The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-10-27
The YuIgaEIty Of LadIes.

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Beg pardon, "ladies" is what we mean.
Woman includes every body, and Of CO.
urss there must be vulgar woman, but la
dies are supposed TO be the pick Of women,
There is kind Of assumption that
woman is IA neater, cleaner, more sensitive
and more refnd creature than man. 1t
may be so, but a lady will do many
things which gentleman could not bring
himself to do. There is no gentleman
in Springfield, for instance who could
walk through Main street dragging part
Of his raiment on the ground alter him,
Any gentleman would consider himself
deGled by such performance, and proba-
bly, would soon find himself in the hands
Of the police and arraigned before COM
mission dc lunatiCo. No gentleman
would care to parade the street in such
attire that one hand was consequently Oc-
cupied in reeing the slack OF his brooches,
after the manner OF holding up skirts at
the present time. American gentlemen
attach the character OF gambler to man
who wears many Jewels and rings, and
recognize cognate vulgarity in the lady
who similarly Overloads herself on oCca.
sions when personal adornmeht is mol in
keeping. What we mean Is that there Is
a mOdes!y and sobriety Of attire and even
Of bearing among recognized gentlemen
which the recognized lady has not yet
attained,
The matter has It's practical bearing in
the intercourse Of men and women as
strangers. Women enjoy in this country
u certain freedom Of movement about the
country and among men which must be
protected. As they seek more and more
diverse fields oflivelihood, they will be
driven more and more to mingle with the
human tide, regardless Of their sex 1t is
not necessary 10 assume in the brutal way
OF the Saturday Review that where the
census figures report women in the ma or.
ity there she puts herself forward, and
where in minority there she cultivates
mOdesty in the assurance Of ultimate
marriage anyhow. 1t is not necessary
to construct coarse sociology Of this de.
scription TO arrive at tho conclusion that
the tendency Of civilization Is to sink
considerations Of sex and place women on
the same footing with man and under the
necessity Of constant intercourse with
him, and unprotected except by her own
powers.
Under these circumstance II becomes
the real lady, or the new lady, az we may
call tho latest product OF American cul.
ture and refinement, when she is making
her way in the world and among strang.
ers, to distinguish herself rs Il lady "a
much as possible, There is sObriety
and deCorlm OF dress, even OF rich dress,
which to the praCtiCed eye bespeaks mod.
esly and the dignity Of worth In the
wearer, OF course there are occasions,
when woman Is surrounded by friends
and the safeguards Of hospitality, when a
greater range Of personal adornment does
not vulgari1e or betray. But in meeting
the world, in business and travel, the Col,
Bakers are best kept at distance by
something of the reserve and sObriety Of
attire to which gentlemen have arrived,
and which they understand when they
see II in each other, and in women. We
do not presume to say that the lady whom
Col. Baker met offended in this respect,
for we set him down Us brute who
thought to terrify and silence an innocent
young woman whom chance had thrown
In his way. But It Is nevertheless q fact
that the new woman, tho woman Of re.
finOment and independence, making her
way in the world, has not yet generally
brought her attire to represent the mod
esty, RObriety and culture which are hers,
nor adapted It to the serious purposes
which she has in view.