The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-02-07
The Reason Women Dress and some
other Remarks about Women.

To The Editors OF the Dispatch:
The article which appeared lately in the
State Journal OH the subject of dress two.
mans dress is intimately connected with
the subject of suffrage and the employment
OF women in other than household cares.
There is not sufficient occupation in the
homestead and home.duties for all the women
in the various homes, should they even have
Il taste for the daily drudgery, and there is
nothing phys so poorly. The poet has said:
"Absence of occupation is not rest,
mind quite vacant Is q mind distressed"
Many women God made for better things
find in the constant buying, ordering, MAX
ing, and renovating Of dresses; in the sclcc-
ton and blending of shades and hues, bows
and pu1S. feathers and fnery, in the exercise
of taste and fancy, employment and amuse-
mcnt.
1.-THE mind will show in what it occupies llsclr.''
The wcll-cmploycd woman has not time
for the foIlics of dress. | do not say of
dress according to her circumstances, for
dress neat, serviceablr, and as becoming us
one is able, il a duty to ones sch and TO So
ciety, or, rather, the world one meets.
To be well dressed is to pass without special
comment. Dress is more intrinsic than cX-
triu>ic: it shows the mental character, and
too often the moral weakness. I remember
the illustration of two dandos: One, adj
miring the exquisite lie Of The other, asked
him how he made it so well; the answer
was, "Thc truth is, put my whole mind
OH it."
The time is surely coming when women, as
men, will be raised to business the daily
business of life--and find happiness in self
reliance. 1t is the curse of many wealthy
young men to he raised to no trade or pro-
te>sion. Why, oh why, should this curse be
put upon us as class-upon all women who
are not born to labor?
There was some wisdom in the man who
married his Irish servant-girl because he
could not afford to keep two wonlen-o others
have married their houSekecpers for the
game reason. Many a man feels the wife he
lovcs-and his daughters-a crushing bur-
den because society says they must not
work, and yet requires them to dress. 1t
takes great deal Of money to dress, and be
in society, even in a plain way. VIII not
our women have mercy upon our men ? All
know sad instances, in families, of the over
worked man aud the oycE-dreSsed woman.
i is very humiiating to many women to ask
for the money necessary for their personal
wants. All men who arc able are not ready
and willing to give to those dependent upon
tbcm. There is scarcely woman not
wealthy in her own right but has felt this to
hearts agony. 1t is a cruel wrong and in
Justice to educate sons to enable them to
cope with the world and to rear women in
hclplessness, knowing not what may over
take them in the journey Of life.
Education is desirable, necessary: but a
good trade, good vocation of some kind, is
our necessity. We dress because you give
lis nothing to do. The cry for employment
is earnest from women--with many it is for
life itself. 1t is shame and disgrace that
we of the South, after killing off the fathers,
leave many Of our women poyerty-stricken
and starving. A lady, highly educated and
able, left entirely destitute by the death OF
her father, tried everywhere here to find en-
ployment, even the eating-houses, but with
out success. A merchant, q friend of her
fathers, said: ~ hayc no doubt but that you
would suit me, blu. cannot employ you; it
would he an tnnordtion."
= have only touched on this subject. 1t Is
fruitful almost beyond belief. One word to
women: They arc just beginning to stand
alone. Let them fit themselves physically,
mentally, manually for business, and value
their now sclf-respcct above all earthly
things. ..Er H.. ...... i.