St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-08-09

nervous tension which supported her
relaxed, the woman breaks down, as a
matter of course, perhaps never to en-
JOY health again.
1t must be borne in mind, also, in
estimating a woman's chances of health,
that, if she neglect to think of herself,
there is seldom anybody to do for her
what she does for her husband. No
body reminds her to change her boots
when they are damp; nobody jogs her
memory as to the EMBELLISHMENTS of
this or that beverage or comestible, or
gives her the little cossettings which so
often ward off colds and similar petty
ills. Unless the woman live with sis
ter or friend, it must be scored one
against her chances as compared to a
man, that she has no Uife.
There must, of course, be set against
all this the two facts that the imperious-
ness of mems wishes and wants leads
them often not only to do such whole
some things as those of which we have
been speaking, but into sundry un-
wholesome eXcesses besides, for which
in due time. they pay by various
diseases, from govt up to delirium tre-
mems. And correspOndingly, women's
comparative Indifference to the pleas
ures of the table keeps them clear of
the ills to which gormandizing and bib
ulous flesh is heir. We all know scores
of estimable gentlemen who can scarce
ly be prevailed on, by the prayers and
tears of their wives, to refrain from
drinking glass of beer OF port wine
which will in all probability entail fit
of the gout next day /; but in my whole
life | have never known woman who
consciously ate or drank things likely to
make heI i'll, save one mild and sweet
old lady, whose predilection for but
tered toast overcame every motive OF
prudence, and, alas even of religion,
which have reason to believe she en-
deavored to bring to bear against the
soft temptation. But for the purpose
we have now in hand, namely, that OF
tracing the origin, not of acute diseases,
but of general petite sante, this aspect
of the subject is unimpOrtant. 1t is
precisely petite sante which comes OF
the perpetual neglect of natures hints
that she wants air, bread, meat, fruit,
tea, wine, sleep, a scamper or a canter.
It is definite disease which results from
over exercise, over feeding, and over
drinking.
Would it not he possible, | venture
to ask, to cut off this source of feminine
invalidism, at all events, by some
what more respectful attention to the
calls of heathful instinct? l am very
far from wishing that women should
grow selfish, or less tenderly regardful
those around them. But there ought
| tO l,A nIn nj n
mere excuse of whim and caprice of heI
own or anybody else, why a woman
should do herself hurt or incapacitate
herself for future usefulness.
Another source of women's ill-health
is their dress.
1t has been often remarked that the
sagacity of Romish seminarists is ex-
hibited by their practice of compelling
boys destined for the priesthood to
founder along the streets in their long
gowns, and never permitting them to
cast them aside or play in the close
fitting clothes wherein English lads en-
Joy their cricket and foot ball. The
obstruction to free action, though per-
haps slight itself, yet constantly main
tanned, gradually tames down the wild
est spirits to the level of ecclesiastical
decorum. But the lengthiest of soutanes
is joke compared to the multitudinous
petticoats which, up to the last year oil
two, every lady was compelled to wear
swathing and flowing about her ankles
as if she were walking through the sea
Nor is the fashion of these later DAYS
much better, when the scantier dress is
cited backn-as | am infOrmed-witll
an elastic band, much on the principle
that horse ''hobbled" in the field
and to this, tail yard long is added
which must either be left to draggle in
the mud or must occupy an arm exclu-
sively to hold it up. In youth these
constant check on free and elastic move
ment but the moment that the elastic
steps begin to give place to the lassi-
tude of middle life, the case is desper-
ate. There is no longer energy to over
come the impediments created by the
ridiculous robes, and the poor donkey
of woman hobbies daily round a
shorter and shorter course, till at forty
or fifty she tells her friends with a sigh
that she finds (she cannot imagine Why
that she cannot walk at all
Does decency require such a sacrifice
as this ? Does the utmost strain OF
feminine modesty ask for it t? If it were
so, /, for one, should leave the matter
with IL sigh, us not to be remedied. But
who in his senses dreams that such is
the case? Who, in the age of robes
cOllantes and decOllete dresses, can pi e.
tend that reasonably full, simply cut
silk cloth skirt, reaching to the ankles
and no longer, would not fulfil immeas-
urably better than any fashion we have
seen for many day, the requirement,
of true womanly delicacy7
The dress of men in all western ma.
tions meets fairly all the conditions o.
health and decency, and fails only OF
the side of beauty. The dress of wo
men, on the contrary, ever variable al
it is, persistently misses the condition.
of health frequently violates the rule,
of decency and instead of securing
beauty, at which it aims first instead O.
last, achieves, usually, ugliness.
1t is to be remembered for our cOnsO
latiOn and encouragement that mel
have arrived at their present good sens,
in dress only within two or three gen
erations. A hundred years ago, the lord
of creation set beauty above health O
| 0oh 'oni0uCo, JUST as lauleS 40 now, ant
peacocked about in their peach blossom
coats and embroidered waistcoats, sur
mounted by wigs, to whose stupendou
discomfort even seat on the judicia
bench can scarcely reconcile the moderl
Englishman. Now, when the men O
every European nation have abjure,
such fantastic apparel, we naturally ask
Why have not the women followed thei
III Il