The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-01-03

lDsiissse sasise.,iion,:: Tor tho Ladic..w.,.
1sseriaHtion for nfnsculino. Paul
| Prys. ~s7 70
Mrs. Swisshelm 10 not to have things
all her own way among the dress re.
formers. There is another Mrs. Rioh.
mond tn the isld, ia the person of a
Mrs. Woolson, who, has written book
in regard to the manuer in which the
garments should be supported. The
subject is too delicate a one to be
handled otherwise than giugerly,
though lovingly. by the Euening Re
publican. but what follows from u cor
respondent of the New York Tribune
is both proper aud Interesting:
With the earnest aud well-inten
toned work Of ap earnest and good
woman like Mrs. Abba GUold WuoIron,
| one should at ieaar deal thoughtfuily
and respectfully. however one differs
from her. 1t is, therefore, to be hoped
that Mrs. Woolson's new Volume on
''Dress Reform" which R..berss
Brothers are about to publish, will not
be met by tue pert hlppances With
which crusty bachelors and light.
minded msids have been wont To treat
work Of this sort. Mrs Woolson's
book Is entitled to fair hearing. It's
composed of lectures delivered in Bos.
ton, during the spriug Of the pruseut
year; four OF them by we'll. known and
successful lady physlclans. and the
other by Mrs. Woolson herself. It's
another attempt To sst the world risht
on matter in which the wicked world
seems very obstinately Determined to
go wrong: and " Will probably con-
vince few save those who are ALWAYS
ready for eedition, always prepared to
believe that the new is better than the
old. We have in the frontispiece the
long familiar CONTRAST bstween V.nns
OF Milo and u modern belle.
The Venus Victrix stands there. in
the changeless grace of her eterual si-
lenoe. just az she Was in the very hrst
piotnre OF the eort. But the Northern
belle changes her adurnmeuts IN every
successive plate. aud nearly always for
the better. Really, che Looks very
pretty, even here, where abe is posing
as an ILLUSTRATION of naught,ness: ONLY
her dress. with Its loug train, ia a
house dress, and should not be beiiea
by the coqnetlish little hat psrched
upon the fluffy hair. The Venus ia
evidently not dressed for ths street.
eithar; 80 mademo,selle's hat IL alto.
gether UNNECESSARY to the contrast.
Now every modern belle would no
doubt be- Venus il she could-tbe
trouble is that she can't; and 80 she
must content herself by trying to be
pretty girl. But. says Mrs. Woolsun,
let her be pr-tty aud healthy at the
same time. Certainly. geutie lady; 1 |
agree with you there; aud unless she il
reasonably healthy, she will not long
be pretty. But how is this marvellous
oom mbination of happy and healthy aud
handsome to be best attained? There
ia the question which Mrs. Woolson
has tried Rnaliy to settle, aud there is
where we are forced to take issue with
her.
Are women's shoulders made of cast
iron any more thau their hips? Ifyou
oeer-welght them shall they not ache?
think the casts of the female figure
in museum Of anatomy would CON.
vince any unpr.judiced observer that
feminine hips are quite as we'll calou.
lateh to bear burdens as feminine
shoulders are. But in one respect
Mrs. Woolson aud her sister reformers
are uuquestionably right; aud that ia
that reasonable woman should not
allow her dress to be cuGbered by suoh
q weight of trimming that her freedom
of locomotion IS impeded by it, aud
walking is rendered unendurably IA.
tigulDg. One would not care to be
more healthy than the average Enelish
woman. unless one desires to be a wun.
dering Jew and ontiive all ore's frlends:
and yet the average English woman
dresses. save in two important particu.
lars, precisely after the model Of her
American sister, except that her tuste
IN the arrangement of the dress is in
dnitely poorer. The English womau's
walking-dresses are simpler aud less
heavily trimmed, and her boots ara
thicker and looser aud broader in the
sole. 1t may seem startling PROPOSE
tiop, but l assert that nothiup will
make woman's back ache quicker
than wearing tight boots. II I were
al NJ. d.. could no doubt enter into
learned explanation of this fact
as it is, 1 simply state it. Let any
woman year the clothes of tho pre-.
sent time. made suitably for the oc.
casion, and venture to believe that
her costume will be as healthful as
anything can be, short of coats and
pantaloons.
I 1Op'f m uvolf tI,;,l, tt,.I