National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-01-16
LILLIAN EDGARTON.


tendance upon MI Lillian Eigartons lecture, II
Inc most careful tnousht she ' ala, w was p SS
Of the history Of the external expression Of fash
ion In sll ages that she should speak, but of the
served as Introduction to Ne numerous fashions.
A clear conception Of the yaRaries Of shape that
fashion has assumed would require an exhibition
structure covering Central Park. We are more
concerned with the productive agencies than
the forms II has taken.
MOTHER EVE.
on, mother Eve had you anticipated what
hablments your sex would wear You would
have matycled with wonder unspeakable. But
she had her advantages. She was the founder,
not the follower, OF fashion. She could never he
told how her mothcr-in-law could cook. She
never gave q cold dinner on washing DAYS.
Adams Judgment was not Influenced concerning
his wife by dlsraaging recollections. Blessed
state Of existence Give us happy medium
between the fg-leave period and the Dolly Var
mon sense Of very ancient times and the unrea-
sOnable and exactlng laws OF civilization.
ORIGIN OF DHEss.
The origin OF dress N found In the love OF the
ornamental. The history Of savage tribes proves
that the longing for personal decoration has
always preceded the wish for personal comfort,
Dress was instituted for display and not for
warmth or health. Vanity frst clothed our race.
Among many OF the lower tribes men mOnopo-
lize the ornaments. Az sayages who leave much
Of the skin uncovered delight In the use Of paint
The Australians Of Botany Ray are prominent
Instances Of the fact. The principle In the
savage and the civilized Is the sanie--loye Of
ornament,
4 brazilian beauty was described and the Fe-
latah ladies Of Central Africa came In for lie
scrptlon; and fumboldt, she continued, tells Us
to purchase PIGMENT, and that woman who
would not hesitate to leave her hut without u
fragment Of clothing would feel dlsgraced u I'M
painted. Many seton Of fashion would not COM
whitewashcd.
IObhpRk ~ Ia aluiOat uniNQTaai thu lnVTaF
races Of men," Concerning tAttOong, Miss Ed
carton quoted much from accepted history. The
the same weakness that characterlzes the lowest
THk DTSGMcs or DRESS.
Men and women are alike under Its sway. She
did not rail Of fashion because Il was fashionable
to DO so. Eccentric people have often affected
| to despise style. DR.. johnson was sloyen In
dress; Byron, in his youth, great dandy. Goethe
could never write until splendldly attlred. In
these cases dress was power.
The human animal Ia the only one which Is he
reft OF clothing, and the only one which can
clothe itseif. The beauty Of costume should
| never be at the sacrifice Of health or comfort or
economy. Yet we are all aristOcrais by nature.
equality we shrink from. We surpass our neigh
bors In style as soon a. possible. The power OF
fashion ia great because II II promoted by the
| sOrlld motives Of the creatures Of II.
NOTHING NEW UNDER THR sen.
Fashions new to-day were worn years ago, hut
| on each temperance they get new name.
MISS mere ftflitu the uesfflp-
| ton OF Dolly Warden In "Barnahy Rudge."
| Hoops were formerly as much a subject Of ridl-
cule as Dolly Narlens were short time ago.
Crinoline was fashionable In Egypt 5000 years
ago. It was used by Queen Bess. 1t has held
powerful sway In this country.
| CHARITY.
There Ia one Instance In which II Il fashionable
| to devote ornament to a practical use. The
charity bail All honor to It! The giving Of
| dresses TO the poor. Charity covers multitude
| OF sins. This spirit Of hcnevoence, not confined
| 10 the merely fashionable world. AfIDnla Ofupus
| OF the dawnlng Of humanitarian era. She
| should never forget the feeling that prevailed
when the news 81 George PcabOdy's death was
! announced. His position was won by that sweet
| charity which we are taught II the very soul Of
| goodness. In this rank are Glasse,l stephen u.
| Glrard aud Peter Cooper. (And here Miss Ed.
Carton might have added W. W. Corcoran.)
While one set Of rich men are striving to elevate
| and benent their less favored fellow beings,
another class Ia engaged In GRINDING them TO
| powder.
| WORKING Girls
The class Of sufferers alluded to are mostly en-
| gagged In the manufacture Of the vestureA Of
| fashion for men aud women, the poor working
| girls.
