The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-12-12

&pptS-Oi1oSOil CuCckS1 out wouldn't elc
be just rs pretty III plain white dress
with bit of edging round the neck and
sleeves, If it weie tue fashion /? And the
pretty Gracie-is the charm in her, her
lovely complexion and fine expression, or
In her furbelows and tringes?"
"In her, of course" said. "Children
and young ladies are never so pleasing as
when simply pressed"
Certainly, and our taste is corrupted
when we do not see this. But there s
poor T. thinks it's absolutely necessary to
follow the last fashion plate; she works
ike slave from morning till night, and
her sewing-mschine is often going till
after midnight. No wonder she look .
broken-down, and has neuralgia and .
diseased spine. She has done the work
of two women, and it is the hardest kind
o work too. Every inch of all these in
terminable yards of hemming and bind
ing, gathering and fastening, passes
through her fingers, TO say nothing of the
contriving and fitting, and bastino and
ripping. / wonder the woman is alive.
don't believe there 10 sew:nQ-woman
IN this city harder worked"
but why don't the daughters help her?"
Those in school haven't any time.
Oracle does all she can; but with her calls
and callers, practising and picnlckin0,
crnqueting and epqueting, 1t would be
cruel to expect her t. do more than maxi
the plalnest portion of her under clothes"
But it's absurd said, "for me-
chanic's wife to go into such extravagan-
cea."
II don't know as q mechanics wife can
be expected to be more sensible than
osher women" said Hester drvly. ga re-
form must begin somewhere else, fancy"
II suppose 3d." l said with sigh; "but
the whole subject is full Of difficulties"
"All of which might be overcome if
women had spark of independence.
Here is tangible evil for them to grappls
with, now they have walked up to sense
OF their strength and capabilities"
Yes; they may as we'll begin reform
said laughing. "But how to do it is th4
question. Is there any standard; 10y which
dress can be judged aud regulated ?"
Not now" said Hester; but I be-
Iiove the princiI les of art, true art, might
heapplied to- dress as to other things;
that there is an essential, intr nsic beauty
"r' ugliness in our garments, entirely ir-
respective of fashion; in other words, that
it is one thing TO be veil dressed, and
another to be fashionably dressed"
Eyes" said; "but what il it to be we'll
d ressed!" "o
IL can tell you what it isn't said Hes
ter 1t isn't to wear . huge protuber-
ance on your head or your back, which,
ii you had been born with it. would have
been considered a shocking deform ty. It
isu't to conceal all the lines of the human
figure, or TO make it one mountain of
trimming, when trimming should always
tie subscryieut, adding grace and defining
outlines. And then, too, it must be some
hing permanent 1t cant be the chang
ing thing fashionable dressing is. Art
wouldn't make ia loon of US this month,
aGd anti!y-draped statue the next;
she wouldn't tilt US up on heels that ago
re our toes, and pitch US down stairs to-
day, and to-mnrrow set us on the ground
like 30 many fat.footsd Indians"
THAT would be comfort" aid. eff,
when dress WIS made it would stay
m~de, and look we'll till it was worn out,
1t would lessen half our lab RS.
"Weil, Hepsy, believe tho good Tins
is coming-the time when We shall have
higher civilization, and break the chains
tAshiop testers US with now. Tneu We
shall distinguish between true beauty and
deformIty; and our milliners and dress-
makers will be dTtistes aud not nbodistes'
and, instead of Topping aud stretching Us
all on one iron bed, they will study aiap-
tatiOn to &c, complexion and character.
til We come out of their hands individual.
rs we'll as comfortable and attractive.
Whan we think of it, isn't it strange how
it ever came about that we let ourselves
all be. worried into exactly tho same
shaped garments. no matter how different
we are in size and fgure?"
Very strange and absurd" I said; and
Hester went away.
Exactly at one o'clock on Thursday the
great expanded arrived. She was good
deal pulled out truly, aud made all man
ner of iun of herself. When Hester GRAY
wood came in, wearing her untrimmed
gray silk, she made a low obeisance.
II do thee homage, thou most heroic of
wOmankind!" she cried II cast myself
in the dusa at thy feet; I envy, I adore
thee, thou woman who daresCw
Finally we got little quieted; though,
naturally enough, our thoughts still ran
on Dress
II am Disguised with myself" said Lou;
81 really am. l dom want to be fashion,
able; couldn't afford it if did; but nv
tastes are all plain and simple. L CON
slider such an overloaded, puffed-out con
Germ as this not only ridiculous, but vul-
gar; yet here am wearing it: and lose nv
seltre-pect In consequence. But how
could help myself! How in the world
did you manage, Hester to get sensible
dress made!"
"Just by my horribly obstinate temper"