The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1884-04-09
Follies and roibles OF Won IN.

A. the annual meeting OF the Ma
tional Women Suffrage Association o
Massachusetts in Boston Tuesday, Mis-
Nancy Willard Covell, 81 eaking on
''Tbe Reason Why" said that she had
been called upon to ill the unwelcome
part OF telling some of the follies aud
foibes of women. After making some
sharp and facetious comments on the
self assumed greatness of man and his
oppression Of women, Miss Covell spoke
of the marked difference in compensa'
ton paid women for rendering the
same service rs men, aud tended that
the fact that woman was paid less was
due to her lack of the power of the bal
lot, which was claimed to be- worth
fifty cents a day to any laboring man.
Speaking Of the different vocations of
life, she contended that, because wo-
man had never opposed man in enter.
ing her sphere, in becoming cooks, mil.
liners and dressmakers, she had out
done him in fairness. In speaking of
the condition of women of to-day, she
said all that girls are taught is to he
pretty aud hide their faults and read
love stories and crochet and make
sponge cake, until some one asks them
to marry. So the poor creatures through
fear they will miss their chances and
fail to marry begin, very early to pinch
themselves in some places and pad
themselves In others. Sometimes they
wear clothing enough to founder n ship,
and again It is pronounced "lovelyo to
appear without any to speak Of With
the injunction ringing in their ears,
"whatever you do, be pretty" girls
paint their lips and crock their eye
brows, and take opium TO make their
eyes soft and arsenic to make their
complexion clear. 1t was an unfortu-
nate day when Paul or somebody else
said that the joy OF woman was her
hair. What uameiess aud untold tor
tuies hes this appendage of the human
body not been subjected to ? 1t has
been filled with traits" aud mice" he.
roically pulled out 10y The roots to make
the forehead high, glued to the fure
head with extract of quince seed, aii,ii
again brought over the eyes In tangled
snares. 1t has been cnrled on overbot
irons, and then allowed to float free far
down the back 1t has been pulled and
frizzled and powdered aud curled and
CREASED and banged, done up high or
low, made longer or shorter, or dyed
black or blonde, In strict accordance
with the caprice Of the tickle goddess
of fashion, Does the Grecian bend re-
qure them TO look like a detected
monkey, straightway they become
limp in body, and chatter that they do
mt do 1t because II is fashion lit Is per
fectly natural for them. To day they
drag innumerable yards of dry goods
the streets, and tomorrow they
appear la tie-backs so close that ii il Il,
the risk of their lives that hey attempt
to board "a railroad train. Now the
head Is surlnounted by "a bonnet the
size of postage stamp, aud then 10y
one larger than an umbrella. Some.
times women are supposed to have
hips, and then, everybody no matter
how slender, grows broader than
donkey with paniers. Then hips are
abolished and 10 trace Of them can be
discovered. II snakes and bugs be-
come fashionable us ornaments. the
snakes and bugs become "pe rfectly
lovely" aud the very girl who shrieked
at the sight OF spider, shippers, sin
pers, they are just too lovely for amy
thing" When ind, scent beads become
one has only To wait liz
tie, and every woman becomes walk
Ing rail- bow. Now cardinal Il the rage,
and then old goli; nov mi Is. aud then
twelve-button gloves; now ple+tlns,
aud then Tutil--; now hens, aud then
facings; now waists are long ani the
ribs are laced down until there adhere
10 the liver. aud then waists get shorter
and an oppor unity is given to breathe.
In short, wnman's enslavement by
fashion has resolved life for her into an
eternal game of "wigwsg," aud until
she escape. this bondage there is 40
mental life for her. All this, the
speaker contendet, Is the ouigIowih Of
he oppress ion of man IN rot giving
noman All opportunity to develop her
'elf mentally aud in not giving her II
ociai position equal To his own.
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