The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-05-20
LETTER FROM BOSTON.
Correspondence Of the journal.
An Incident OF. the Horse Cars Something
about Qress-Hot Weather Emigration
Murrays Book, &c.
Boston. Nav H. 1869


BosroN, May II, 1869
In recent letter the assertion was made
that long dresses We're "among the things
that were and are not" That statement is
revoked. 1t is true no longer And vet |
meant totell the truth. Ireally thought did
| always mean to tell the truth. If there is
one thing more than another about which |
am extremely sensitive it is my vcracitv. Let
every one understand that the saying ..indebt-
ed to your imagination for your facts" doesn't
Iapply to the writer hereof i'll any sense what
lsoevcr, either nearly or remotely But was
about to tell the readers of the Journal that
long dresses are still in vogue. And how |
came to know happened in this wise. was
lhurredly entering horse-car. Now ALWAYS
lpride myself upon the ease with which can
lenter a car. | never go stumbling about,
threading on pc oplc's coms, or seating myself
unceremonously in somebody's lap, A. have
seen people do. Oh no, | vas brought up on
the seaboard, and can walk plank us true
as sailor. And so ! always walk steadily
INTO the car and take a scat, if there is one
bnt always with i little self consciousness that
am doing extremely we'll On this partcu-
lar morning, however, | was doomed to be
terribly hlmiliated, doubtless as a payment
for my lorme. egotism. believe in retribu-
tlon-2ndlEstead ofmakng myusual triumph
al entree caught my foot in something
something was the long trailing Skirt Of a
black silk dress, and oh shades of the Gods !!
I,,,l. Il -
IWhere should | have gone to, had not the
kindly shirt bosom of man Just then inter
lp"sed itself between me and swift destruction.
lSlons OF 4 bloody nose and broken limbs
icven now rise grimly before me. as ! think
what would have been my fate but for This
timely dellYerance from impending danger
ii buried my nose in said shirt bosom and
lclutched wildly at the door post for support
| soon collected myself and stood upright,
land with as much dignity and composure as
could command sought a seat having first
kindly thanked my rescuer. Then prcpar-
led to give that woman such a look rs she
should always carry with her, and make her
lahlure forever long dresses | thought to my
lself if my eyes We're only Ithuriel'S spear,
lwouldn't transfix her But one glance, and
Jail my fury fled She was obliged to wear a
long dress. She couldn't do any differently,
1t was more of Il necessity than a pleasure.
1t was needed as 4 weight to preserve her
balance, otherwise She must have tumbled
lover, For upon her head she carried the con
tents of a hot house. a small flower garden.
and waving over her shoulder was a most
magnificent field Of grass | sighed as She
vanished from sight at the Ola Colony Depot.
Thinking what glorious opportunity wa,
then and there lost for some farmer to supply
his hundred head Of cattle with winter food
wish people didn't feel obliged to make
walking advertisements Of themselves, or to
buy all the flowers and ribbons on Washing
ton street to put on one bonnet-dstressin
Thereby not only themselves, but painng the
leyes of all sensible beholders Some of the
fashions of to-day are monstrosties, which
fought not to be tolerated. But they are, and
lby some otherwise sensible women too who
dare not disobcy the commands of tic inlpr-
rious goddess and are insen5iblN drawn into
that which their better Judgment condemns.
II is a pardonahlc pride in woman to want
q we'll shaped boot, neatly fitting glove or
dress, and pretty bonnet which is becoming
ito her, 1t is her inalicnable right, her pre-
lrogativc, her ''born privilege to make her
self as charming and pretty as possible The
lCreator designed her for laces and cmbroid-
lerics, in their proper place. She fits into them
NATURALLY. They are as much 4 part Of her
JaS ha a. al al ~,
led leaves are a part OF the rose. She docs
mot seem to me to be complete to be a
woman, in the tlucst and best acceptance of
the term, without them As for the men.
do not believe there is one in Thousand how
ever much they may rail at the extravaganza
Tot women in general, but feels and would
acknowledge the superiority of a well dress
led woman over one carclesSly attired 1t
sounds very well in print for men to hit at the
Ifollics Of women, and assert that they ought
TO wear thick boots and linsey woolsry dress
les. don't know one who would walk the
streets without sense of shame, with wom-
an thus arrayed however much lady She
might be. But to dress well and over,lrcss
are essentially different. No woman can af-
ford to be oyerdrcssed. 1t is expensive alike
to her purse, her manners and her morals
Your overdressed women are always pert
vain and disagreeablc. They have never an
"eye for taste in colors," amt invariably wear
them incongruouslym mixed. Spending All their
time and thoughts upon THEN dress, they are
VIGOROUSLY empty-headed and shallow AS
suming to know that which they do not, make
them tlippant and unbearable I'll not pursue
the theme farther. | didn't intend to write
a lecture. OF say harsh things of my scx I'll
was only the venting of spleen against the
woman who caused 50 inglorous fall
Warm weather approaches fast. Last Wed
Inesday the thermometer reached eighty de
grees in the shade, which was pretty comfort
able especially for those who were abroad at
about noon. As the air grows hotter, and the
dust thicker, the jewellers of cities are turn
ing themselves mountain or seward as the
case may be, eagerly intent on getting a
breath Of pure air" Here, as one of our
city journals say, the tide of emigration
is setting toward the Adirondacks," led there
by reading the much admired and very pop
ular book Camp Life in the Wilderness by
Row Mr. Mul.JnV at tIr Pork