The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-04-26
THE GOWN MUST GO.
War on the Mother Hubbard Dress
How Female Dressed in One H0r-
rified o Party of Gentlemen.
The Foolish Fashion.


The Foolish Fashion.
The Mother Hubbard" dress must go.
Judge Thompson. of Louisville, Ky, has
opened the ball against this costume, and
the police of that city have been ordered
to suppress mother Hu5bards upon the
streets The precedent was established
the other day when a young lady appeared
on the streets in pink mother Hubbard
and was arresteda and fined So
The mother Hubbard style of dress was
introduced into this country two years
ago by Mrs. Langtry, the Jersey Lily"
Mrs Langtry's maid used to boast that
her mistress wardrobe consisted among
other elaborate and costly toilets of five
beautiful mother Hubbards which cost on
an average $3.50 apiece Whenever the
Jersey lily wished to make an impression
upon some great person she received them
in the parlor and always looked lovely in
mother Hubbard. When she drove out
in the evening with Mr. Frederick Geb-
hard, she sometimes wore one of the $3.50
gowns. with its loose corsage lace, and
diamonds.
Of course the style was quickly and ex
tensively copied by the wealthy women of
theland, and finally the smaller fry i'm
itatcd it in modest way as to material,
until last year the gentler sex, from tod
ding babies to aged grand mothers, and
from deep dusky damseIs to fair, crushed
strawberry blondes We're to be seen daily
wearing mother Hubbards.
When this foolish fashion first struck
the west there were many amusing Incl
dents in connection with it. 1t was some
time before the modest damsels would
appear on the streets in mother Hubbard.
They sort of practiccd with the thing at
home for while to get used TO it, and
after this great feat had been accomplished
thev came forth in Il blaze of short WASTED
glory The effect of this suddtn appan-
ton on the public streets was wonderful.
1t is well known that St Joseph, Mo,
Is tough town II takes something
pretty tough to astonish the average citi
zen of that place of bad whisky and six
shooters, but mother Hubbard dress
almost caused a tragedy there.
1t happened some time ago, A mother
Hubbard was an uuheard of thing in 81
Joe at the time and the episode occurred
in this manner: Oae OF the fashionable
bellies of the city had seen a mother Hub
bard, and of course she must have one
She got it, and one day walked dowa one
of the principal streets Of the city, the oh
served of all observers Suddenly as she
passed IA saloon door party of gentle
men who had been vigorously punching
billiard balls and quenching their thirst
dropped everything and rushed out on thu
street. They gazed after the girl in aston
ishment, and some of them were heard /,
remark that she must have escaped from
a lunatic asylum. Finally the young lad.
was halted and questioned, and she eX
planned amid smiles and bushes that tn
thing she was wearing was new styl
dress. One fellow blurted ont that h
thought she was walking in her sleep
Another said it was an outrage on the dc
cency and morals of the city for woma
to be seen OF the street in such costume
Another yelled out that woman VIII
r would so forget herself as to appear in
dress of that kind ought TO he hanged t
, lamp post A fourth exclaimed tbs
1 they had better string the one before ther
\ up and thus prevent the spread of t.
t disgraceiul fashion. After much discus
2 sion the terrified maiden was allowed I
| go, and it is perhaps needless to add til:
=. mother Hubbards have never been popu
e lar in ST. Joe.
e There were sensible ladies who oppose
the dress, but being Fashionable it impo
e ed upon them, and it was duly and wide,
e imposed upon the public. 1t is no douI
I a comfortable costume for indoor Wea
b but the loose, bag-shaped thing shouI
) never be worn on the streets or in publ
- places Discreet mothers have long sine
r noticed the loose suggestiyeness of the.
It dresses and have refused to allow the
!. daughter to wear them.
II OF late no class has worn mother HUI
o bards more extensively than the dem
9. monde, and it is against them that Il
|. action of the Louisville authorities
a chiefly directed. Why respectable your
q ladies should desire to wear costun
It that has become almost badge of til
lie outcasts of their sex, and which was e
e tablished in this country by marie
woman who has made herself notorio,
= throughout the country by receiving Il
3 attention of fast New York city YOU
> man with more money than brains, al
/ the chief among ten thousand dudes,
? hard to understand. The mother Hul
! bard dress should be laid away, TO
! lonka1 -ond lauuhp1 about in wears
u come as a ridiculous conceit of fooli
a fashion.
0
THE LADY IN BLACK.