The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-11-25

| upper hklTA hnu uuueE hkNA, plbQupA anu
sacks, while baby Bellc-bles her dear little
heart LID all aaoat, too, with tiny rulles on
her tiny skirt"
"Isn't she darlingi" ! cried.
Yes, lovely, with her blue eyes and ap-
plc.blosson cheeks but wouldn't sho be
Just as pretty In plain white dress with
bit Of cdging round the neck and sleeves, II
II were tho fashion! And tho pretty Oracle
lis the charm in her, her lovely complexion
and fine expression, or in her furbclows and
tingesf"
"Iu her, Of course" said. "children
and young girls are never so pleasing as when
simply dressed"
"Certainly; and our taste Is corrupted
when wc do not see this. But there's poor
MrS, 7, thiHks II absolutely necessary to fol.
low the last fashion.platc ! 50 Bhe works like
q slave from morning till night Snd her
Sewing.maehine 10 often going I'LL after mid.
night No wonder she looks broken down,
and has neuralgia and diseased spine. She
has done the work OF two women, and Il 10
the hardest kind Of work, too. Every Inch Of
those interminable yards Of hemming and
binding, gathering and isitening, paEles
through her fingers, to say nothing Of the
eontriYins and 6tting, and bastlng and rip
ping, Iwonder the woman iBaliye Idon't
believe there Is o woman In the city harder
worked"
"But why don't the daughters help hcri"
"Those In tchool haven't any time. Oracle
does all she can; but with her calls aud callers,
practising and pic.nicing, ctoquetiing and CO.
quoting, II would be cruel 10 expect her 10
do more than make tho plainest portion Of
hnr t,t,dnr nInlhaa ~
"But It's absurd, /" 1said, ''ior mechanics
wife 10 20 into such extrayagpnss"
don't know as mechanics wife can
be expected TO be more sensible than any
other woman" said Hester dsyly. "A re-
form must begin somewhere else, / fancy
~ suppose so,J said with sigh; but
the whole subject Is full Of difficulties. p
IAN Of which might be overcome II women
gible evil for them to gnpple with, now that
they have walked up toa Scnse Of their strength
and capabilities"
aYes they may as well begin reform
here, as Of the nation at tho ballot-box," !" 1
said, laughing. "But how 10 do II 10 the
question. is there any standard by which
dress can 10 judged and regulated"
mot now, said Hester "but believe
the principles Of art, true art, might bo ap-
piled 10 dress as 10 other things /; that there
Is an essential, intrinsic beauty or ugliness In
our garments, entirely irrespective Of fashion;
In other words, that Il Is one thing 10 be well
dressed, and another to be fashionably
dressed"
"Ye.," 1sald "but what is IL to be well
dressCds"
III can tell you what It isn't said Hester.
ut isn't 10 wear a huge protubenncc on
your head or your back, which, II you had
been born with II, would have been conSids
cred shocking deformity. II isn't to con-
ccal oil the lines Of the human figure, or 10
make II ono mountain OF trimming, when
trimming should always DO subservient, add.
ing grace, and defining outlines And then,
too, II must be something permanent. Il
can't DO the changing thing fashionable
dressing is. Art wouldn't make q balloon Of
US this month, and o seantily-draped statue
the next sho wouldn't tilt US up on heels
that agoniEe our toes, aud pitch us down stairs
to-day, and tomorrow SEQ US on tho ground
like 80 many bare.iootcd Indians"
"That would be comfort" | said. "Ii,
when dress was made, II would stay made,
and look well till II was worn out, Il would
lcsscn half our labors."
"wcll, Hepsy, believe the rood time Is
comiug-tbc time when we shall have a
higher civilization, and break the chains
fashion fctters us with now. Then We shall
distinguish between truc beauty and dcforml.
ty; and our millinerS and dressmakGn will
be aHistti, and not yodiEe and, instead Of
Topping and stretching US all on one iron bed,
they will study adaptation to age, complex.
ion, and character, till We come out Of their
hands individual, as well as comfortable and
attractive. When we think Of 1t, isn't II
strange how Il ever came about that We let
ourselves all be worried into exactly the
tamc shaped garments, no matter how dit.
fetent we are 10 size and figure"
livery strange and absurd" said 7; and
Hester went away.
Exactly at one o'clock on Thursday the
Great Expanded arrived. She was q good
deal pulled out truly, and made all manner
Of fun Of herself. When Hester Graywood
came in, wearing her untrlmmed gray silk,
she made low obeisance.
az do thee homage, thou most heroio Of
womaukind |" she cried. az cast myself in
the dust at thy feet, envy, / adore thee,
thou woman who darest l''
Finally We got little quieted; though
naturally enough, our thoughts still ran on
dress. bs
~ am disguised with myself" said Lou ;
al really am. / don't want 10 be fashion.
able; couldn't afford II Il did but my
tastes are all plain and simple. Iconsider
such an overloaded, putfCd.out concern as
this not only ridiculous, but vulgar yet here
4 II an wearing II and lose my seli.respeet
In consequences. But how could help my
selil How in the world did you manage,
Hester, 10 get sensible dress made !"
IJust by my horribly obstinate temper"
said Hester, laughing. q First had o pitched
battle with Mrs. Guilt, and came of yictori.
ous then / ran The gantlet Of her twenty
Sswing.girls, whs opened all their forty eyes
In holy terror at the trying on"
~ Bhould as soon think Of lighting Her.
cules," said Lou. There's no place where
l am SO thoroughly cowcd as in dtcsSmakCrs
rooms, don't dare to peep or mutter."
Eyes ;-amiable people like you rather
submit than make a fuss"
" But they ought 10 mako q fuss" said
Loui " us sheer oowardice in my case, not
amlabillty. Every lady's dress should be On
expression Of her own individual taste and
character but look at us we arc all turned
out Just alike, like so many ninepins"
nHWell, what Is 10 DO done about its' l
asked. p o M i'fffl
4"why not form an anli.hshion society, I"
said Hester, "ahd get all sensible womef, 10
pledge themselves 10 dress according to their
own ideas Of ptopriety, without regard 10
fashion2 Union Is strength and organised
| effort the order Of the day" -
ncapltall" cried Lou-"we'll draft and
siru d declaration Of independence and you,
Hester, shall put down your name with q
great dash, John Hancock.llkc:"