Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-01-08

goot health, unit your families; unit may
dey all live long unit prosper"
Fanny Fern on the Fashions.
When | say that tue. street dress Of
the majority Of the respectable women
of New York is disgusting, l but feeb'y
express my emotions. | say the respec
table women, and yet. save to those who
know them to be such, their appearance
leaves wide margin for doubt. The
clown at a circus wears net n more stun
ming parti-colored costume in fact his
has the advantage Of being sufficiently
taut"-to use q nautical phrase-not
to interfere with locomotion while
theirs'-what with disgusting humps up.
on their backs, and big rosettes upon their
sides and shoulders, and loops and folds,
and buttons, and tassels, and clasps, and
bows upon their skirts, and striped satin
petticoats, all too short to hide often
clumsy ankles---and more colors and
shades of colors heaped upon one poor
little fashion-ridden body than ever were
gathered in one rainbow-and all this
worn without regard to Temperance, or
time or pIace-I say this presents a
spectacle which is too dishearting even
to be comical.
One cannot smile at the young girls
who are, one day-Heaven help them =
to be wives and mothers. Wives and
mothers! | say to myself as | see the
throat and neck with only the protection
of gold Docket between itself and the
cold northern winds. Wives and moth
ers! say, as see them running their
feet and throwing their ankles out Of
shape, in the vain endeavor to walk on
heels like corks, fastened far into the
middle of the sole of their boots and
those boots SO high upon the calf of the
leg, and so tightly buttoned across it that
circulation is stopped, and violent head
aches follow.
Wives and mothers! say as see
the heating and burdensome pannier
on the most delicate portion Of a wo-
mans frame, to make still surer con.
firmed invaldism, what fathers, hus
bands, brothers. lovers can be thinking
about to be willing that the women they
respect and lore should appear in public,
looking like women whom they despise,
is marvel to me. Why they do not
say this to them, and shame them into
decent appearancc-if their glasses can
not effect i'll do not know. Oh, the
relief it is to meet lady, instead of
ballet girl; oh, the relief it is to see
healthy, firm stepping, rosy. broad-chest-
ed, bright eyed woman, clad simply with
dress all of one color, and free from
punches or tags! / turn to look at such
an one with true respect, that she has
the good sense and courage and good
taste to appear on the street. in dress
BETTING the street, leaving to those poor,
wretched women whose business it is to
advertise their persons, a free field, with
out competition.
If | seem 10 speak harshly. it is be-
cause | feel earnestly on this subject. l
had hoped that all their time would not
be spent in keeping up with the chame.
leon changes of fashions too ugly, too
absurd for liberation. 1t is because |
want them TO be something, to do some
thing higher and nobler than n peacock
might aim at, that turn heart sick away
from these infinitesimal fripperies that
narrow the soul and purse, and leave
nothing 10 their wake but emptiness. =
Nor is it necessary, in avoiding all this,
that a woman should look strong
minded" as the bug bear phrase goes
1t is not necessary that she should dress
like her grandmother, in order to look
like decent woman. 1t is not necessary
she should forswear ornamentation, be-
cause it were better and more respecta
bic to have it confined to festai and home
occasions, and less to the public promep-
ade. She is not driven to the aterna-
tive of muffiing herself like an omnibus
driver in January, or catching consump
ton with her throat protected only by
gold locket.