The Tarboro' southerner., 1868-08-20
Ladi. $. Dress-Reform Needed.

Five years ago what mother, with
the least pretension to moral character,
would have allowed daughter to ex~
pose herself to the public gave dressed,
ETC., after the fashion which has Of
late prevailed? And yet how many
motion has so put forth her daughters.
There is no little lamentation, year af-
ter year, over the habits and priuci-
pies Of the men of the day. 1t is not
only subject of maternal woe that
they don't care to marry: that they
care not to have it seen and known
that they have ties which go far to ex>
plain the fact; but there is growing
indisposition on their part to seek the
society Of their own rank. 1t is hard
work now to obtain the presence of
young men at any of the social assem-
blies which. in former days, were the
great fields of matrimonial enterprise.
There is no denying that the young
men of these days have been either
bored out of their love for balls and
assemblies to which of old they used
to flock, to the satisfaction of mothers
and the anjoymcnt of daughters, or
they have been in some way disgusted
with the prevailing habits of such
scenes. If ladies choose to follow a
fashion in dress which outrages all de-
cency, from its liberal exposure In
young and old of SO much which in
the case Of tho latter. is disgusting to
the observer, and in the former eau at
tact the eyeto pain the mind: if young
and old are alike to be got up for pub
lie exhibition, with all the aids the art
Of the Rachel profession can afford, it
is easy to understand why it is that af
ter all, the performance fails of its legi
innate end-attraction. When modes
ty affects the millinery and seeks all
the cunning aid which the immodest
use to attract, we are left to one or
other Of two conclusions. The victim
of such folly either thinks man will ad
mire IN q wife what they oply endure
| in mistress, or are SO week IS to be
lieve that one desirable as wife, by
nature and education, can continue so
after adopting the outward character
of what should be as abhorrent to her
true self as opposed to every principle
her education afforded.
We have many tollies, and there is
much in which we can afford to be
foolish. But the modest bearing OF
our wives and daughters is matter in
which we all have an interest. 1t is
one which can yield to no other in ma
tional importance. The wanton ex
travagance orig mating in this love Of
personal decoration is in itself an eyi
of no little magnitude: it is cripplius
the resources Of many family, laying
the foundation for the fall Of many {
house. This, however, is minor evil
compared with that utter degradation
of inward purity and refinement which
this offensive attention to personal dis
play produces 1t is bad enough It
expose the young daushters Of tt,
highest educated and wealthy classe
to that amount Of moral danger t
which they must be liable when W
take them out day after day and nigh
after night Oh the worlds great erran
the seeking their settlement as wives
1t was scarcely needed that we shoul
impress them with the idea that the
are to appear in public, got up to at
tract attention. after the meretriciou
fashion of those whose utter degrada
tion they are hppily incapable of uu
derstanding.