The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-08-06


nous dimensions holding out her spIeu-
did brocsde. Ii fact, the heavy skirt
at Once suggested tie hoop and necessi-
tatod it, for it was so heavy as to IA
tigue the wearer and the hoop IS al
ways a great relief.
It was reserved for the Emperor
Joseph II, of Austria iwho did not fore
see that his royal successor, the present
Empress, would have a waist of sixteen
inchee1 20 Issue an edist against the cor
set. Undoubtedly tight lscing had be-
come q very serious matter, and the
health Of the people was suffs ring. He
threatened all damsels with excommuni-
cation Il they persisted IN wearing the
corset. Physicians, popes, and bishops
deelaimed against it, and nunneries and
other places where young women were
educated were put under the surveil-
lance OF the police of the period, until
every woman was fOrced-absolutely
forccd--tO lace tighter than ever, and
put her wits to work 10 battle king,
kaiser, emperor, pope, and bishop. No
doubt, however, that this crusade did
soms good. It may have released some
poor girl from her corset prison who
was dying of spine disease or heart dis
ease, but, like all crusades OF the kind
ngainst the personal liberty of the sub
iect, it was not conducive of lasting
good.
Old Catherine de Medici, however,
invented a corset warranted to reduce
the waist to thirteen inches, which may
fairly be appended as a characteristic
cruelty to the history of the authoress
of st. Bartholomew Day. This was q
steel plate, with holes cut in to give it
lightness, closed with immovable hasps.
This was almost a suit of armor, and
made the Nvearer look "as il imprisoned
in a closely fitting fortress. Over this
terrible invention the silk basque or
jacket fitted without d wrinkle. Cath
crime could forgive q great deal to the
ladies Of her court, but she could not
forgive them a thick waist or an i'll.
fitting dress. She laced her daughters
and her sons, this horrible old Cathe-
rine, until they said of her sons that
they were like their mother in slender
ness Of figure, ''only lacking her will
and understanding.
Elizabeth of England was not slow to
follow the fashions of her royal sister.
Who does not remember royal Bess,
stiff as poker, in her "ruf and far
dingale ?" The pictures which she
carefully caused to be painted of her
self, each and every one made her look
uglier than the last. What tribute il
is to the feminine tact and taste of Mary
Queen Of Scots, that she, educated az
the court OF CRtharine de Medici and
living near that of Elizabeth, so mod
flied and ameliorated the excesses of
the times that she presents, at this mo-
ment, the most beautiful study of fe-
male costume that the world has ever
seen I
An English physician, writing in 1910,
says that it was no uncommon sight to
see " a mother lay her daughter down
on the carpet, and, placing her foot on
her back, break half q dozen laces in
Tightening her stays T.
The corset was made moro stiff than
ever, back-boards and steel bars we're
used to correct STOPPING shoulders, and
a waist must only be a s'span." A
young lady IL tightly laced steel oorsets,
with board at the back, and her feet
In stocks, as the learned Mary SOmer-
vile describes herself at sixtssn, must
have presented pitiable figure to the
sympathetic gazer.
Undoubtedly there viii always be
foolish mothers who make their daugh-
ters sleep in their corsets, and many
foolish women who win always draw
their laces too tight, but the golden
mean remains-a figure well but not
too stiffiy supported, waist slender,
round, but not too small for the adja-
cent figure, is the grand desideratum
of female beauty.
Nothing is SO upbecoming as a too
tight garment. A shoe which is too
small spoils a pretty foot; a glove
which squeezes the hand ruins the
effect and n waist iniudiciously COM
pressed ruins the figure and the face,
The blood is forced into the hands and
arms the figure is pressed out Of pro-
portion and the whole effect is singu-
larry unpleasant. A large woman in
France, where women have a taste for
the becoming in dress conferred upon
them by Providence, wears ample dra-
peries, loosely fitting garments, and q
corset which does her tho best possible
service, for It makes her look and feel
at her ease-nO labored breathing, no
unnatural redness, no fear OF suffoea-
tion she Is simply a large, beautiful
object, instead Of pillow tied in the
middle, with q general air of asphyxin.