Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-05-12
WOMEN AND WOMEN.
A Plain, Straightforward ld-FashiOned
Talk from "MOther Goose" In
spired by One Of the
Spicy Letters Of Naughty "Clara Belle
Words o. Wisdom, Well Worth
A Careful Perusal.

"Into the jaws of death; into the mouth of
hellP' The language is Tennyson's, the
application is "Clsra Bells" the disgust Is
every right-thinking persons when they find
her sirily applying them in form of preface
to description of ladies' y reception IN
a public bar-room. When woman frankly
asserts that she felt it TO be her duty to
attend a reception given by an assassin in
public bar-room for the purpose of gathering
fashion items for the paper for which she
is a correspondent, old-fashioned folk may
we'll exclaim at the evil tendencies OF the
times and utter their feeble protest against
such perverted use of the word duty" In
this age of social INSTRUMENTATION we are
at liberty TO think what we please OF folks
who hold such unique ideas of duty about
the ladies who furnish fashion items in the
atmosphere of a bar-room, and about the
paper that pauders to vitiated public appe-
lite for attractive horrors The country has
two guardians of its veal that every good
citizen desires to hold in exaltation-the
purity of its women and its press; when both
these seem lettering TO their fall small blame
to those who lift up their voices in warning.
For fear every one may not clearly under
stand what "Moiher Goose" il disquieting
herself about now, permit her to quote from
"Clara Bells" letter of May 9th, written
from New York to the Cincinnati Enquirer:
80 state the matter plainly, l went TO the
reception Wnlcn Neu stokes, the handsome
assassin of Jim Fisk, gave in his bar-room.
"One of the invitations fell under my eyes
invitations generally fall under the eyes OF
those for whom they are meant, CLARA" and
/ resolved to see the spectacle which / knew
was bound TO be presented on that occasion.
Friendly remembrance was useless as it
was in Ewes frat easel, / felt that duty
called, and in the interest OF these letters
obeyed. Such an opportunity TO study dress
md a m
spicy correspondent then goes on to tell us
that over 1000 invitations were sent in equal
proportions TO the "unquestionably respecta-
BILE. doubtful and unquestionably bad" ladies
of New York, and gives the average attend
ance by the three classes. Ali OF which
Firsl--Such is the tyrannical exac-
ton OF the public in the mighty
matter of "dresses and dress" that female
correspondents must cater to that taste even
at the risk of their own womanly purity, for
can one touch pitch and not be defiled?
Second-Ladies OF "unquestionable respect
ability" who would (let us presume for the
sake OF charity guard their own thresholds
isalously from invasion by the "unquestion-
ably bad" are yet willing to mingle harmo-
niously with their fallen sisters in the safely
neutral ground of public bar room kept by
an assassin One marvels, touching the fret
conclusion, that Broadway, Central Park, all
the churches and theaters of Gotham, all the
spring openings and other orthodox displays
of fine birds in fue feathers should
prove insufficient to satisfy the in
| satiable "Clara's" demand for 'items"
| for the Enquirer. One simply mar
vels, touching the second conclusion, that
such things can be. En- pdssant, the Cincin-
natl Enquirer is the paper that records go
| faithfully all of "Gath's" sneers at Southern
women Two facts in Southern womanology
proved too much for "Gath's" philosophical
equipoise-the fact that Southern women
seemed afraid of showing their feet in public,
and the cumbrous sun bonnets they hid
| themselves under. | think it would have
| been in order for Mr.. Stokes TO have fur
nished his guests that are classed as "doubt-
| full" with supply of Southern sun-bonnets,
under which to hide the bushes we will give
| them credit for.) the airy facility with
which "Clara Belp' giides from graphic
description of Bouguereau's picture
"Nymphs and Satyr" Zone OF the attrac-
| tions of the occasion, whose indecenciec
have been stamped with a ten-thousand-
dollar stamp of responsibility to her legiti-
| M ate vein. fabrics and forms, silks and shir
rings, pufs and paniers, is highly creditablt
| to her pen, if not to her principles. Mr.
| Stokes. we are incidentally informed, divided
the attention OF the "rapturous women" with
Bouguereau's "Nymphs and Satyr." Honori
were easy. There is nothing like handsome
face and figure to help a man or a woman
tide over an ugly turn in their affairs. Being
| a handsome assassin does not, ii would seem
convey the same notion OF moral obliquity
as would an ugly assassin. ii the ghastly
vision of a murdered man should ever haun
Mr.. Ned Slokes's waking hours, all he woulC
have TO do to bid the troublesome ghos
"down" won d be to give ladies' reception
in his handsome ber-room, where 1.-THE raptur
GUS women would crowd round him il
alteration" and their bright smiles woulo
haunt him instead of Jim Fisk's dying stare
Virtue is appeased by being informed tina
Josie Mansfield was not there. We are no
much surprised to learn that a "red-noset
old chap VINO toddled in as though to get hi
MORNINGS sling retreated amazedly." Verify
that man who could face lady in a bar
room unamszedly must needs be creature
with cheeks of brass and nerves Of steel. Ii
view OF all things, "Ciara's" Ignorance
what it is III at men do drink in the mornins
-"is it cocktails or slings?" is truly touch
ing. Since the world began the mora
strength and integrity of the men OF a coun
try has bcen in due proportion TO the purIt.
and dignity of its women. As social fac
tor she cannot be overrated. As he
heme influence is blessed or bale
husbands BE- She may invade tn
pulpit, the rostrum and the high places O
The land with mistaken zeal for the reform
OF existing abuses. Women may pray il
armies over the intemperate, they may de
claim in clubs against oppression. they ma.
lecture in private and in public until cracl
o doom without effect, so long as they sho,
themselves careless of that proud reserve, tina
dainty dignity, that womsnly disgust for al
moral uncIeanness that are her own sures
safeguards and the most powerful weapon
against the assaults of the world, the feel
and the devil. Duty took "Clara Bell" to tn
bar-room of an assassin, "into the mouth Q
hell" Duty took Matte Stevenson into tn
midst of deadly epidemic, 'into the jaw
of DEATH" Verify there are women-an
womenl MOTHER GOOSE.