Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-08-24

No woman ever dresses low from high
motive. No lady goes to the opera (says
the Cosmopolitan, to balls nor dinner par
ties with her bosom bare, for the purpose
of pleasing her husband or her afianced
lover. Neither does she d9nude her breast
\, for the qualification of her own sex. What,
then, can be the motive for this scsndalous
undressing in public? Let US treat this
delicate subject philosophicaAy, yet fearless
ly. We readily confess that there is moth
ing so exquisiteiy beautiful On earth as the
form, the bust of beautiful woman. And
for this very reason it should not be exposed
to the wanton gaze of vulgar eyes. No
woman who truly loves her husband ever
dresses to exhibit her charms "sacred, Sc
cret, sweet and precious" to any eye but
his. And yet what do we see, or, rather,
what co we not see, in the shape OF naked
arms, shoulders, backs and bosoms at every
evening gathering among what is called "the
best society,"" One is continually reminded
of the sarcasm of DR.. Franklin, nearly one
hundr, years ago, who when present at
one of these gatherings OF addressed Eng
lish women, was asked if be had ever seen
ANYTHING like it before, blushingiy replied,
'snot since he was weaned." But we need
not now dwell on the fact of the existence
at the root of this immoral custom of slow
dTessing.'' The motive, as we have said, is
not a good one. We have heard men who
consider themselves connoisseurs at these
exhibitions of female nudity declare thtt
they "like to see it, but would not like to see
their own wives half naked in public" No
man who properly prizes and appreciates his
wife ever did, or ever will, liRe TO see his
better half exposing her naked bust in pub
lie. 1t is clear and conclusive then, that
this low -necked fashion never was designed
or followed for the delectatiCn of husbands.
And even women win always "pick to
pieces" the most audscious un-dressed belle
of the bail. Why, then, do women indulge
in this immoSeSt, immoral and unhealthy
s,yle of dress? One is afraid to press the
QUESTION to an honest, logical solution. The
true answer is derogatory TO woman. She
bares her bust to excite something more
than envy in woman and admiration 10 men.
And this she knows full well when she looks
at her undraped form in the mirror in the
character of statue viyante. II is, in plain
Euslish, simply the fashion and the art of
seduction. There-we have got the word
ons which has long been sticking Ia our
throat, Decoletle dresses are only fit to
be worn by wantons, who ara sufficiently
honest 10 confess their purpose. On the
score Of health the fashion cannot be too
severely denounced. How many fatal
cases of consumption have been caused by
sudden exposure TO the chill midnight air,
on coming out of steaIning bsll rooms and
opera houses, With the most vital part OF the
body unprotected On the tombstone of
many beautiful woman might be truly
inscribed, Death from low-necked dresses
Turning sgsin to the moral aspect of the
folly, it is no exaggeration to say that more
cases of seduction, elopement and domestic
ruin hsve arisen from these wanton temp
tatiops than from all other social causes.
The apg les of Eve are too tempting to the
hungry el es Of orr yielding Adams. There
fore. let all modest women remember the
injunc ion of the poet ,E. ..
"Hide, OIL hide those bills of snow"
And also remember that 3 fee form, wei
and completely dressed, z qEes Tie iiE%si.l-
atior. and excltes tar moe intellectual Ad-
miratioa than only half-covered bodies, how
ever perfect the outlines and soft the surface
max ba.-H0me Journal.