The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1873-07-29

In her, of course said. Children
and young girls are never so pleasing as
when simply dressed
Certainly and our taste is corrupted
when we do not see this. But there's
poor Mrs. T. thinks its absolutely neces-
sary to follow the last fashion plate SO
she works like slave from morning till
night, and her sewing machine is often
going till after midnight. No wonder she
looks broken down, and has neuralgia and
diseased spine.
But why don't her daughters help
her,.
Those in school haven't any time
Oracle does all she can, but with her calls
and callers, practicing aud picnicking,
croquetting and coquetting, it would be
cruel to expect her to do more than make
the plainest portion of her nnderclothes. ;
But it's absurd said, for a me-
chanic's wife to go into such extrava-
gances.
L don't know as a mechanics wife
can be expected to be more sensible than
other women, said Hester dryly. "A
reform must begin somewhere else, l fam
cy.'
L suppose so,' said with a sigh !;
but the whole subject is full of difficult
ties
'All of which might be overcome if
women had spark Of independence.
Here is tangible subject for them to
grapple with, now they have walked up
to sense of their strength and capaDili-
ties
Yes, they may as we'll begin a re.
form here, as of the nation at the ballot
box said, laughing. But how to do
it is the question. Is there any stand
ard by which dress can be judged and
regulated p
Not now,' said Hester, but believe
the principles of art, true art, might be
applied to dress us TO other things; that
there is an essential, intrinsic beauty or
ugliness in our garments, entirely ire
spective Of fashion; in other words, that
it is one thing to be we'll dressed, and
another to be fashionably dressed
Yes | said, but what is it to be
well dressed =
Il can tell you what it isn't, said Hes
ter 1t isn't to wear a huge protuber-
ance on your head or your back, which,
if you had been born with it, would have
been considered shocking deformity
1t isn't to conceal all the lines Of the hu.
man figure, or to make it one mountain
of trimming, when trimming should al.
ways be subservient, adding grace, and
defining outlines. And then, too, it must
be something permanent. 1t can't be the
changing thing fashionable dressing is
Art wouldn't make balloon Of us this
month, and scantily.draped statue the
next she wouldn't tilt US up on heels
that agouizc our toes, and pitch us down
stairs to-day, and tomorrow set us on the
ground like SO many Aat.footed Indians
That would be comfort | said. If
when a dress was made, it would stay
made, and look well till it was worn out
it would lessen half our labors.'
We'll, Hepsy, believe :he good time
is coming,-the time when we shall have
a higher civilization and break the chains
fashion fctter US with now Then we
shall distinguish between true beauty and
; deiormity, and our miliners and dress
makers will be drtiStes and not modistes
and, instead of Topping and stretching Us
all one iron bed they will study adapta.
tion to age. complexion to character, till
, We come out of their hands individual a:
we'll as comfortable and attractive. When
we think of it, isn't it strange how it ev
er came about that we let ourselves al
!; be worried into exactly the same shaped
garments, no matter how different we are
in size and igure?'
, Very strange and absurd said and
! Hester went away
) Exactly at one o'clock Thursday the
, Great Expanded arrived. She was 0
good deal putfed out, truly, and made al
manper of fun Of herself. When Hester
, Graywood came in, wearing her untrim
med gray silk, she made low obeisancc
, Il do thee homage. then, most heroic o.
, womankind I! she cried. Il cast myself
, in the dust at thy feet !: l envy, adore
thee. thou woman who darost! !!
| Finally we got little quieted, though
naturally enough our thoughts still rar
, on dress,
Il am disgusted with myself said Lou
Il really am. don't want to be fashion
able; | couldn't afford it if l did; bu
, my tastes are all plain and simple.
, consider such an overloaded, putfed ou
= concern as this not only ridiculous bu
: vulgar yet here | am wearing it ant
a | lose mg self-respect in consequence
But how could l help myself? How il
= the world did you manage, Hester, to &c
a sensible dress made p
= Just by my horribly obstinate tenn
t per- said Hester, laughing. First | haC
e pitched battle with Mrs. Cuttit, ant
f came off victorious then l ran tn,
gauntlet of her twenty sewing girls, witt
e opened all their forty eyes in holy hor
:, ror at the trying on
'. Il should as soon think Of fighting Her
e cules,' said Lou. There's no place wher
r | am so thoroughly cowed as in dress
o makers rooms. | don't dare to peep o
p mutter'
I Yes; amiable people like you rathe
: submit than make fuss
;. But they oughtn't to make fuss
d said Lou. IT'S sheer cowardice in m
y place, not amiability. Every lady
!. dress should be an expression of he
own individual taste and character bu
e look at US l.! We are all turned out JUS
n alike, like SO many nine-pins.'
g We'll, what is to be done about it 2
asked.
] why not form an anti-fashion society
said Hester, 'and get all sensible wome
# to pledge themselves to dress accordin
/, to their own ideas of propriety, withou
IS regard to fashion Union is strength
h and organized effort the order of the day
II Capital = cried Lou; wen draft an
=. l.. =