Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-03-18

ascend Mount Washington, the one in
porte-a-cbnise carried by four men, and the
other on foot, would the former be justified
in condemning the latter because she COM
planned of the WEAKNESS and hindrance |
that the false burdens of fashion entailed
upon her?
Even though some of us have attained
to an outfit that in the main is very well
suited to our needs, and also the majority |
of our friends may have Il like happy ex-
perience still we must never cease to feel
for those who remain in the bondage of
imperfect dress-their names are legion,
and nowhere found 50 universal and nu-
merous rs in America in whose very at
mosphere there seems an epidemic rage
for snowy exterior, reg trdess of fitness
of time. place or circumstance. There are
few lines of dress demarcation here to dis
tinguish mistress from maid, and while
the one enjoys large share of favor, based
it may be wholly upon externals, is 1t any
wonder that the other apes her, even
though it be II hard-earned folly? When
[ asked recently young woman who
earns eight dollars per week and pays
seven dollars for her board and washing,
what she thought would be the most effec
tive way to help working girls into more
/ practical, hcalthful and economical meth
OILS of dress. her reply was, Induce
women of wealth and position to adopt
only in the changes of style those things
/ that are comfortable and sensible, and we
shall follow rs they lead"
/ None can deny that the moral side of
/ this question is a momentous one. If
health and help ever reach us it must come
/ from above downward. Women in high
! places, those upon whom are laid the
weiehty responsibilities of position, wealth
and intelligence, need but the strength of
resolve and the force of action to stay this
tide of extravaganza and this frivolouSly
increasing physical degeneracy that over
dress is largely responsible for We
scarcely fail in our daily peregrinations to
notice the Difference paid to fine clothes.
The plainly dressed, Woodworking woman
enters Il horse car, laden perhaps with
bundles, and stands; while the woman
whose garments are modelled after the
latest fashion plate. whose jewels are
adapted to show off to the most glarlng
advantage, is very sure to arouse the latent
gallantrv in some male heart, which Sc
cures her ready seat He may find that
good clothes and good breeding are not
counterparts, for his courtesy may not
receive the simple acknowledgement of
" hank you, Slr
Men are excellent thcorizers upon the
absurdities of dress, but when practical
application of their theories is made by
their wives, daughters and sisters, few
ar, found brave enough to stand by and
encourage them to wear only such gar
ment, rs are conducive to health and com
fort | wondered then, as | have ever
since. how many among those who looked
Of l,n Il of he
season. and who listened to her painful
cough. which at times interrupted her high
est and sweetest nOteS-l wondered, | say.
who felt the blood course through his
veins with Indignation ut the un iust and
perverted demands of custom, that COM
PEELED her to trail is a graceful appendage
wards of soiled satin, that made every
movement that should have been one of
freedom and grace a labored and affected
one While her uncovered body was thus
exposed to the prurient eyes OF the world,
to the risk of health and life. her stalwart
s,.t,,rntul, ,,In,,-u III would havo Civor, q,
greater girth than her painfully pinched
waist, was dressed in velvet garments,
and over all was thrown a loose, warm
cloak. The next day the papers announced
that the prima donna was unable to appear
from Illness. Had she died, it would have
no doubt called forth warnings and pa
thetc sentiments upon the physical frailty
of woman.
The lecturer then stated why uniformity
of temperature WAS desirable. If we de
sired to keep the plants in our greenhouse
most distant from the furnace from freez-
inc, We should not hope to accomplish il
by Wrapping about the center from whence
r;ldiated their warmth. multtudinOus lay
,tl,.,t 4,
with our own bodies; anything ranging
from six to ten thicknesses is found, as a
rule and not rs an exception. to inclose the
thoracic region, while the lower eXtremi-
ties are covered more frequently than
otherwise with bat one thickness. and that
cotton. All effort under such circumstances
t. obtain proper warmth is made by
. adding an extra supply of skirts, which
contribute much more t. the pressure
about the waist. and to the weight upon
the hips and To the undue heat to the kid
. news and abdominal organs, than to the
warmth of the lower eXtremities, where
it is most neede I. because there the circu-
lation is less active and the parts are eX-
: posed to IN under current of cold air. Let
one step from Il temperature of perhaps
seventy degrees within doors TO zero with.
, ont. and stand on the street corner five
: minutes for Il car. while the wind initiates
her flowing skirts till they become con
verted into Il balloon: the wini whizzes
through them and beneath them, and 4
wave of cold envelOps the entire lower
portion of the body; then let her ride IN
hour in n horse car, and wet with drabblet
, skirts. exposed to continual draft, chille(
= through how can it be otherwise than tha
severe cold will follow as a penalty o
r. such exposure?
: The vigor of manhood in Austria il
: squandered in military service, and thi
throws much manuel labor upon women
! You will see in the early morning a ranl
" and file of two hundred men and womer
intersperscd awaiting the roll call tha
= shall apportion to each his or her labor fol
;, the day. Side by side with the men. wo
- men lay railroad iron, dig sewers. anC
y carry on their heads and shoulders brick
! and mortar up ladders for the laying o
II walls Their dress, in length, at least, i
=. well adapted to the work assigned them
; it reaches but little below the knee, an,
', is there usually met by long boots. Yol
! see at a glance that the broad peasan
- waist has never been curbed into corsets
- and YOU rejoice in the belief that they ar
y free from the inward distortions that bon
~ and steel are known to work. A fearful
- accident occurred in Vienna while l wa
#, in the hospitals; brick block of house
Il fell, killing and mangling fifteen women
~ who were employed in building them
T Now, thought, us entered the PATHOLOGY
% cal room, where Il post-mortem examina
~ ton was to be made upon them, l shall
= once at least, have an opportunity of see
i ing the internal organs of woman adjusted
ls To my utter astonishment. it was quit
N the reverse. In one case the liver ha
# # been completely cut in two. and was onl
" held together by a calloused bit of tissue
Some, ribs overlapped others. One ha
,s been found to pierce the liver, and almos
70 20 without exception that organ was displac
- ed bslow the ribs instead of on a line wit
ts ts them. The spleen in some cases wa
y much enlarred in others it was atrophie