The icy philosopher who looks dlsdalnfully
| upon q worn aud decrepid woman little con-
siders how her fate has been a struggle for the
merest existence, aud how her tedious years
| have been rendered frutless by the cupldity Of
| employers. The working women ask not char
acter 10y Justice. They do not implore luxury
and dleness or aims. They demand fairness.
now THEY LIVE.
Often In squald quarters whole families huh-
die together and die there by inches. Their SUI
ferngs are so great aud the sufferers so numer-
| Gus that social philosophers seem to he baned
In applying the remedy. The remedy Il simple,
hut the machinery for social ameiioratiOn so
feeble rs to make the remedy dlfilcult OF appli-
cation.
! Give the women the wages they do AMI can
earn. II capitalists cannot be stimulated to
erect houses where these tOilers can obtain for
moderate sum apartments Of comfortable size
lam NHaF..aR aNW NaaaHH
sanitary measure, Insist on landlords not rent
ing quarters where cleanliness and health can
not he secured. II this precautlon is not ade-
quate, why should not corporations build such
structures out Of the city treasures an appro-
prAtIOn quite as wise and beneficial as alder
manic dinners and the Identification Of parks.
| hons BR DECENT;
take no advantage Of her humble birth. Oh,
man! To tempt her feet astray; to lead her where
sharpest thOrns do grow, though hid by flowers
oh! tempt her not AS you do dread the threatened
curse Of Heaven. DO you never dread the wrath
OF Him whO when on earth, declared the lahOrers
worthy Of their hire7
DOMRsTlCS.
The class usually employed as dOmestCH are
daughters Of a foreign soil. our American girls
shun the domestic service. ShOp-wOrk is more
TO their taste with the results OF poor pay to he
cried about In gnrrets over crust Of bread rather
than engage In domestic work, where good pay Il
offered and hunger and want unknown.
| rue EsTHETICs or DRESS.
The laws Of beauty OF form or expression have
been applied mainly to working out the details
OF the form and not the general effect, or rarely
so. Fashion being prompted by desire forchanRe,
novelty Is its chief RECOMMENDATION. Fashion
eXemplines the caprices and freaks of taste
not its cnrrec n as. Fashion might he defined IA
the latest cariCaturc OF dress.
Miss ElgartOn here gave sketch OF fashion
items In the twentieth century. A Top IL one
who makes fashion his Idol. Beauty has many
representative; Physical beauty ha, its laws,
hnd elegance OF mind. The love OF romance ex-
erts wOndrous influence In beauty.
THE VOICE OF IOvE.
The COuntenanCe and carriage Of woman un-
dergOes great change when the voice OF love ia
heard. Under this influence ugliness may have
attractions. The advent Of love commences the
history Of NOman-the initial page Of u sweet
life. Honorable love improves the heart
NATIONAL TYPES.
There are ns iOnal types OF beauty, hut such Ia
the blindness II fashion that these are often
always folly. Some American ladies draw
down the hair over the forehead TO copy the
Grecian style. This form carries Us back 70 the
time when the sensuOnS triumphed over the In
teectual. The American woman has strong
individuality, aud 10 her own disadvantage she
Initiates the Greek.
Walkers dress, and told why II could not sue
coed.
TENDER SUBJECT.
She was no direct OppOscr Of wOmanH rights
In the true sense Of that term. She saw much
Of good and fairness In the movement. We
shall have true reform when emancipated from
self reliance that belongs to selfrespect and self
appreciation. Everywhere now extravaganza
rules the hour. Pleasure sits on her elevated
throne In radiant splendor. White, the garb OF
purity, passes for nothing.
4 COSuNDRuM.
What, oh married woman, were your dreams
Of marriage when you were q malden2 To
make your home a paradse TO love and he
loved, and cherish your husband. What Is the
end and ain Of your existence now? To vie
with Mrs. GTundy.
CONCLUSION.
Magnificent as may he mans career wOman's
Is grinder. There IA no beauty so enhancing ~
u well ordered wOmans life, nor Ii anything more
glorious or far-reaching In influence; for against
the ephemeral philosophers OF the day and the
sneers Of some misguided men and women she
reiterated with pride the eternal truth that she
who rocks the cradle rules the world.
Funernl.
The funeral Of Carroll winsow, one Of oul
young aud most respected merchants took place
| Yesterday aftpFnOOn from hia falhpFR FpgIlpnrn