The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1872-12-26
Ohf Ur1buuf.
THE DRESS OF CIVILIZED WO-
MEN.
From the Science of Health,

MEN.
From the Science of Health
We allude with horror to the custom
which the Chinese have Of dwarfng tn
feet of their women by q system of com
preston begun at an early age but thes
politely remind US that we compress tn,
most important part of the body III or
girls before they are done growing. BY
putting corsets on them. We recoil al
at the usage prevalent among the Fiat
head Indians of giving that peculIa,
shape to their children skulls while the
bones are yes soft. But the deformity
Is not one whit more apparent than is
the false shape of waist to which STAYS
have impaired tapering outline. The
Gripping of the feet of Chinese women is
largely matter of policy, as the people
are sworn enemies to women's rights,
and IN this manner they discourage q
tendency to gadding about Aud as to
the savages, brains not being at premi-
um among them, it does not seem of so
much Importance how they shape their
heads. But our women are preaching
up their own independence, both of body
and mind, and at the same time they
continue to wear style of dress which is
8 deadly foe to both, since disease OF the
body induces weakness OF the mind, and
it Is utterly impossiy for any human DO
dy to be perfectly healthy under artificial
eonssraint. The women of the far east,
so celebrated for their beauty of their
face and figure, know nothing of that
Whalebone armor in which feminine love-
Illness among us is bound to keep itself
panoplied. Therefore. in spite of their
close confinement to the house and gar
den the diseases which prey upon our
women are almost unknown to them.
Besides its unnatural tightness. there
10 also another defect which is peculiar
to the dress of civilized women All
garments with the exception of those
next the skin, are made to fit the upper
par. of the body exactly, and they are
made with view of being kept always
fastened when in use. 1t is the same
with the corset, the waist of the dress,
even OF the outermost garments in many
cases They are put on and fastened,
and 1t is expected that they will stay SO
till taken off. No allowance IS made fer
the varying moods of the body, much
less tor any variance in temperature.
Nothing is arranged for comfort-aIl is
for show 1t IS almost as bad as being
tut IN the stocks for day. and | think
1t Is no wonder that many women sink
under this daily ordeal before middle
age.
| do declare that I think it would be
better to die and get out of the torment
at once than to have to rise every morn
ing for some forty or fifty years and box
one body up in sort of compressive
armor, hang weights to ones hips and
more weights uron ones head-which
last are supported by the roots of the
halr-put one feet into shoes 4 number
too small, and not of the right shape,
and with heels like stills and then set
about doing the whole duty of woman
with cheerful face and spry air, for
from fifteen to seventeen mortal hours
out OF the twenty-four! That there are
90 many women who are not frightened
into adeclIne at such prospect, and
that they bravely undertake to do it
nay. more, that they even dream that
under such disadvantages they can work
side by side with unshsokled uaa, and
that they die In trying to do it, certainly
says much for their courage, but very
little Tor their common sense.
. A mans dress to a great extent is
fashioned for comfort He has contri
clothing from the shoulders. Ifthe east
wind blows he can turn up his coat collar,
button himself up snugly, SLOUGH his hat
over his eyes. thrust his hands into his
pockets and brave the weather. But
imagine woman removing her hat or
bonnet from the angle at which fashion
says she must wear it ON account of the
weather. or turning any of her fixtures
up to protect her neck and throat, or
buttonlnG up anything that was unbut-
toned before, or sticking her hands into
her pockets She would be taken for an
Improper character. out on q mild spree,
or tor the escaped inmate of lunatic
asylum. should she endeavor by any i'm
promptu arrangement of her habiliments
20 save her health.
Then again, if a man is too warm, he
unbuttons his coat Or his vest to cool him
self. He may even leave off his vest and
neck-tle, and with open collar lounge
about the house in slippers, but a wo-
mans dress is so fashioned that if she
suelters, it is still not allowable to loosen
anything for the free passage of air, and
she would as soon think of blowing Ga
briel's trumpet as OF sacrificing appear
ance to comfort. The idea of her trying
to carry double, just now, under such
circumstances is perfectly preposterous.
She is in frenzy to reform the world.
Very well. let her try her hand on her
own dress first. When she has that
little more in accordance with hygienic
principles, it will be time to look further.
But just imagine Mrs Featherwell, re-
Gently elected to the United States senate
having fit of Mysteries in the senate
chamber. when another honorable mem
Der calls her by an complimentary
name Imagine Miss Flummery, popu-
lar advocate, falling down in dead fs!ns
in the heat ola alteration between her
self and the opposing counsel, when she
ia pleading her first case But you might
as we'll try to make oil and water mingle
as to separate Mysteries and fainting fits
from the present style of woman's dress
among US. HOWARD GLYNDON.
The inspired Singer.