The Hawaiian gazette., 1871-07-12

her onward She nov Insists that women svery-
where shall initiate her example, and emancipat-
ing themselves from skirts, array themselves in
the bifurcated bliss Of manly clothing. With this
purpose she has lectured, written and talked.
Now she comes before the public as the author
Of book. in which ber cherished hobby is urged
upon the women Of America in language vhiea j.
breathless with its eager scOru Of grammar and
vigorous with the intensity Of italics. True, she
touches slightly upon the topics Of free-Iovs and
tobacco painting the beauties Of the former and
asserting the horrors Of the latter Nevsrthe-
less. the chief burden OF Der book Is the advant-
age Of trousers. In her view. men may smoke
and women may marry. but bad as tksse vices
are there is yet hope for the world in the univer-
sal wearing Of trousers.
The author, at the very outset. places Us in =
perplexing difficulty in regard to her sex. Her
NAME would seem to Indicate her leminity,
while her dress apparently proelaiRs her to bo
man. Not content with thus assuming the char
teristies Of the two sexes, she speaks Of herself
as though she belonged to a third sex, more u6ls-
sirable than either Of the Others She says ia
her preface; " In cases where shall be severely
treated shall be eonsolsd with the thought that
the critics are earning their bread and that they
are more capable Of displaying their talents in
'unkind cuts than in calling what little Of merit
it may possess" OF course BY IL (the italics
are ours) the writer means herself Thus We are
unable to decide whether she should be called
"hs" "sbe" or lit" For the sake Of uniformity
we shall continne to speak Of her as though she
were a woman. Nevertheless. the fact that her
portrait, which is pFedxed to the book represents
her as a man, while she obviously is accustomed
to speak Of herself as "it" makes US uncertain
whether we can be fully justified in applying to
her only feminine prououns.
The connection between freelove and trousers,
by which the advocate Of the one inevitably be-
comes the eulogist of the other. may not be ap-
parent. 1t is however, fully explained by the
author Of this volume. She describes the sort Of
clothing which she wears herself and in which
she wishes to encase the fair limbs Of American
women. - The lineu." remarks Miss Tor should
we say Mrs. or Mr.. 3 Walker lis made with high
neck and loose waist, aud whole drawers. and
long sleeves with wristbands attached, thus max
ing complete undersuit in one garment.
The pants are made like mems and are either
buttoned to the waist Of the undersuit or are ar
ranged with the usual suspenders. The dress is
made to hang free Of the body the waist and skirt
of one piece like a sackcoat and falling TO the
knees" This is the garment, or rather the three
garments in which Mrs Walker insists that all
women should be clothed In this description Of
the triple arnor wherewith she makes herself
proof against the too iervid admiration Of design
ing men. we are at once to perceive the orgiG and
excuse of her advocacy Of free-loye
1t need no longer be a mystery why virtaous
women should wear trousers and advocate the
abolition Of marriage The former circumstance
IS full explanation to the latter. A fondnsss for
the advocacy Of theories which the propounder
cannot be called upon to put into practice is a
CHARACTERISTIC OF the modern reiormer. Mr.. Phil
ips proposes the hanging Of rich men because he
ees confident that rich as be is no one will think
If hanging him Mr. Greely pleads for The abo-
iton Of the franking privilege. knowing that be
IAN never be 10 position to lose any vested
light in the matter; and Mary E. Walker and
,ther trouserelad women theoretically approve
If free-love, feeling sublime confidence that
hey can under no conceivable circumstances be
Isked to put their theories into practice, The
clergyman who from the safe fortress Of the pull
,it challenges his hearers to contradict BIS asser-
non is not more safe from hostile dispulaiion than
5 Master Walker when clad in her impenstratle
nail she dares to provoke the ansse admiration
# dissolnte men. The female preacher Of fres-
owe fIlly comprehendS that her strength lies in
Ter epicene garments. Bold beyond the bravery
I man must be that being who would whisper
t love to the inhabitant Of the ~complsts UNDER
nit in one garment and the pants made ike
mems"
10 the advocacy Of free love and tFoussrs Miss
Walker has added few desullory remarks upoa
miscellaneous topics which fulfil their purpose Of
Increasing the size Of her book She is not al
rays either gentle or reasonable. Perhaps it
nay be true that women would regard the cook
tOve with fonder affection than they nov ts-
10" upou u tuey Couiu Dut ittl kuAh "ultu1
rains had been heated 70 agony over H." Still
woman whose cOok-stoEs really possessed
harm because soms unhappy nan had been
urned to death in it. does not present an nmiablo
ppearauce to most people. II may be perfectly
rue also that men would be morally improved
y ehild-beaFi3g. but it seems hopeless 10 expect
hat they will ever agail themselves Of that means
( improvement to any great extent
or Mr. Walkers style it is only necessary to
ay that she evidently fully comedies with Mr..
rant White in his conviction that the English
grammarless tongue, while unlike him. she
odly acts upon that theory. Her style also sx-
ibits traces Of the iufusncs upon Der mind Of
the immortal Tupper, ss she enthusiastically
ais that eminent poet. Her statements frequent-
have the same rugged strength and startling
riginality which we ind evsryWhers IN the pages
upper Indeed we're she 70 induce the Pro
erbial Philosopher 10 eothe himself in her cast
lrments Of feminity. the two might write both
rOse and poetry in fraternal partnership which
ould recall the mutual labors Of William and
larry Hewitt After learning Of Mrs. Walkers
limitation OF Upper 10 one vii be surprised 10
I'd that che has a very Sigh. opinion q Sc.
aul. and that --sEch martyrs - the noble Sage
ID the sainied Richardson are the objests Of her