The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-11-24

deavor to shape national issues in the inter
ests of narrow ideas and for the sake of
ephemeral triumphs.
-
Woman is by nature a reformer. If she
can find no wider sphere for her operations
she will reform the rooms of her dwelling
by shifting the furniture around from side
to side. The good man comes home from
work or Office and finds himself bewildered
in his own bed ROOM. Every piece of fur
niture has assumed a new position, and all
the relations are changed. This is reform,
and it goes round the room until in the
course of unavoidable changes there comes
a final reform which nlaees everything i'm
the original position, yet the last move
was also a reform. 1t is not necessary to
enumerate the fields social, moral and in
dustrisl in which the adventurous spirit of
woman has led the pioneers of improvement
within the last quarter century. They are
numerous enough. Whatever may be said
of some of them and of the methods
| adopted to reach the ends desired, the last
one, that of dress reform, is certainly
a legitimate direction to which
4 WOuudn may ulkcCb DA cbuQlcS
and exertions. 1t is said that the first def
mite impulse given to the movement, which,
of course, has its origin in New England,
and still more of course, in Massachusetts,
and most certainly, in Boston, was by an
/ address upon the subject by Miss Elizabeth
/ Stuart Phelps, read before the New England
| Woman's Club. That cub was never en-
| gagged in better business than listening to
the m Briefly, that impulse led to a Sc
ries of lectures on the subject
by men and women eminent in
the medical profession, which will very
soon be- published together in a book. The
engagement of this topic by the Woman's
| Club drew upon them such an avalanche of
i~nterrogatory correspondence as forced them
to open an official headquarters, located at
No. Is Winter street. From clerical work
they have now enlarged their scope to that
of manufacturing some classes of the new
fashioned garments which have been devised
| as improvements essential to health and
| prolonged life of women. Three sewing ma
| chimes are kept in constant employment
to supply the demand for samples only. In
their rooms also there are kept on exhibition
| for the benefit of the public specimens of
the garments, which so far pertain only to
underwear, such as have been recon-
mended. The principal point of attack in
the prevailing costume is against corsets.
In this the reformers nave shown good war
strategy by assailing one point at a time,
and thus concentrating power. 1t is no
part of the design of his article to
discuss the style of woman's dress
Let them do that among themselves who
know the most about what they want. But
it is a good omen that to this important
matter, concerning which many acknowl-
| edged abuses exist, the serious and scientific
thought ofgood minds is to be applied in a
practical way. The various and always
varying style of woman's dress are not pro-
duced without thought by any means. But
it is the study and ingenuity of the dress
artists, the fashion leaders, which is
applied to the subject. Their study is d.
rected not so much to utility as to beauty.
Their external appearance rather than COM
fort, convenience and health engages their
genius and skill. So that while marvels of
grace and beauty are continually invented.
out IitJl6 ATTENTION Is pdlu 10 anything ciso'
No doubt the women. well understand
that if they are to make their
reform go, they must not attempt to impair
the ornamental element of dress. Within
consistent limits the adornment of woman's
natural beauty by the embellishments Of
graceful dress and artistic devices is as
legitimate as to have regard to the safety
of life. Reform should not mean and does
not mean an invasion of the right of wo man
to render herself beautiful by her
costume as the Creator has made her in face
and form. But the two things can doubt
less be made to consist, the safety of health
and long life and also the graces and charms
of artistic ornament. Such a study is noble,
it is wise, and called for. That this view is
held in common by an enlightened society
is proved by the spontaneous enthusiasm
with which the new dress reform is re-
cei-ed.
Or. Santiago Smith, commissioner of agri-
culture and internal improvements for ths
state of Coahuila, Mexico, is in st. Louis