The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-04-18

SBIklIIL IlIdI y 4@AA1lFN~A
who went into trade or business OF any
kind began just a. 2 man would, ana
prepared herself for what she intended
To be a lifelong, not a mere temporary,
occupation, till something better pre-
scented itself. instead of spending her
youth in acquiring habits both q
mind and body. which totally UNITED
her to compete successfully with man
in the very occupations 10 whlch, Win
rroper training, she would be better
suited than he IS.
but why are American women, as
a rule. more Inefficient than Europe
ans" we asked can they not also be
trained to work SYSTEMATICALLY:
Not for q generation to come, was
the discouraging reply, because 1t Will
take at least that time 10 modify the
p~rejudices of society and enable the
working use the term III
its largest sense as including all VINO
in anv way work for remuneration
to live more III accordance with the
laws of nature, and adopt a costume
that does not IN some way hamper
every motion. Until we can nave
healthy women we cannot have eth-
| cient workers and the dress worn by
women Is one great reason why they
do not, as a general rule, enjoy the
| same relative health as a man. II are
entirely shut out from many of the
higher a~vocations in which he n
cages.
Formerly, a dress which prevented
| all labor was the distinctive mark OF a
gentleman the embroidered waist
coats. laced coats. lace frills. powdered
wigs, and swords worn by g~allantS,
rendered them as useless for work as
the long skirts hoops, tle-backs, or
high-heeled shoes of the women of to-
day do her. Woman, in her present
costume, cannot compete successfully
with mar as a worker in any but the
purely sedentary occupations of life,
and, until she shall have independence
enough to assume one which will give
free play to her muscles, either for
| strength or quickneSs, she need not
hope to do SO. The sweeping skirts
of a female chemist would be out OF
place and terribly in the way among
chemicals in the laboratory, and are
equally hampering to the aplarlin,
obliged to be out in the early dew and
to follow her bees through bush and
brake when they have swarnled. One
half of the physical ills brought on
females by p~rotracted standing might
l De dNtIleu were liltN III oOlIStI ~
support the weight of their skirts, and
more than half the WEAKNESS onse
quent on Bookkeeping, horticulture,
| the preparation of medicinal herbs
and drying Of fruits, all employment
| in which women can successfully en-
gage. would disappear if Mrs. Grundy
would allow her to wear a suitable
| costume while at work.
But the working woman is not will
ling to be recognized as such by her
| dress. She does not hesitate to put on
! mourning and say to every pasSer-by,
! by her dress. 4 cannot 20 into the
gay world at present because of reas-
| ons which prevent" and tn gay
world pats her approvingly OH the
back and says, 1.-The ball room is no
place for Grape, come to Is when you
can lay it aside, but keep away while
! you are obliged by custom to wear it."
Why not say the same of her work
| ing dress, when it is necessary that it
should be worn or the street:
Take for example a male and female
| newspaper reporter. The first is best
| paid. because he must be ready at n
| moment TO snatch up his hat and coat
and be off, it may be for an hour. it
| NAV be for a week if caught without
time to run home for his bag, he buys
| a clean shirt, if necessary, brushes his
| clothes and his boots, uses q pocket
| comb. and comes out from his toilet
| ready for action. How can the woman,
| whose hair must be pulled and crimp-
| ed. whose hat must be held on by an
| elastic, and who must don an Overskirt
| and an underskirt, and hold her train
up with one hand as she waddles along
Ill ~-1
boots, expect to compete successfully
with him: Or, we will suppose both
required to attend a fashionable we'd
ding or evening entertainment where
it is necessary they should appear in
full dress and then think of the time
consumed and the thought and labor
required to get up the lady compared
with that for the man. We once me, .rd
an authoress of some reputation say
she had spent brain force enough, in
contriving one new costume out of
two old ones, to have produced a first
class article for the GaldJy. Too poor
to order one ready-made, as a man
does a suit of clothes. she thought to
economic by doing the work of a
dressmaker herself, growing all the
time at Mr.. Grundy for not allowing
her to so to her work in a dress, suit
able for labor. which she could have
ordered at = fixed price.
In Europe, where there are strictly
defined classes, a woman who works
never thinks of competing in dress
with the woman of leisure, and how
ever tasteful she may get herself up
when off duty. never hesitates TO wear
a dress suited to her work when en-
gagged in it.
IF YOU Will so down into the office
and take a desk there, | will raise your
paw one-fourth," we once heard a ste
n~ographer say to one Of his lady aman-
uensises. who took down in short
hand and reproduced in long, ready
for the compress, the testimony taken
by him in court, working often at his
house till twelve or one o'clock, and
rising, as often, at four OF five. To
our surprise she positively refused the
offer, and gave as a reason that she
could not zeal the WEAKNESS cOuSe.