The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-06-18
Is Tight Lacing Injurious!


inches and three-quarters, Miss Waspe by
reclamation was voted to the chair.
In opening the proceedings the Chair
woman remarked that, as her breath was
rather short, she would beg to be excused
from making long speech. "IIearr
Fashion, they all knew, was omnipotent
with ladies, and, now that fashion had
revived the custom of tight-lacing, ladies
were obliged to cultivate a fashionable
figure. They might not all arrive at the
perfection she had herself attained Cries
of "Question"' and "We'N try, dearn')-
The advantage of acquiring so slim waist
as hers was only to be gained by hours and
hours of actual torture. Sensation. y
Nais a. taW sOntrir pour etre belle; and if
they did not mind fainting-f fits at first,
followed by continual debility and head
ache, many ladies might enjey the pleasure
of possessing waist not much exceeding
the dimensions of her own. (Cheers.)
Miss Pinch said her experience agreed
with that of the fair Chairwoman, though,
unhappily, her suffering had not yet been
rewarded by the rapture of obtaining
quite so fashionable figure. Still, her
waist barely exceeded eighteen inches and a
half (shudders;) and she hoped, by perse-
verance and good strong lady's-maid, to
reduce it before long to more genteel di-
mansions. (Applause.)
Miss Lovelace said she also had suffered
much from headache since she wore tight
stays, and once or twice had tainted at the
dinner table. Her doctor had told her she
was running her health; but she didn't
mind her doctor while she obeyed her dress
maker. ("Bravar')
Miss Casper would like to ask, what
could doctors know about it? They didn't
wear stays, did they? How, then, could
they tell what ladies suffered from tight
lacing?
Mrs. M. Bonpoint observed that, although
she tried her utmost, she could not reduce
her waist to less than nineteen inches.-
{" Poor dearr') Even this, however, made
her wretchedly uncomfortable; and after
eating good dinner she was frequently
obliged to have her laces cut, to save her
self from fainting. Her doctor tried to
brighten her, by talking about fatty some
thing of the heart, which often had proved
fatal. But she would rather die a martyr
than dress out of the fashion. (Applause.)
Miss Wheyface said she feared that by
acquiring small waist she had injured her
complexion. Her nose was getting red
now, and her cheeks were pale and pimply.
Some one had told her this was owing to
impeded circulation. But this was con-
soled by having a fashionable figure.
Miss Tucker said the worst of wearing
tight dress was that it sadly took away ones
appetite. Since she had reduced her waist,
she could not eat one half of what she
used to do. (Sensation) Now, this was
great misery, for she was fond of eating
Still, she had rather give up her custards
than her corset. (Cheers.)
Miss Gosling thought it was not lady-like
to eat much. Rude health was most
unfeminine possession. A person to be
fashionable should be always rather deli
cate; and nothing insured this so nicely as
tight-lacing.
Miss Lazie remarked that another of its
benefits was, that it prevented any muscu-
lar exertion. To lie upon sofa and read
novels all day long, was her idea of almost
perfect earthly happiness; aud, as tight
lacing untitled her for any useful work,
she had borne like martyr the torture it
had caused her.
Miss Waddler said she could not walk
we'll in her stays, they made her feel SO
stiff and wooden. But her waist looked
well on horseback, though she never dared
to venture at more than foot-pace, for
her habit was so tight that she could hardly
breathe when trotting.
Miss Prancer observed that, much as she
loved dancing, she had found it impossible
to waltz in her new ball dress. She felt SO
squeezed and faint that the utmost she
could do was to walk through the square
dances. ("Poor thing.") In consequence
she had lost number Of nice partners,
and that odious Miss Whirler had sadly cut
her out, although her waist was nearly two
feet in circumference. (Shudders.)
Mrs. Wiseman said her husband would
not let her wear stays Sensation, and cries
Of "What a wretch!'), and she would adj
wise yeung ladies to leave off lacing tightly
if they wished to get good partners. Men
loved healthy wives far better than small
waists ("Gracieus Goodness, and no
one but fool would link himself for life
with bad health, however she might pride
herself on having fine figure. ("Ques-
tion"') She would propose resolution
''That this meeting, being satisfied, from
most abeunding evidence, that tight-lacing
is injurious to happiness and health, will
do its very utmost to discourage and dis
countenance so barbarous fashion,
Here several ladies, interposing, began
all to speak at once, and hence ensued
scene of violent excitement. Many of the
fair combatants tainted from exhaustion;
and it was not until number of corsets
had been cut, that the sufferers were able
to be taken to their carriages.-PuncA.