Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1872-11-21

might be applied to dress as to other
things that there is an essential, in-
trinsic beauty or ugliness in our gar
ment's) )entirely, ,irres ,ective of fashion
in our words. that i, is one thing 10 be
well dressed, and another to be FASH
ionably dressed
'Yes.' said; but what is it to be
well dresscd?'
Il can tell you what it isn't said
Hester. 1T isn't to wear huge pro-
tuberance on your head or on your
back. which if you had been born with
it, would have been considered a shock
ing deformity. II isn't to conceal all
the lines of the human figure. or 10
maze it one mountain of trimming
when trimming should always be sub.
servient, adding grace, and defining
outlines. And then, too. it must be
something permanent. II can't be the
changing thi1g fashionable dressing is.
Art wouldn't make balloon of US this
month and a scantily-draped statue
the next; she wouldn't tilt us up on
heels that agonize our toes and pitch
us down stairs to-day, and tomorrow
set US on the ground like so many fiat
footed Indians
That would be comfort | said. If.
when dress was made, it would stay
made. and look well till it was worn
out. it would lesson half our labors.
Well. Hepsy, | believe the good
time IL coming-the time when we
shall have higher civilization, and
break the chains fashion fet,ers us
with now. Then we shall distinguish
between true beauty and deformi,v
and our milliners and dressmakers will
be drtisies, and not modistes and in
stead of Topping and stretching us all
on one iron bed. they will study adap-
tation to age, complexion, and char
acter, till We come out OF their hands
individual A. well as comfortable aud
attractive. When we think of il.
isn't 1t queer how it ever came abou,
that We let ourselves all he worried in.
to the same shaped garments. no mat
ter how different we are in size and
iisure:'
Very strange and absurd | said
and Hester went away.
Exactly at one o'clock ON Thursday
the Great Expanded arrived. She was
n good deal pufied out truly apn maue
All manner OF iun OF herself. When
Hester Graywood came in, wearing her
untrimmed gray silk, she made a low
obeisance.
Il do thee homage, thou most heroic
of womankind = she cried. Il cast
myself in the dust at thy feet. envy,
l adore thee, thou woman who darest =
Finally We got little quieted
though naturally enough our thoughts
still ran on dress.
Il am disguised with myself said
Lou Il really am. l don't want 10 be
fashionable; / couldn't afford it if
did but my tastes are all plain and
simple. | consider such an overload
ell. puiied-out concern as this not only
ridiculous but vulgar; yet here ! am
wearing 1t; and lose my seJf-rcspect
in consequence. But how could help
myself: How in the world did YOU
manage, Hester, to get sensible dress
made.'
Just BY my horrible oh stinate tenn
per- said Hester, laughing. First,
had a pitched battle with Mrs. Cutit,
and came off victorious then | ran
the gauntlet of her twenty sewing
girls. who opened all their forty eyes
in holy horror at the trying-on'.'
Il should as soon think of fighting
Hercules. said Lou. There's is no
place where am 50 thoroughly cow
ed as in drt ssmaker's rooms. | don't
dare 10 peep or mutter.'
Yes. amiable people like you rather
submit than make fuss
But they ought TO make fuss,
said Lou; it's sheer cowardice in my
case, not amiability; every lady's dress
should be an expression Of her own in
dividual taste and character but loo k
at US we are gil turned out just alike,
| like so many nineDins.'
We'll. what is to be done about it =
| | asked.
Why not form an anti-fashion So
ciety,' said Hester, and get all sensi-
! ble women 10 pledge themselves To
dress according to their own ideas OF
propriety, without regard to fashion
Union in strength and organized ef-
fort the order Of the day.
Capital = cried Lou, well draft and
sign a declaration of independence
and you, Hester shall put down your
name with great dash, John Han
cock-like.'
III make out the list ofgrievances,
said l..
Easy enough to do that said Lou
'wornout mothers, bankrupted fathers
neglected babies, disgusted husbands
Hold there.' cried. Husbands
are as fond Of dress as wives, SO fal
as my experience goes.