The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1870-02-22
Faribault MINI, Feb. IA, 10.


nication from Chester brings me uponl
my feet. Another chapter of horrors
from what supposed was a quiet, up-
pretending New England town, has
set my blood shivering, and I only AK
for quarter, and time to contemplate |
the present state of things in Vermont
society before another revelation is pub
lished. Those horrible corsets are driv- |
ing our young friend mad. Not thatbe
knows exactly how tightly they fit, nor
is he willing to swear that in all cases
wasp waist" is the effect of which
corset is the cause but the appalling
conciousness of the general effect of
steady pressure upon woman's waist,
in some notable instances, in that per
haps of the poor young woman he men,
tons, who was obliged to be twisted
upon her dying bed like a log upon a
traverse-I say such terrible spectacles
have made him a sincere convert to the
rather epicurean notion that the only
pressure which sensible woman should
desire, as being not only harmless but
in many cases positively beneficial is
that of coat sleeve with an arm inside.
If that he says is true, the Chester ladies
must have changed much since 1 knew
them, for if my memory serves me
right they were not especially
proud of the pressure he mentions,
and seems to be so partial to- Besides
l never dreamed that they were such
imbecile creatures as they now seem to
be Indeed Iknew several of them and
was so silly as to think they were all
highly, intelligent persons. 1t is true
they were not able to talk about politics
or any other dirty thing. But as re-
garded all the amenities of life, they
seemed to be in no respect deficient
They were social, genial and kind, just
what woman ought to be, and as far
as the size of their corsets was con-
cerned, not being the health officer of
that district, l thought perhaps it might
be impertinent for me either to ex-
anime or enquire. Your correspondent
goes a great way around to say that
the young women of our day are all
fools. Why does he think so? What
would he have them do? What must
they say? Would he have them talk
like men, act like men, and be like
men? Indeed does he suppose that if
they should take off their corsets they
would be men, and if men should put
them on they would be women? What
ever may be said of the young women
of to-day-they are as a class much
more decent and respectable than the
young men. l refer to those of both
classes who move in good society and
, have the name of being respectable
, people. would like to have your
correspondent reckon up the number OF
young ladies of responsibility, who he
e feels quite or almost confident are dy-
e ing by inches from the effects of tight
= lacing, and alongside of that estimate
t place the number of young men whom
: he knows to be night-rioters, debauch
d ees, or occasional drunkards, and who
: are thus in one way or another running
, not body only but mind besides, ant
. who at the same time have the nam,
:, of being rs respectable as anybody.
y believe the only inference can be tina
comparatively few women kill them
selves with corsets outside of Chester
! and that they do there, rests on the ties
" timony of your correspondent alone
y whose motives, | think, are not tn
NC ai,t,uiu ue disposed to impeach then
u if we thought he was trying to do ava,
e with the generally safe, old fashione,
J. corset pressure, and introduce that Q
- the coat sleeve in its place. | do no
70 deny, and | am not ashamed to say
~ that / am an enthusiastic lover of VIC
man. The memory ofmy own mothe
who died at the age of twenty three
uneducated and without accomplish
ment as she was, brings to my min
Is pure life, kind gentle and womanl
u nature, just the qualities that make
:, woman worth having, and withou
which she is not woman, but dey
y in disguise. A woman does not nee
+. to be brilliant to be beautiful. Joan {
$. Arc with all her bravery was far les
IN lovely than Theresa of Spain. But
D. have done with this part of my letter
he hough l cannot refrain from once NOR
nt inviting Carp" to shake the dus
Or from his feet, and try the freedom Of
VI western wilderness.
10 In your last issue noticed lettt
- from a gentleman in Minneapolis
~ which was mostly devoted to discus
m sion of the tariff, and more especial
q. to correcting what he charges upon m
of as mistakes in the attempt which
es made in my last letter TO occount ft
n. low prices of wheat. have not tim
an nor space to state at length my reason
e. for disagreeing with the gentleman, bl
by still believe that am in the main RICH
a. 1t is true that Minnesota is whei
raising state. But it is equally trr
VI that if farmers will raise nothing ell
40 and if from blight or any other caui
II" they should lose their wheat crop ell
70 tirely, they will be in fair way
p starving to death. Potatoes can
of raised in abundance here, so also ca
is pork without much trouble. What
)" there absurd in asking the farmers
he 80 diversity their means of subsistence
It that if one thing fails they can fall baC
OF upon another? If they had done tn
nv this year there would have been l
va embarrassment as / said before 81 tart
- or No tariffu What he saYs ahn