Connecticut western news., 1880-12-22
FEMININE FOLLIES AND FOIBLES.
The Rev. J. B. Cleaver Deplores the Girl of the Period and Paints an Ideal Picture of his
 own.

an Ideal Picture of his
 own.
 An amusing and instructive lecture was delivered by the Rev. Joseph B. Cleaver in the Church of the Disciples of Christ, New York, upon the subject, Feminine Follies and Foibles." In the course of his lecture the reverend gentleman said:-There has always been vast amount of poetry thrown about that period of woman's life when, Standing with reluctant feet where the brook and rivers meet" she has ceased to be child, but is not yet quite a woman that transition time between the closed budand opening flower that we sometimes express by the term "sweet sixteen" Without being over senti- mental, we cannot deny the charms of girl thus aged, provided she be neither insufferably impudent nor incurably vain, but just nice, sweet common sense girl. Women are no longer &C., counted angels. Some of them still are wise and some foolish. The drones, the flowers, the brightest bird whose end seems song and plumage, have their use, but as for the average soclety lady, cast ill fine mould, heiress of the eter- mites, she degrades herself to the level of fashion plate, eats the bread of idle ness until the marriage, which is so sell dom mating, but rather too often le- galized concubinage, when she eats the bread of dependence, nor cares, so the cage bars be gilded, Some pretend to religion, like the fair and fat wife of a banker, who would doze and read from "zola" all day, and in the evening draw tears from the eyes of the visiting dea- con by singing, "One more days work for Jesus."
 Some affect strong -mindedness-take to views instead of honest love and kiss pet dogs instead of babies but for all their sneers, Mariolatry still points the truth that woman is never so divine as when with child in arms and mother love in eyes she appears, Gods prime ministress in the maintenance of the race. They may call it if they will Ca coarse animal instinct" but Natures sweet voice drowns theirs, and the wo, man of sound mind, level head and per. feet physique will still seek to be the one true wife of one true husband, giving him always love and faith, and never will she be so happy as when his child sleeps on her breast.
 FASHION AND soRcEREss.
 My. sister, you can best wield your in fuenke, not by unsexing yourself, but by remaining in your own true way sweetheart, wife, mother. Men contro affairs, but in turn they long to oe COL. trolled by women; and so it falls ou that woman is greater than any War wick. If woman surrenders ever itmus be the fashion, the sorceress to who's, spell all yield. Whoever has sought tc touch the subject of woman's dress ha: had thorns for pay. Woman is now { long way strayed from simple tunic ant classic robe, but will she aver that sh' has improved on them? It ought to b' less difficult to distinguish as between the followers of Lais and Phryne ant those of Aglaia and Deione. But who as matter of fact, sets the fashions Some of the current fashions are in yer, bad form in all senses. The style o waist called hour-glass," and affected | is forty six and whose waist is twenty three--this is rot only murderous, bu is not even in harmony with true taste Put Venus ill such a straitjacket and he beautiful form would soon be ruined Then, too, what shall we say of the full dress, which is so nearly undress We'll about all modest man can do is to blusl and look the other way. Rabelais de scribed 1t: "Nothing in front, nothing behind, and sleeves of the same" Thes ladies mean no harm they only wish t' be fashionable--that is all. And whel they pay the bill--when consumption claims them--the officiating clergyman says sweet things about them an, charges God with manslaughter, as h. solemnly calls it {" a mysterious dispen sation of an all wise Providence"
 MT. Cleaver adverted to the abuse o the toilet, of harmful novel reading, O that indefnable something called ''flirt ing," and said in conclusion: "Youni ladies, I would have you remember tha !, your character is your most preciou !, possession. Lost once, who can regal it? A lily not broken, only marred b. finger touch, blighted by an evil mind is valueless. Who desires it2 Refus maidenhood is drug in the market Men may stare at loudness and laug at slang, but they do not seek thes qualities in their wives. The youn woman to whom 'home' means only
 feeding station or a repair shop-suc girl is not calculated to make the mos rational of wives. Yes, know men ar brutes, perfect brutes bot then som brutes, you remember, are very set i their way. I know something of mer and I can tell you that if you were bu simpler in your tastes and truer to trut your influence on them would be fc } greater good; marriages would be hal } pier, life more nearly delight and tn - dockets of the police courts less lengthy So should you introduce the ideal Amer r can maiden-sweet, yet sturdy; capable ! though caressing; helpful and holy 3 beautiful as Venus and modest as tn l violet; the country's pride and boast l the girl whom the aged sires would pro 3 tect with their lives, and whom tn young men would gladly endow wit