The Cecil Whig., 1877-12-15
THE SIX.BUTTON PRINCIPLE.

demonstrate at their annual conventions
that the practice of supporting stockings
by what are delicately termed lgatures
insures the moral and phssical ruin of the
sex, no successful substitute for the de-
nounced article of dress has yet been in
vented. Certain dress reformers have, it is
true devised system of halyards, brails,
and downhauls, which they assert are far
superior to the deadly ligature, but the in
tricacy of all this running rigging. and the
difficulty which inexperienced persons find
in its management, have prevented it from
coming into use. The inexperienced woman
when thus rigged is very apt to make mis-
takes, and to find herself scudding under
bare poles, in consequence of having hauled
away on the downhaul when she had merely
intended to take small pull at the hal
yards. Thus, few persons except dress re-
formers rugged with the improved stock
ing gear, and even these confess that, for
the purpose Of catching an early morning
train, the despised ligature has its manifest
advantages.
About two months ago the ladies of three
contiguous counties in Pennsylvania were
successively visited by slight, graceful,
and unassuming young women, who an
nounced that she was the agent of a
Women's Dress Reform Benevolent Asso-
ciation,'' and that she desired to call their
attention to a new invention of immense
hygienic value. The new invention con-
sisted of the application of the sx-button-
glove principle to hosiery. OF course, this
is delicate subject, but, in the interest of
reform and public morality, it must be dis
cussed. 1t is idle for us to ignore the ex-
istence of stockings, and it is cowardly to
shrink from performing public duty be-
involves n a tp
topic. Let us, then, go boldly forward and
relate the strange conduct of the unassum-
ing young woman, as reported among the
Police news of Pennsylvania paper.
While the substitution of buttons for liga-
lures or running rigging struck the ladies
of the three counties as all admirable inven-
ton, the amazing cheapness with which
the agent of the alleged association offered
to sell the improved garments created i'm
mense enthusiasm. She said that the only
object of the association was to do good.
and that it was therefore prepared to sell
the best quality of six-buttoned goods at
one half of their original cost. In confirma
ton of this statement she submitted litho-
graphic copies of letters from Mr.. Tilden,
Peter Cooper Stanley Mathews. and other
eminent statesmen, all of whom assert that
they felt that the introduction of six but
toned hosiery was the greatest boon which
could be conferred upon the women of
America, and simultaneously ordered six
dozen pairs of assorted sizes to be
sent to their respective addresses. In
addition to these letters the agent exhibit
ed sample of the garment in question,
which appeared to be the very best quality.
The opportunity was one which no prudent
lady could permit to pass unimproved, aud
nearly every one to whom the agent applied
ordered at least half dozen pairs, to be
paid for upon delivery.
There was, however, one little prelim-
nary which the agent insisted was indispen
sable, il she was to execute her orders to
the satisfaction of her customers. The hu-
man mind shrinks from mentioning this pre-
liminary, but it cannot be ignored. If the
buttons were to be of any use. they must be
so placed in relation to the button holes
that the garment would be neither too tight
nor to loose. Hence, when the agent pro-
duced a tape-meaSure and a note book, her
view of the matter was at once conceded to
be correct, and the agents note book was
furnished with the required data. Thus,
that unassuming agent went from house to
house throug hout almost the whole of three
counties cheering the female population
with the hope of miraculOusly cheap and
beautiful hosiery, and filling her note book
with statistics. Unfortunately, that other
wise astule agent drank too much whisky
at the last town which she visited, and be-
ing arrested for disorderly conduct, con-
fessed that she was man.
When the ladies who had ordered six-but.
ton hosiery learned the truth as to the un-
assuming agent and the fate which bad be-
fallen him, they denounced the wretch with
great vigOr, aud were unanimously of the
opinion that combination of wild horses
and red hot pincers could alone do justice
to him. To this outburst of indignation
succeeded the terrible thought, what had
the felonious agent done with his collection
of statistics? Naturally, this thought led
straight to Mysteries, and for the next week
the sale of sal volatile in Central Pennsyl-
vania increased to an Unprecedented extent.
A deputation of indignant fathers waited
upon the incouceivable villain in Jail, and
demanded the immediate destruction of his
note book. To this request he declined to
accede. He admitted that his pretended
association did not exist, and that he had
no intention of executing the orders which
his deceived customers had given him, but
he explained that he was an earnest reform
er, and that he intended to publish the sta
tistics in question, in order that the med-
Cal fraternity might become convinced of
the blighting effect of the ordinary igature.
Nothing could shake his determination.
He said that he had great duty to perform
and that much as it panied him to grieve
anybody, he must perform that duty. The
indignant parents left his cell much cast
down in spirit, and after vainly applying
to the local court for an Injunction fol bid
ding the false agent to publish his statis-
tics, went home and reported their failure
to their wives and daughters.
The one question now agtating the pub
lie mind in Pennsylvania is whether that
wretched felon will really publish his stats,
tics. The contingency is one which cannot
be contemplated without shudder; but at
the same time, it is possible that there is
more or less merit in the pretended plan of
adapting the six button glove principle to
more esoteric garments, and that the pre-
tended reformer has really solved the prob
lem with which professional dress reformers
have proved themselves incompetent to
uranple - Nelr York Times