The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-07-28
The Long skirt Quesiisn.
OUR REPORTER CATCHES IT..

OA' Assh OnAhh N0fSA@c 80
To the Editor Of the Press:
Angels of grace and shades of Venus de-
fend us, and give us patience under the in
fiction OF a woman hater. Quoting from a
notice of the ball, "Long skirts will do to
sweep the sidewalks and to be dragged around
drawing room, but there is an unpleasant
ness in having them switched against gents
pantaloons, even ii the motion keeps time to
the music" The writer of this article must
have been prompted by the "devil," (I mean
the printers devil) and the short suits have
exposed his cloven foot or feet. l am very
sure he never whistled "The girl l left behind
me;;" never had any dreams OF fair women !"
never imagined he heard the rustling Of wo-
mans dress fitting like ghost through
gloomy corridors, real feminine ghosts with
long robes, which give one the delightful
thrill OF every hair standing on its own par
ticular dignity and individuality. Who ever
heard of a respectable ghost in a short suit?
The idea is direct insult TO all the graceful
ghosts that ever swept their silken trains
through gloomy isolated castles. "Then
0thello's occupations gone" No more
watching of cunning little feet, like mice,
first peeping in then peeping out;" nothing
left for the imagination, but there would
stand the bare facts of the case, the whole
foot. ..-
He should be labelled "not to be touched"
II married he eourted his wife through the
window, and if he is not he will court her by
pro1y. She has my sympathy for the first,
and in the latter case my congratulation.
Thank our stars, he does not speak for the
whole masculine sex. To prove this the fol-
lowing incident will serve: l had little
friend, married, and the mother of children
larger than herself. 1 was walking up Con-
gress street short time since with her, and,
having taken the short suit mania, she was
encased in three breadtns of one. Up steps
an elegant gentleman with the query: "Little
girl, can you direct me to the new hotel?'
She looked around 10 see If it could possibly
be her whom he addressed, and finding it
was, she tried to draw herself up to dignif-
ed height and annihilate him with a look, but
it was total failure, and leaving him with an
amused look ON his handsome face, she tried
to sweep on but that also was a failure, az
she could not sail on in short suit. So home
she went and, telling her sensible husband
the story, was kindly aduised by him to hang
it up for one the children and resume a wo-
mans dress. That is the kind Of man who
win not scowl at his wife's dry goods bill and
allow her to treat friend to an ice cream
without asking, "where is all the money to
come from?"
would like to see the Goddess of Liberty
in short suit-just three breadths around,
and see how very graceful she would look in
pictures, more like a circus rider than any,
thing else. No, do not want to be an angel
Just at present, but want to look as much
like one as possible, and l never imagine
them floating through the azure clouds In any
thing but long flowing robes. So short suits
win not do, except for strong-minded women
and weakened men; for women OF heart,
grace and imagination give me the flowing
robe. 1 will state for the benefit of all close
fisted men that short dresses have had their
day, and the end of long dresses is not yet.