The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1878-07-28
BACkS-WH0'S TO BLAME?

DELIVERED BEFORE THE CAIRO SOCIAL SCI.
ENCE AND INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL Ass0CIA.
TON, JULY ~, By MRS. Id. RlITESHousE.
| hope none Of the gentlemen present
will be "chirked up" with the notion that |
have posted myself, and intend giving
them a dissertation on their beloved green
back question. | understand the wisdom
of keeping silent-adopting the "still
water system, leaving to their magma
tons the depths Of my comprehension of
that subject The only public display !
ever expect to make of my knowledge of
greenbacks, is my ability to give them as
rapid a circulation as opportunity will
permit. hope too, that none of the la
dies in attendance, suppose that have Crap
Piled with the mighty ''pull-backs trcm.
bic at the bare idea, and leave il to French
! dress makers to settle matter Of such
moment. But the back have taken up on
! this occasion, is the one fast superceding the
thrilling topics OF weather and servant
girls, in polite circles-thc fashionable
| feminine back know have a delicate
| task before mc-that | must choose my
words with taste and skill, for my subject
is at its best, painful one.
often wonnder when don my studying
cap, if our mothers and grandmothcrs
had any backs, or if that important part Of
their anatomy was left out, 10 he developed
according to the progressive Darwinian
theory, in their brain-culturcd children
! If 50, | think We women Of to-day, have an
other grievance to add to the long roll We
are constantly reading-the fact that we
! did not exist AT least two generations sooner.
However, upon cool reflection and upon
! both ancient and modcrcn medical authori-
ty,I am inclincdto think they did have backs
good, strong broad ones too, without an
ache or pain about them. Taking It for
! granted then, that our mothers and grand
mothers had these troublesome articles,
| Just as we have, that nature formed them,
just as she formed US, why were their backs
a source of strength and help to them,
while ours seem to he composed Of nothing
but a mass of quivering, writing nerves;
each nerve vibrating with its own peculiar
pain. OF course there is a cause, and with
out having to search through volumes Of
scientific lore, think | have discovered
the source of the evil. 1t is contained in
the one significant word-fashion, with its
necessary accomplishments, pride, ambition,
and society.
Perhaps it would be as well, before | be-
gin deluging you with shower Of theories
and good advice, to say to those persons of
an investigating turn of mind, who may
wish to know i'll live up to what preach,
that think when am generous enough
to establish rules for them to live by, they
ought to be perfectly satisfied, without in
sisting upon me living up to them, too.
You know Shakespeare says: SIT is good
divine that follows his own instructions.
can easier teach twenty what were good
to be done, than be one Of the twenty to fol-
low my own Instructions
Let me dsmount from the gay Pegasus
who is ambling along with me so cheer
fully over Il road Of rocks and thorns, and
walk along sobcrly, as becomes the oc-
casion, pluck such flowers and shrubs Of
common sense as grow by the way-sde,
1t is an actual and miserable fact, that
you can scarcely find a woman who is not
possessed of an aching back, with its twin
companions set Of shattered nerves. They
are the children Of tight and heavy clothing,
dissipation and ovcr-work.
Now am well aware of the fact, that
there is scarcely one woman
out of twenty, who will
acknowledge that she wears her clothing
too tight, and yet know there is scarcely
one out Of the twenty that does not do so.
I really think they do not realize il them.
selves, the process is 50 gradual, yet, for this
reason, none the less hurtful ! have seen
friends of my own, good, sensible, truthful
women in every other respect, dress them
selves in clothing so tight they would have
to contract their lungs and draw themselves
in and up, in that peculiar manner that
must be seen 10 be understood and apprc-
ciatcd, before they could get the stubborn