The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-11-18
Absurditics Of Costume.


Speaking of the present style of ladies'
dress, we read of an English lady who,
after succeeding in seating herself, was
unable to rise without assistance, on ac
count of the tightress of her overdress.
What her sensations were must be i'm
agined. A woman who wears this I'M
becoming garment might as we'll be con-
fined by a straight jacket She has no
power of locomotion left worth having.
If she have naturally the gait of We
nus, she can only move on with that
painful wriggle which we see in place
of free notion and the crumpled mass
of shirred ruffles and knife plating and
French folds, which we call an over
skirt, flop after her like tine tail of a
whipped Newfoundland dog on wet
day. She cannot step across wet spot
in the street--her clothes are too mar
row-she is tied back too tight. She
stumbles into car and out of car
riage; danger waits on her at every step.
The new bustle-that abominable pig
eon-coop, reaching to the very ground
which every lady of fashion must wear,
completes her discomfort. She cannot
sit down in it comfortably, yet she must
wear it; for, though she is the subject
of ridicule with one on, she is an object
of remark if seen on the street without.
She knows that she makes an absurd
spectacle of herself; the clothes jump
from side to side; as she walks, the bus
tie heaves and tumbles about like the
keel of small schooner in a blow"
and n sailor would feel inclined to cry
out, " Steady the helm there; hold her
fast!' The short hustle is little alb
breviation in length, but utterly un-
manageable when the unfortunate
wearer desires to sit down. If a woman
makes up her mind, SIZE will sit down
in spite of the whalehones. The loos-
ened bones penetrate through their COW
ering, and stab her in the back; she
knows that the diabolical concern is
crushed hopelessly out of shape, and
that when she rises she will resemble n
broken-b backed barnvard fowl, or small
camel with an unusually eccentric
hump; yet, martyr to fashion as she is,
she bears it all as only devoted women
can bear life's ills, and never dreams of
discarding the source of all her woes;
for is it not the fashion? Fashion, fash
ion! how much have you to answer forl
Make amends for past cruelty, and
speed the time when women can dress
with taste, comfort and decency.-
JVarerley Magazine.
READ AND REFLEcr.--The young me-
chanic of the present day should be an
earnest reader. Whether learning a
trade, operating a machine, or drafting
designs for the builder, he should be a
lover of useful books. They will make
him broader and happier man, Civ
ing him continually fresh themes for
thought, and pleasing topics for medi-
tation. Books are to the mind what food
is to the body. They fill and strengthen
it. They add vim, force and vitality to
its every function. They furnish that
life blood which is the handspring OF
all action, and benefit their admirer in
manifold ways. Do not, then, neglect
so rich boon, but read much and read
carefully.
We cannot all be rich; or great, or
powerful; but we can all build for our
selves inviting palaces of wisdom, where
the noblest and best of every age may
come through the silent but immortal
agency of books, - store our minds
with the rarest samples of their genius.
These choice legacies, too, will stand by
us. and remind us, when trades. for
tunes and friends fail, to comfort and
satisfy our dropping spirits. Who, then,
would think of living without the asso-
Citations of interesting books? No young
man should.
The world is full of reading matter.
and it is utterly impossible to read all
still, every apprentice and tradesman
can find leisure enough to acquaint HIM
self with so much as is necessary to
perfect him as a mechanic and broaden
him out as citizen. Read, then, by all
means. Read slowly; read carefully;
read with reflection; and reflect with
reading.
STUDENTS FUN.-A professor, teach
err of German, was once very much dis
turbed by an unruly bench of juniors.
At last, in his despair. he exclaimed:
''That bench will leave the room and will
stay outside"
Whereupon the young rascals carried
out the bench and left it outside and
blandly returned to the room.
No, no." said the professor, II do
not mean that, I mean that the young
men will go out and the bench will re-
turn"