The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-11-24
LADIES' TOPICS.
Various Matters of Interest to the
VOaMble Sex
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err Duties.

The Springfield Republican thus talks
to the ladies in a very sensible way, but
we cannot help wondering if its editor
failed to get a vigorous curtain lecture in
return for being more conscientious than
gallant:
Beg your pardon, ''ladies," is what we
mean. Women includes everybody, and
of course there must be vulgar women /;
but ladies are supposed to be the pick of
women.
There is a kind of assumption that
woman is a neater, cleaner. more sensi-
tive and more refined creature than man.
1t may be so, but 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 after him.
Any gentleman would consider himself
defiled by such a performance, and pro-
badly would find himself in the hands of
a policeman and arraigned before COM
mission de lunaticO. No gentleman
would care to parade the street in such
attire that one hand was constantly Oc-
cupied in reefing the slack of his breech-
es, after the manner of holding up skirts
of the present time. American gentle
men attach the character of gambler to
a man who wears jewels and rings, and
recognize cognate vulgarity in the lady
who similarly overloads herself on occa-
sions when personal adornment is not in
keeping. What we mean is, that there
is modesty and soDriety of attire, and
even of bearing, among recognized gen.
tlemen which the recognized lady has not
yet attained
The matter has its practical bearing in
the intercourse of men and women as
strangers. Women enjoy in this country
a certain freedom of movement about
the country and among men, which must
be protected. As they seek more and
more diverse fields of livelihood, they
will be driven more and more to min
gle with the human tide, regardless
of their sex. 1t is not necessary to as
sumo, in the brutal way of the Saturday
Review, that where the census figures re-
port women in the majority there she
puts herself forward, and where in the
minority there she cultivates modesty in
the assurance of ultimate marriage any
how. 1t is not necessary to construct
course sociology of this description to
arrive at the,conclusion that the tendency
of civilization is to sink considerations of
sex, and place woman on'the same foot
ing with man, and under the necessity
of constant intercourse with him, and
unprotected except by her own powers.
Under these circumstances 1t becomes
the real lady, or the new lady, as we may
call the latest product of American cul-
ture and refinement, when she is making
her way in the world and among stran-
gers, to distinguish herself as a lady as
much as possible There is a sobriety
and decorum of dress, even of rich
dress, which to the practiced eye be-
speaks modesty and the dignity of worth
in the wearer. OF course there are oc-
casiOns when woman is surrounded by
friends and the safeguards of hospitality,
when greater range of personal adorn-
ment does not vulgariZe 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 it in each other, and in
woman. We do not presume to say that
the lady whom Col Baker met, offended
IN this respect, for we set him down as a
brute who thought to terrify and silence
an innocent young woman whom chance
had thrown In his way. But it is never
/ theless fact that the new woman, the
woman of refinement and independence,
making her way in the world, has moi
I yet generally brought her attire to repre-
sent the modesty, sobriety and culture
which are hers, nor adapted to the serious
+ purposes she has in view.