Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1884-04-18
WOMAN VS.. WOMAN.
The False Education of Girls
shown Up by One 'Em.

AT the annual meeting of the National
Woman Suffrage Association of Massaclu-
setls in Boston on Tuesday of last week,
Miss Nancy Willard Covel, speaking on
"The Reason Why" said that she had
been called upon to fill the unwelcome
part ot telling some of the follies and fsi-
bles of woman.
III speaking of the condition OF women
of to day, she said all that girls are taught
il to he pretty and hide their faults and
read love stories and crochet and make
sponge cake, until some one asks th IN to
marry. So the poor creatures through
fear they will miss their chances and fail
to marry, begin veiy early to pinch them
selves in some places and pad themselves
in others. Sometimes they wear clothing
enough to founder a ship, and again il is
pronounced "lovely" to appear without
any to speak OF. With the injunction
ringing In their ears, "Whateyer you do,
be pretty" girls paint their lips and crook
their eyebrows, and take opium TO make
their eyes soft and arsenic 10 make their
complexion clear.
II WAS an unfortunate day when Paul or
somebody else said that the Joy Of woman
was her hair. What nameless and untold
tortures has this appendnge Of the human
body not been subjected to? 1t has been
filled with "rats' and "mice," heroically y
pulled ont by the roots TO make the fore.
head high, glued to the forehead with ex-
tract of ounce seed. and again brought
over the eyes in tangled snares. 1t has
been curled with over-hot irons, and then
allowed 10 float free FAR down The back; il
has been pulfed and fri1zed and powdered
and curled, and CREASED and banged, done
up high or low, made longer or shorter
or dyed black or blonde. in strict accord.
ance with the caprice OF the fickle goddess
OF fashion.
Does the Grecian bend require them TO
look like detected monkey, stiaightway
they become limp in body, and chatter that
they do not do il because il ia faslion-il
is perfectly natural for them. To- day they
drag immeasuruble yards OF dry goods
through the streets, and Tomorrow they
appear in lie-backs so close that il is at tie
riak OF their lives that they attempt to
board railroad train. Now the head il
surmonnieL by a bonnet the size of post.
age stamp, and then by ore larger than an
umbrella. Sometimes women are supposed
10 have hips, and then everybody, NJ mat
'tI Nv" hitHuSiy Bip"H Wp"''i wv" "
donkey will, paniers. Then hips are abel
ished. aud no trace Of them can be dis
covered
II snakes and bugs become fashionable
as ornaments, the ~ .kes and bugs become
| perfectly lovely" and lle very girl who
sl,rieked at the sight OF II spider, nimpers
They are just ino lovely for anything
When iridescent beads become fashionable
one has only to wait n litle. aud ever,
woman becomesa walking rainbow. Now
cardinal IN the rage, aud the old gold, nov
MitiH, and then twelve'hmtton glo7es; nov
pleaiings, and Then rnfile.; now lenis. and
then lacings; now waists are long and ih'
ribs are laced down until they ndhere II
the liver. and ll,en waists get shorter, arr
an Opportunity IL given 10 breathe. IL
short, weman's en.iavemeni by fashion
has resolved lie for her into an elerna
game OF "wigwag," and until she escapes
this bondage there Ia no mental life fo
her. All this. the speaker contended, Il
the ougrowlh Of the oppression Of man II
not giving woman an opportunity 10 de
yelop herself mentally and in not giving
her social position equal to his own.