The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-03

spends her davs In n machine more cruel The
cause moro slowly. murder9usl than the old
Maiden" Of Seville. yet always assures us.
smiling through her nlartyrdom. thh' hdt
clothes are really hanging about herr "
would be waste OF time to dwell on TINS supreme
have already alluded to the hrain-hcatng
rni,-n nf 'm,,iuSh,.f npd aon viii them should
be- casscd the hornets which exposc the foro-
head 70 tho cold, whilr tho buck OF ne head I;
which have the still more serious Disadvantage
OF nffording no shelter To- the eyes. In this. MS
in dozen other silly fashions. the women who
have serious concerns III life are humpcrcd by
the practice OF those who think Of nothing but
exhibiting their persons and ladies' Of limited
fortune. who live In small rooms and go about
the streets on foot or in cabs are compelled Uf
they wish TO avoid being pointed AL to ADOPT
modes oi dress whose sole rdisOn drfre X that
they suit wealthy grdndes DANES who lounge in
their barouches or display their trains over the
carpets of Orty-tect-ong drawing rooms. What
snobbcry all this implies in our whole social
structurcl Some ten millions ot women dress.
ns nearly us they can a1prd in the style III at
The practice OF wearing dfc0llefft dresses. sim
ming equally as II does against health and deccn-
cy. seems to be gradually rcccding-irum urd-
nary dinners. where 1t WAS universal twenty
years ago, To special occasions, balls. and court
drawing rooms. But IT dcs hard. and i may
Kill a good many poor creatures yet, and entail
ON others the lifelong bad health 50 naturally
resulting from exposure Of II large surface Of
the skin to sudden chills.
The thin pnper-soled boots which leave the
wearer 10 feel the chill OF the pavement or the
n.
must have shortened thousands OF lives III
Europe. and even more IN America. Combined
with these, We have now THO high heels. winch,
in short period convert the foot into "A shape
less deiOrmity no longer available Tor purposes
OF healthiul exercise. An experienced shoe
maker informed tho writer that, between the
results OF tight boots and high heels. he scarcely
knew II lady Uf hity who had what he could call
a loot at ull-they had mere clubs. And tins is
done. all this anguish endured. Tor the sake Of
beauty
Bad as stays. and chignons. and high heels
and paint. an | low dresses ana all other FOL
Lies Of dress are, / anu. however OF opinion
that the eliminating folly of fashion. the one
which has most widespread and durable cOuSc-
quenees Is the mode in which Tor ages back
women have cOntrivcd that thor skirts should
act rs drags and swadding-c clothes, weighing
down their hips and Vbstructing the natural
| motion of the logs.
Docs deccncy require such Il sacrifice rs this ?
Does the utmost strain OF feminine modesty a-k
Tor uy Ii II were So. /. for one should leayr
the matter with u sigh. H. not To be- rrmedird
But who IN his senses dreanns that such il the
cAscl VINO, III the age Of rpbts ,OHdntts and
dscOUefee dresses, can pretend that "A r"aSun-
ably iull. simply cut silk or cloth SKIRT. reach
la. To the ankles and no longer. would not iul-
I'll immeasurably better than any fashion We
nave seen i9r many a da{ the requirements 81
True womanly Iehiicaey Is ior fashion; not
crushed. their health ruined. and Through
thcml the health OF their children. | hold II to
be an indubitablc fact that II twenty years ago
u rational and modest style OF dress had been
adopted 10y English women and encouraged BY
tops and fools the health not only of women.
but OF the sons OF women. . T.. OF the entire ma
ton. would now be, on altogether different
plane from what we ilnd 1t.
Next TO unhealthiul dress women may lay
their petite sants at the door Of thoir excessive
addiction To pursuits giving exercise neither TO
the brain nor yet TO the limbs. II the problem
had been set TO devise something the doing u
which would engage the very iewesi and small
est powers OF the mihd or me body. know
not whether we should give the prize
for solving II 70 the inventor OF kniiiing
netting, crochet. or WOrstrd work. Iur-
sued Tor Il reasonable period IN the day. these
/ cmpOyments are no doubt quite harmless,
and even. perhaps. Us some have urged. may
be useful rs srdatlves. But that u woman VINO
l. driven by no dire necessity IL" stitch. stitch,
stitch who has plenty OF books To read. and
two legs and feet 10 walk withal should Noiun-
tarly hunt the exercise Of her body 10 the little
niggling motion Of the fingers required 10y these
WORKS. and the labor OF her mind 10 counting
stitches. Is all but lncoMprehensi That the
consequences should be sickliness and feeble
ness seems To follow OF course. In old times
the rNcr-reNOlving spinnin., wheel had It's iull
Justification i'll It's abundant usefulness and
also in the dearih OF intellectual pursuits for
women. But II Is marvellous that "a we'll rdu-
Gated Engilshwonlan not yet sinking into tn"
natural lndOcncc OF age. should choose To
spend about "A illth or "A fourth of the hours God
has given her on this beautiful earth IN en-
brOidcry or worstrd work. A draw in.roOm
crammed with these useless fnds-chairs. cush-
ions, screens, and antinlacassurs-ls simply u
mauroeun of the wasted hours OF the female
part Of the family
1t Is many years since. in my early youth.
