Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-12-05

and binding, gathering and fastening,
passes through her fingers, to say nothing
of the contriving and fitting, and
basting and ripping. l wonder the
woman is alive. don't believe there is
sewing woman in this city harder
worked"
''But why don't the daughters help
herr"
"Those in school haven't any time
Oracle does oil she can; but, with hel
calls and callers, practicing and picnick-
ing, croqueting and coquetting, it would
be cruel to expect her to do more than
make the plainest portion Of her under
clothes.
'But it's absurd" said, "for me
chanics wife 10 60 into such extravagan
ces."
81 don't know as a mechanics wife
can be expected to be more sensible
than other women" said Hester dryly
"A reform must begin somewhere else,
| fancy"
II suppose So" ] said with a sigh;
"but the whole subject is full of Difficult
ties"
"All of which might be overcome if
women had a spark of independence,
Here is tangible evil for them to grapple
with, now they have walked up to sense
of theiI strength and capabilities
"YeH they may as well begin a reform
here, as Of the nation at the ballot box,
I said, laughing, "But how to do 1t is the
question. Is there any standard by
which dress can be judged and regulat-
cd ~
mot now" said Hester; but be
lieve the principles OF art, true art, might
be applied to dress as to other things;
that there is an essential, intrinsic beau.
ty or uglness in our garments, entirely
respective of fashion; in other words,
that it il one thing to be well dressed, and
another TO be fashionably dressed"
"Ycs," said ]; "but what Is it to be
well dressed 7"
81 can tell you what it isn't, said Hes.
ter. at isn't to wear a huge protuber-
ance on your head or your back, which,
II you had been born with ii, would have
been considered a shocking deformity. 1t
isn't to conceal all the lines of the human
figure, or to make it one mountain of
trimming, when trimming should always
be subsGrvicnt, adding grace and defining
outlines. And then, too, it must be some
thing permanent. 1t can't be the chang
ing thing 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 ago.
nize our toes, and pitch us down stairs
day, and tomorrow set us on the ground
like so many fiat footed Indians"
THAT would be a comfort" ! said
'Tf, when dress was made, 1t would
stay made, and look well till il was
worn ont, it would lessen half our la
burs"
"Well, Hepsey believe the good time
is coming--the time when we shall have
"a higher civilization, and break the chains
fashion letters US with now. Then We
shall distinguish between true beauty and
deformity; and our milliners and dress
makers will be artjSteS, and not m0djdeS,
and, instead of Topping and stretching US
all on one iron bed, they will study adap.
tation 70 age, complexion, and character,
till we come out OF their hands Individual,
rs well as comfortable and attractive.
When we think of it, isn't it strange how
it ever came about that we let ourselves
all be worried into exactly the same
shaped garments, no matter how different
we are in size and tigurey"
Every strange and absurd ! said, and
Hester went away.
Exactly at one o'clock on Thursday the
Great Expanded arrived. She was a good
deal pulled out, truly, and made all man
ncr of fun of herself. When Hester
Graywood came in, wearing her untrim-
med gray silk, she made low obcisauce,
II do The homage, thou most heroic of
womankindw she cried. al cast myself
in the dust at thy feet, | envy, | adore
thee, thou woman who darestl'
Finally we got little quieted; though,
naturally enough, our thoughts still ran
on dress
a am disguised with myself" said
Lou; II really am. | don't want to be
fashionable, | couldn't afford il if ! did;
but my tastes are all plain and simple.
consider sucb an overloaded. nutfed ont
concern as this not only ridiculous, but
vulgar; vet here | am wearing it, and |
lose my selfrespect in CONSEQUENCE. But
how could help mvselfg How in the
world did YOU manage, Hester, to get n
sensible dress made?'
"Just by NV horribly obstinate tenn.
per" said Hester laughing. "First I had
a pitched battle with Mrs, Outfit, and
came oil victorious; then ran the gauut.
ret of her twenty sewing girls, who open.
ed nl their fnr,y eves in IoIv horror ar
the irving on"
~ sbonld rs soon think eof achiny
Hercules =" said Lou, There's no nlare
where | am SO thoroughly cowed as in
drossmokrrs' rooms don, dare 10 neon
or mutter y ir
=" Yes amiohlc neonle like ya, rather