The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-02-03
Clothes.

The color Of the robe she wore when she
passed for the last time PTiam's sight ere
leaving him for ever; and Ninoa Q e
Enclos could have told You the precise
fashion in which her hair was dressed on
the day the Able de Bernis fell IN love
with her. seventyEwo years Of age and a
grandmother; or Disns Of Poictiers the
shape of the dsshing riding-hai that
shsded her handsome face when Henry
saw and loved her so desperately. So
that after all the question Is true to human
nature, and, indee5. the formula, Whist
did YOU weaT.'' or the still more interest
ing one, What will you wear" may be
looked upon as the only two certain forms
Of speech that can be safely reckoned on
TO proceed out OF the mouth Of that mos:
uncertain thing, oma for, be she Nha
she msy in other respects, she Is neither
cold nor indifferent nor tickle 10 her
clothes.
Some one hiss said that dress forms the
delight OF one-half of a woman's life, and
The torment of the other. There Is a grain
Of truth in The remark. although the orig
inator NJ II blinked the fact that dress Is
MT outside her life; it Is part and pancel
Of it Is much 81 the sir she breathes-no
more 10 be put away from her than her
own individuality, or to be sighted than
her owa dignity. Fpomthe very cradle a
woman child is impressed with the impor-
raLee and respectability Of her clothes"
Yes, Miss Mary, yOu may 90 and play
for a little while, but if you tumble your
clothes you'll catch IL" This exhortaIioa,
with variations. has probably been ad-
dressed 10 every well-brought-up little
girl since the deluge, and will doubtless
continue to be fashionable long after We
and our great grandchildren have de-
parted This life. The mental struggles O.
Miss Mary during the process Of her early
initiation into the sacred rites OF The re-
liEiun Of dress are no less piIeoUs than
ludicE0us. \ deep sense Of depression
weighs upon her childish spirit as she sees
her brothers fortunate in the possession Of
jackets and knickerbockers, jumping and
racing in an ecstacy OF enjoyment, de
TERED by no such fears Of "tumbiing'
themselves as lie heavy upon her. Ifsheisa
little prig she will work this feeling of envy
OF in fit Of spleen, affecting a contempt
FOR her brothers romping games, pretend
Jag to prefer a talk with her doll-sn idiouc
sham that at heart she thoroughly de-
spiSes: if she has 3 spirit she will fling pru-
dence to the winds, and dash into the
melee heeilcSs OF rents and damages. en-
joying herself keenly, though she knows
all too well the awful punishment that
awaits her when the powers that be dis
cover the disrespect she hiss dared 10 show
her clothes" Is she grows bigger she
will show more sense. connecting Sunday
with the day when she wears i Nlac-Silk
frock, and a hat with Z white feather,
looking forward ioa children's party a.
al occasion on which she will be able to
shine forth in white muslin and Tose-cOl-
ored ribbons. ecliPsing other little girls,
whose mothers are not 80 particular about
appearances a. her Own. She will even
have mild contempt and pity for Tom.
Dick and Harry whom a short time ago
she 50 bitterly envied) in that their utmost
attempt Al self bedizenment can go no
further than d~aarinE-shoes and white
gloves. II Miss Mays mother Is trivo-
! ious. md addicted TO the common weak
ness Of striving 70 Guido her neighbOr= in
the maguifcence OF her apparel ionly to
! be beaten herself st the next passage Of
arms Mary will grow upOne Of tina: terri
ble class OF women who spend their lives
in decorating the poor perishable bodies
that were originally made-it they only
| knew ito inclOSe q soul, instead Of be.
| ing turned into signboards, on which 10
display every caprice, absurdity and eX.
travagance the heart OF milliner can con
| cciyc.
Yet, if tho care and consideration she
| bestows on dress were devoted to some en-
n"blinr pursuit or useful occupation. she
| might he transformed from q mere walk
ing doll to a reasoning. sensible human
! being: but this she can never be until she
/ has renowned the o7ermastering passion,
and by so dong purged herself of the de
/ basement and deterioration Of mind that
are its inseparable handmaidens. II
| might surprise her 10 know that one-guar,
| ter OF the time she daily expends OF her
| toilet would suffice 10 teach her at Ieas,
one language thoroughly in the twelve,
month. OF tina; by using the hours she
formerly frittered away in hesitsting over
this c,lor or that, she might educate her.
self 80 thoroughly as to have some ground
10 go upon should she ever elect TO adyo'
cate ypmau's rights, which We should
strongly advise her not to do. It might
shame her TO know that she was not en-
| dowed with life to make herself simply an
! object for mems delcCtatiOn and women =:
| jealousy: for TO this end does she presum,
ably seek 10 attain when she spends hel
whole existence in seeking the most be.
coming modes OF arraying herself, al,
! though, alas. she often falls lamentably
short of her purpose, since men, who are
neither fools nor puppies, like simplicity
| Of attire: and among of fashion il
is next to impossible to be first in richness
| Of clothes for any length Of time.
If Miss Mary only knew it, men do but
ask to see their mothers, sisters and
sweethearts daintilv clean and fresh in all
their arrangements and appointments, and
as pleasing to the eye as modesty and
moderation permit; but they hate this
loud, greedy, all-absOrbing demand for
admiration and prominence indreSs that
appears to have fastened upon the girls
and of our day like a deadly dis
ease, impossible to be shaken off or eTadi-
Gated. They could tell her that more pal.
/ lid hard worked fathers and husbands are
killed by this same love Of clothes
than by any sickness or hurt of body, and
that it makes them marvel as to what
manner of men the future generation will
be with such examples Of ley1ty and ex-
travagancc before them as their mothers
bid fair to set. So fer as WI can remem-
Der our grandmothers were not bitten with
this excessive mania for fine raiment-
London World.
Adventures of a Bashful Man.