The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-11-06
wasp.walste,I women.

From Llppneott's Magazine for November.
II the truth be fairly stated, women have
many excuses for their intatuation regard
ing small waists. 1t is Mrs. Haweis who
says, "The reason why small waist Is 9
beauty Is because, when it is natural, 1t
goes together with the peculiar litheness
and activity Of slenderly.built figure.
All the bones are small, the shoulders and
arms petite, and the general look is dainty
and youthful" In other words, asmall
waist is only q beauty when it is in pro-
portion to the rest Of the figure; Thecomi
mon mistake lies in considering 1t beauty
in large woman OF massive proportions.
A few centuries ago women did not take q
scientific view OF things, and fell into de-
lusions which In this age are a disgrace to
the sex. They knew nothing OF anatomy,
OF the law OF proportion or the curve oil
beauty, and they misunderstood the Ian
puage OF admiration, The latter suspect
70 be the root OF the whole matter. Poets
were everlastingly praising small waists,
and women fell into the error OF surprising
that small waist was, in the abstract u
beauty and an attraction.
In view Of all this is there any wonder
that II is hard to pursuade women that
men do not admire wasp" waists? How
are thew to know that the Gimp middle"
Of the ballads was in its jimpness in pro-
portion to the shoulders? The trouble is,
that tho early rhymesters have used up
the only side Of the question capable Of
pOetical treatment. One can not sing OF
the reverse; no poet could seriously liit up
his voice in praise Of her ample waist or
"graceless portliness." In order to reach
woman's car, modern writers must adopt a
different course, and It is curious to con-
trast their utteranee with those Of the bal
lad makers. Place Charles Reade by the
side OF Douglas, and then what becomes Of
the "waist 70 weel MIGHT span?" After
showing how the liver, lungs, heart, stom-
ach and spleen arc packed BY nature, the
novelist asks: SIS 1t small thing for the
creature (who uses a corset to say to her
Creator, 4 can pack all this egg.china bet
ter than you can, and thereupon TO jam
ali those vital organs close by powerful,
very powerful, andingenious maohlne?,
Every lady should read "a simpleton,"
and learn something OF the monstroous
wrong she inhiCts upon herself by trying
tocompass an rtificially:produced middle
sac imp" 1t will prepare her for Mrs:
Haweis lessons upon the "Art OF Beauty"
One or two passages will give hint Of
their flavor: "Nothing Is so ugly as a
pinched waist; It puts the hipsand should
ers invariably out OF proportion in width.
. &c In reforming the waist almost all
the vital organs arc affected by the press
ure, and the ribs are pushed out Of their
proper place" '"Tfght.lacing is ugly, be-
cause Il distorts tho natural lines Of the
figure, and gives IN appearance OF uncer-
tainty and unsafeness. Men sell
dom take to wife girl who has too small q
waist, whether natural or artificial" "ln
architecture, a pillar or support OF any
kind is called debased and bad in art II
what Is supported is too heavy for the
thing supporting, and II base be abnor-
mally heavy and large for what 1t upholds.
The laws OF proportion and balance must
be understood. In. a waist Of Is inches
both are destroyed, and the corresponding
effect Is unpleasant to the eye. The curve
OF the waist is coarse and immoderate,
utterly opposed to what Ruskin has shown
to be beauty in curve. Real or artificial,
such waist Is always ugly; II real, It is
deformity that should be disguised; II ar
tifcial, it Is culpable, and nasty to boot"