New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1884-08-20
Woman's opposition to Pockets.

II it is difficult to put in few words
that quality or trait, which most dis
tinctly separates man from the various
lower creations, it is quite easy, on the
contrary. to tell what it is in civilized
life that sets off man on the one hand
from woman on the other. It is, mere
y, the ono who wears pockets. while
woman does not wear them. A woman
may possibly have one pocket, but If
she passes into the plural number with
this convenient receptacle, and ven
lures to have two, she may be set down
either rs strong-minded, or on the way
to be so, or else is the possessor Of q
brain that is not far from becoming, in
some way, disordered.
Women and girls do not mind as
Stunning the gentleman's style ofhat, or
his collar, and will wear something
that considerably resembles . gentle
mans coat, boots and ulster; they will
carry diminutive canes, and cut their
hair short, but they are unanimously
and unalterably opposed to pockets.
They will dispose Of watch-chain in
q way not unlike the style adopted BY
their brothers, and they will affect. on
OOC0SAVASS . C10V0ts. cry low ku4ukS
there are, indeed. in a masculine dress,
which they do not freely accept or imi-
tate, but for some deep reason their
dislike begins, and they draw the line of
acquiescence and departure at pockets.
1t would be hard to tell what there
is about the innocent practical device
which a man finds so convenient which
is so disturbing to woman, or which
she cannot find it equally handy to en-
ploy. If man has handkerchief or
q penknife, or pencil. or toothpick,
or pocket-book-a few letters just
received. and q pair of spectacles, if
he is middle-aged-he puts them in his
pocket. In fact, he does not know
what else to do with them. His clothes
are so made that they will carry all
these things and many more. He us
ually has two watch pockets, at least.
and q special pocket for spectacles, if
he wears them. On the top Of the left
hand sleeve of some of the listers is q
pocket made especially for theater or
other tickets; and either that may be
used, or another is sometimes, for small
change only.
Now, there is no one of these various
articles mentioned that q girl or q wo-
man does not as often possess as does
the boy or the man, besides having
some articles, possibly, that are par
ticularly her own. But when she trav-
els abroad what does she do with theme
In q mans complete suit of clothes
when he is dressed, and has his over
coat on, there are frequently not fewer
than sixteen pockets by actual count
In garment which he does not wear
in the daytime, in which q pocket was
not once considered essential, his handy
device now appears. And it is emf
nently useful there, and illustrates we'll
current proverb on hardness in gen.
eral.
We have said it Is a mystery, to the
masculine mind at least what it is that
girl or woman does with all the lit
tie utensils and accompaniment which
are equally necessary to both sexes
To get rid of watch-pocket she
sometimes makes her belt pinch the
watch on; and the single pocket which
we have admitted she may have, is
probably devoted to her handkerchief.
We say this tentatively, however. not
KNOWING certainty anu WlSnlng 10
avoid dangerous ground. Whatever It
is used for, it is very small almost exc
traordinary, in fact-and, when we
have attached to it the handkerchief,
it will be more than full, and probably
the handkerchief will visibly obtrude
and run over.
There is one curious thing We do
know about this pocket matter. that we
never can, and never shall try to ac-
count for. The pocket-book, SO named
because it was either made expressly
to carry in the pocket or the pocket
was first made expressly to carry it,
women and girls do not carry there. It
makes no difference whether q wo-
mans pocket book contains ten cents
or $1,000. she will not be on any ac-
count, induced to put it in her pocket
tho only place she will carry It is in
hnr hands