was struck 10y q singular coincidence. Several
OF my married acquaintanees were liable 10 a
peculiar sort OF ncuddcne. lhey Were obngru,
owing 10 these distressing attacks. to reninin
very frequently IN bed AT breakias time AMI
later in tnr day 10 lie on the sofa with darkcned
binds ana considerable exhibition Of eau lie
Cologne. singular immunity from the seiz-
urcs seemed 10 he enjoyed when any pleasant
society WAS expected, or when their husbands
happened Ia be- in u different part OF the coun-
try. BY degrees. putting my little ubscryatio ns
together, came IA my own mind TO eall these
tne bad husband headaches and hrNr since
seen no reason 10 alter my diagnosis. On the
contrary, am OF opinion that AN incaleulable
amount of feminine lnvalidism arises from
nothing but the depressing Influences OF an
unhappy home. Sometimes. Ol course.
II Is positive unSindncs7 and cruelty
which the poor creatures endure Much more
often 1t Is the mere lack OF the affection and
care and tenderness for which they pine. rs
slckly plants tor sunshine. Sometimes IT Is the
simple oppression oi an iron Will over them
winch bruises their pleasant lunches, ANA Tops
| ,if their innocent wnlIns, TIL there IL no sap
> II IN them TO bud or blossom any more. Not
.eldum the misery comes OF frequent storms
Ia" household htmOsphere-lur which IN"
woman II probably AZ uiien 10 blame us her
| companion, tut from which she suffers duubly.
| since. when they have pas d. h" suus cat To- ms
! field ~ his merchandSc with what spirit he can
muster. poor fellow! while she SITS stili where
the bligiltnE words fell on her 10 feet all tirlr
| bitterness. OF course. 1t Is not only unk md
! huSbdndS who make women doWnhrart"d.
! There al" unklnd prople IN every relation. amt
the only speciality of u wonians suffering from
| unklndnr-s II, that she Is commonly almost
| hkr bcdriddrn creature. for whom u singh
| thorn or Gwen hard lump IN her bed Il enough
| and walk away. the Importance which she at
taches 10 the thorn OF The lump seems inca
| plicablr.
We have heard a great deal Of late Of the dan
| ger u women = health OF oVcr-mcntal strain
or intellectual labor. do not say there IL never
danger IN TINS direction. thnt girls never study
| too much or too early, or that the daughters 81
| women VINO have never used their brains may
not have inherited rather soft and tender organs
| nt cogltatlOn to start with. | am no enthusiast
| Tor excessive book learning Tor either women or
| men. though III books read and books written
| have found some of the chief pleasures Oi a
| happy lie. But OF one thing | am sure. and
| that To- that for one woman whose health II IN
Jurcd Dy excessive study lthat 10. 10y study Itself.
| not the baneiul anxiety OF examination SUPER
| added 10 study, there ar" hundreds whose
| health Is drterlOrated 10y want oil wholesome
| mental exercise. sometimes the NHculty IN the
| brains OF Eirls simply leaves them dun and
| suirltlcss, More often into those swept and
| empty chambers OF their skulls enter many
| small imps Of evil omen.
| Let women have larger interests and nObler
| pursuits, and their affections Will become. not
| less strong and deep, but less sickly. less cray
| ing Tor dcnionstfatlvc tenderness Ia return, less
| variable IN their manifestations Let women
| have suundcr mental culture. and their cmO-
| tiunh-so long exclusively fostrrcd--will return
| to the Guinness OF health, and We shall hear no
| more Ol III" Intermittent frNerlah spirits the
cHusecss deprcssiuns, and all the lun,. tram Ut
| symptoms Wnlrh belong 10 irurun formed hyH-
| terra, and open the way 10 madness on one side
| and ~ sin on the other