mother
who admire Accomplishments which the,
think queer, but accept as the fashions of thu
"best society," the next thing is TO ge
into " this wonderful good society" To dc
this, Yankee ingenuity has devised living il
city hotels in winter, and at watering places
IN summer. Perhaps the kind mammas
urge their daughters to observe carefully
and copy the manners Of the fine ladies u
they see. Perhaps the daughters exert their
tact in doing it Themselves. A lady friend
from the country came to town last week, and
told near friend of QUIZ that she had tried
TO get corset made, but was told il could
not be done under two weeks, because all
hands in the large establishments she visited
were engaged in making false cdlues for
ladies" Who tCear the lifting hoops!
On last Sunday, walking home from
Church through several fashionable streets,
we noticed women walking with fitting
skirts from where they had been pretending
to say their prayers and on all che corners,
and on hotel fronts, we saw rows of we'll
dressed blackguards standing, Observing and
laughing and commenting on what these
women were exhibiting .
Out on this indecency that would disgrace
honest Pagans.f Let every modest woman
who has been tricked into getting .thesetraps
of the haFlot as the latest " fashion," pull
them off and burn theml Let every parent
see to it that his guileless daughter is not
disgraced by " following this fashion" Let
masters of households. do the charity to a
"servant-maid," to provide her with such as
are modest, and forbid her, while in his
house, to play the airs of the wanton -
Why, even in Pagan times, when the men
abandoned themselves to the most vile
practices, they tried to keep their women
uncorrupt. What are we coming to? 1t is
not here question of Republicanism or I'm
perialism. 1t is not a question of free gov
eminent or despotism. 1t is question of
the existence of families and of society. By
the memories of our virtnous mothers, by
our love for our wives and daughters, let us
stop these public outrages, and put under
the surveillance of the police iapudic rgornen.
Let us make remark on the latest out
rage and indecency of fashion" A few
weeks ago ON a muddy day, we saw walk
ing, some ways before us pitiabIe object.
In the distance, it resembled q poor Ger
man peasant-woman, with her short petit |
coat coming somewhat below the knee.
There is nothing ;mmodest in that peasant
dress. The German peasant walks with her
ankles exposed, but there is no illus0ry pre-
tense Of covering them.) The poor creature !
we saw seemed to be such an one, with a |
huge clothes line strung around her on a |
frame, on which she seemed to be carrying |
various gew-gaw dresses for different people. |
She seemed TO be the humble errand-girl Of |
some dress making establishment. On 4
passing the unhappy creature we noticed |
that she was sailing along with the idea that |
the dresses hanging around her shoulders |
were her own, and she looked as modest and |
unconcerned as if she was really decently |
covered. Speaking of it to those who are du
fat in such matters, we found that such kind |
Of dress is fall the rage" for some time past.
1t is effected on purpose, by having hoops |
made with the sharp and stiff curve at the
foot, that will tilt the dress above, and expose
the legs to the knee. Another progress"
keeps pace with it. 1t has been in the daily
papers, but we rarely believe anything we |
see in them. A very truthful woman, how
ever, living, says those are the "ine ladies"
who display their rich brocades, and jewelry,
and gaudy dresses on the streets, and in pub
lie conveyances, and at hotel tables. So har-
Ots are setting the fashion of dress and
behavior for the daughters of this people.
II seems it is enough to say it is the "fash-
on" TO make it a plea for following it,
One of the latest fashions" has been to
nave dancing sOireeS at DelmOnico's, in
Fourteenth street, "for young people" A
,ule of this fashion is that no parents or
guardians are to be admitted. We did not
believe the statement when it was first made
n some of our city papers. But we have it
low on good authority that it is true, and
hat, this past winter, fathers and mothers
nave permitted their daughters to go to those
Oirees with young men, to sup and to dance,
md to come home with them at three or
our o'clock in the morning. Just put it in
'lain language: young girls in this city do
lot find it a blot ON their characters TO go
With young men, unaccompanied by their
PARENTS, to public tavern, to dance and eat
nd drink with them, and to come home
With them toward daylight!
We are not the least in the world aston
shed to hear that--in what it must be by
rony--are called "the better classes of So
iety, there has been prodigious falling off
{ marriages. The marvel is, among any
lasses of society that do not draw sharp
ines of non-intercourse with this whole
Iorld of indeceHcies and with all that toll
rate them, that so foolish thing as mar
iage is ever dreamed of. !, Among such |
eople it is not rprising that the number
divorces should exceed the number of
Marriages