The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-03
WISE WORDS FOR WOMEN.
WHY THEY H1TE DELTCfTE AND
PREC1RIOUs HEfLTII


Healthy Headaches nnd ucnrtnchcs.
From n, cn,,nnJoran,ous R,r,,r
What are the causes of the valctudnarian-
Ism OF ladies?
First, OF course. there is n considerable class
Of inherited mischief. feeble constitutions con-
genital tendencies TO chronic troubles. govt.
dyspepsia. and so on. due 20 the errors of either
parent. or to their evil heritage OF the same. All
that need be said here on this topic Is that such
eases must necessarily go on multiplying al
bJinitun till mothers regain the vigor which
alone permits them to transmit healthy con-
yituton TO their children.
Next to hereditary petite sdnie. we como to
cases where the habits of the sufferers them
selves are the cause OF the mischief: and these
are OF two kinds-ono resulting from what IL
good and unsclilsh. and one from what is bad
and frivolous. in the disposition Of women.
Women aie generally prudent enough about
.heirmoney that is. of their own money. not that
,f their husbands. l have heard an obscrvant
man remark that he never knew n wcll-con-
Quoted woman who OF her own fault, became
bankrupt But, as regards their health the
very best OF women have propensity to live on
their capital. Their nervous energy. stimulated
either by conscience or affection or intellectual
interests. suffces to enable them to postpone
perpetually the calls OF their bodies for food
their physical strength. and fail 70 lodge corr
responding sums of restoring rest and nutri-
ment Their physical instincts ara not impe-
rious. like those Of men and thoy habitually
disregard them when they mako themselves
felt. till poor Nature. continually snubbcd when
she makes her modest requests. ceases to press
for daily settlement Of her little bill and re-
nerves herself to put in an execution 10y and by.
II we study the condition of Mr. John Bull In
his robust middle age. we shall notice that for
forty years. with few Interruptions. he has en-
ioyed those regular meals" on which Tenny-
sons Northern Farmer lays such stress as the
foundation OF general stability Of character.
He has also walked. ridden. rowed. skated.
smoked his cigar and gone to his bed tas nearly
as circumstances permitted when the inclina.
ton seized him. Pretty nearly the reverse Of
this has happened in the ease Of Mrs
Bull Almost her first lesson In childhood was
to check. control. and conceal her wants and
miseries and by the time she has grown up
she has acquired the habit Of postponing them
as matter Of course; 10 the smallest convcn-
ience of A. b, C., ana ID. father. mother. brothers.
even servants. whom she will not put out Of
their way for herself. though no one would so
much rs think whether they had way To be
put out Of for her brothers. The more strain
there Is upon her strength. by sickness IN the
house or any misfortune. the more completely
sho efInc"s and forgets herself and her physical
wants. recklessly relinquishing sleep and neg
lrciing food. When the pressure is relieved.
and the nervous tension which supported her
relaxed. the woman breaks down. rs il muttcr Of
course. perhaps never 10 enjoy health again.
IL must be borne in mind. also. in estimating
awoman's chances Of health that If she neg
iect to think of herself there is seldom anybody
y do for her what she does for her husband.
Nobody reminds her 10 change her boots when
they are damp; nobody joys her memory rs To
the EMBELLISHMENTS OF this or that beverage
or comestible or gives her the little cossctings
which so often ward OH colds and similar petty
ilIs;, Mess the woman liv, with with SISTER
VI friend II must he scored one against her
chances rs compared 10 man. that she has no
wife.
found resulting from lingering survival
among us of the idiotc notion that there Is
something peculiarly lady-lke III invalid
Ism. pallor. small appetite, and u languid mode
vi speech and manners. The very word deli.
cacy." properly term 81 praise, being applied
vulgarly toa vaetudinary condition l. evidence
that the impression OF the " dandirs - OF siAty
years ago that refinement and Slrkincs- were
conyertible terms. is not ye, wholly exploded.
We have advanced indeed somewhat bryond
this wretched uifsctatiun in our day. and young
ladies' are not required by its bitnsednc's tocx-
hlbit Al table the public habits of ghoul. In u
few cases. perhaps. We may Opine that women
have gone 10 the opposite extreme. and both eat
ana drink more than Is desirable. But yet We
are obviously not wholly Tree from the deli
cacy" delusion. We are not ~ clear rs We
ought To be on the point that though beauty in
ciudes other elements. yet health = Us sme qua
non. and that no statursque nobility OF form
tnuch less a plnched waist and painted iaccl
.an constitute u beautiful living human cr"a-
ture. who lacks the tokens @; hrati-clear eyes
viear skin. rich hair. good teeth. II cool. soft
hand. a breath like a. bunch OF cOwsliIs. and u
Tree and Joyous carriage OF the head and limbs.
We will now touch ON the subject ut dress
which plays 80 important "A purt in the health Of
women that IL must here be- treated somewhat
al length. a little girl in a London sunday
school, being asked By a visitor why God
made the flowers OF the leld?' replied mot un-
conscious OF TIC GORGEOUS paper poppy IN her
own bonnet Pleas. ma'am. ! suppose for
hcipate some answer scarcely less WIDE OF the
mark than that Of this sophisticated little
srown women Why DO YOU Wear r. clothes .it J,
lneir most natural response would obviously
he, TO he III the inshion. Wncn We have
sisibly wandered long way from she path Of
reason. the best thing We IAN do II 10 look back
t. the starting point and IND out. If possible,
where we have divergcd. In the matter NJ
rAmeni that starting point j. not hard 10 find J.
indeed. to marx II Ii only 10 state ~ series OF
Human clothing has three rdisOns Ieire.
@ni,h, IA order of precedence. are these:
H. Dn~ncy
Ill. Beauty.
hru.th demands.
!. Maintenance of proper temperature OF the
boiy Dy exclusion OF excessive heat and cold
:. Protection from injury by rain. snow. dust.
uIlt. stones 10 the feet, insects. ".
]. Preservation Of liberty of action 10 all the
organs OF the body and freedom from pressure.
Dec"ncy demands
4. Concealment OF some portions Of the hui
mum frame.
8, Distinction between the hnbilimcnts Of men
and women sufficient to avert mistake.
=. Fitness 10 the nge and character Of the
wearer.
Z. Concealment. when possible VI any dis
gusting personal defect.
Beauty demands
y. Truthiulness. The dress must b. genuine
throughout, without any false pads. ialse hair.
VI false anything.
=. Graceful forms Of drapery.
10. Harmonious cOlOrs
ii. Such moderate consistency with prevail
ing modes of dress rs shall produce the impress
sion OF socabity and suaylty. aud avoid that VI
self assertion.
IL. Individuality: the dress itng the wearer
as II It were an outer body belonging 10 the same
soul.
BE II noted that the fulhment Of this highest
condition OF tasteful dress necessarily limits
the number OF costumes which each person
should wear on similar occasions. No one body
Gun be adorned III several equally suitable suits
Of clothes, any more than one soul could DC
httingy housed in twenty different bodics.l
CHANGING buck over the above table. we ind
this curious fact The dress OF men in all
Western nations meets fairly all the conditions
u health and decency, and fails only on the
side Of beauty. The dress of women. on the
contrary, ever variable ~ 1t H.. perSistently
misses the conditions Of health; frequently vio-
iates the rules of dccency; instead OF securing
beauty, al which it aims first instead Of last.
achieves. usually. ugiincss.
IL Is 10 be remembered for our consolation
and encouragement that men have arrived at
thelr present good SENSE in dress only within
&o or lhrce generations. a hundred years
tko the lords OF creation set brauty above
health or convenience. Just US the ladies DO