The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-12-27
Habits and Dress of American Woman; OF
Home Talk with Young and Old.

The intimate relations existing be-
tween dress and our habits of life, must
impress even the commOnest observer,
while to the reflective mind, they sug-
gest many topics of absorbing and vital
interest. The influence accorded to
dress ut the present day, opens up not
only subject matters of reform, but be-
comes suggestive Of many homely and
practical inventions.
Even under the pressure of all the
combined intelligence of the age, the
young mother still feels at a loss as to
the really best manner of dressing her
new born babe, so as TO secure for il
present comfort and future health.
Long before the first hour of breathing
existence, down to the last breath which
suffering humanity draws, through in
fancy middle life and old age, the fe-
male sex is martyred in a thousand in
descrbable ways, to the harness Il
,CedrS.
Truly, wOman's dress, though eXuber-
ant and flowing, plain, fanciful or ele-
CANT, still remains, from first to last,
simply and absolutely a harness, which
nearly STILES the poor body it encases.
The pulling infant striving to kick of
its various encumbrances-cov with
lnnumerable layers and folds, and
blanketed up to steaming proportions
IS only fighting out natures law of Iib-
eTty. Baby protests with scream upon
scream, against the discomforts which a
fond mother heaps upon it, and so on to
the bitter end. When babyhood finally
casts Oft its leading strings, meretricious
and false-hearted social opinions MAIN
tain powerful sway over the young and
growing girl
lncipient womanhood is befooled and
oellttled by multitude of notions up-
springing from its own fertile brain, or
gathered up rs a holocaust from the
past, to be yet further eliminated and
strengthened by tue Juggernaut of So
ciety. Even rs the poor pagan mother
/ will toss her infant into the C;ances. or
/ lay her own abused body under tho
wheels of a destroying god, so do thous.
ands of mothers at the present day sac
rifice, full as ruthlessly, the precious
burden Of humanity which Heaven en-
I trusts to their care.
Led on by q false estimate of til,
worth of eXternals, many n mother neg
lects to urge her grown up daughter
through persistent course of house
hold Observation-Disclosures in thos,
details with which she herself has beer
forced TO become familiar. Therefore
much of the valuable time which young
girls should devote under the eve anC
experience of a mother, TO preparation
for the future which awaits them, is
frittered away in the vainest of all pur-
suits. Running after the last fashion
swallowing reprehensible novelties
neglecting TO lay up those treasures OF
valuable information which the needs
of the future will demand at their
I hands.
/ Nature is gOreYned by no lar outside
/ Of her OiUR necessities. No woman can
become a wife-nO woman can become
a mother, without being constrained to
n consideration of the laws which gov
ern her being. How recreant to duty
then, does that wife and mother prove
who neglects due admOnitiOn and affec-
tionate, urgent, persuasive instruction
I to the daughters given to her charge.
"If ignorance be bliss, tits folly to be
wise''-but we have yet to learn that
/ ignorance and bliss are synonymous
/ terms, in relation to proper and intel
/ ligent recognition of the laws of God
( Sicily June IN San Jose Mercury.