The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-07-31
Dressing Low.

! No woman ever dresses low from {
high motive. No lady goes to the opera
Continues the Cosmopolitan, TO balls OIL
] dinner parties with her bosom bare, fol-
i the purpose of pleasing her husband OF
! her affianeed lover. Neither does she
4 denude her breast for the qualification
of her own sex. What, then, can be
the motive for this scandalous undress-
ing in public? Let US treat this delicate
subject philosophically, vet fearlessly
We readily confess that there is nothing
so exquisitely beautiful on earth as the
form, the bust of a 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 desires to exhibit her
charms, g sacred, secret, sweet. and pre-
ciOus," to any eye but his. And yet
what do we see; or, rather, what do we
not see, in the shape of naked arms,
shoulders, backs and bosoms at every
evening gathering among what is called
''the best societv?" One is continually
reminded of the sarcasm of DR.. Frank
lin, nearly one hundred years ago, who,
when present at one Of these gatherings
of undressed English women, was asked
if he had ever seen anything like it be-
fore, blushingly replied, "'not since was
Weaned." But we need not now dwell
Oh the fact of the existence of this fash
iOnble scandal. Let US strike at the
roo of this immoral custom of low dress
ing. The motive, as we have said, is
not good one. We have heard men
who consider themselves connoisseurs at
these exhibitions of female nudity, de-
clare that 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, like to see his better half exposing
her naked bust in public. 1t is clear and |
then, that this low-necked |
fashion never was designed or followed |
for the dedication of husbands. And |
even women will always ''pick to pieces"
the most audacious addressed belle of |
the ball. Why, then, Go women indulge
IN this immodest, immoral and I'M
healthy style 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
more than envy in women and
admiration in men. And this she knows
full well when she looks at her undraped
form in the mirror in the character of
statue vivante. 1t is, in plain English,
simply the fashion and the art of seduc-
Jon. There-we have got the word out
which has long been sticking in our
throat. Decolette dresses are only fit to
be worn by wantons, who are sufficiently
honest to confess their purpose. On the
score of health the fashion cannot be too
severely denounced. How many fatal
cases of consumption have been caused
Dy too sudden exposure to the chill mid
night air, on coming out of steaming ball
rooms and opera houses, with the most
vital part of the body unprotected? On
The tombstone Of many beautiful wo-
man might be truly inscribed, death
from low-necked dresses" Turning again
10 the moral aspect of the folly, it is no
exaggeration to say that more cases of Sc
luction, elopement and domestic ruin
lave arisen from these wanton tempta-
ions than from all other social causes.
rhe apples of Eve are too tempting to
he hungry eyes of our yielding Adams.
Therefore, let all modest women remem-
'er the injunction of the poet,
6 Hide, oh! hide those hills of snow"
And also remember that fine form, we'll
md completely dressed, piques the mag
nation and excites far more intellectual
.dmiration than only halfcovered bodies,
However perfect the outlines and soft the
urface may be.-Home Journal.