Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-08-27
weMAx,s OPPOSITION TO POCKETS

If il is difficult 70 put in few words
that quality or trait which most dis
tinctly separates msn from the various
lower creations, it Is quite easy, on the
contrary, to tell what il is IN civilized
life that sets OF man on the one hand
from woman on the other. Is IL merely
the one who wears pockets, while vo-
man does not wear them. A woman
may possibly have one pocket, bat IL
she passes into the plural number with
this convenient receptacle. and ventures
to have two, she may be set down either
as strong minded or on the way to be so,
or else is the possessor of brain that IS
aot far from becoming In some way dis
ordered.
Women and girls do not mind assum-
ing the gentleman's style of hat, or his
collar, and will wear something that
considerably resembles a gentleman's
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 q watch chain In way
not unlike the style adopted by their
brothers, and they will affect, on occa-
sions, q cravat. Very few things there
are, indeed. in a masculine dress which
bat for some deep reasons their dis
like begins and they draw the line
of acquiescenee and departure at pock-
cts.
1t veuld be hard to tell what there is
about the innocent practical device
| which q man finds so convenient, but
which is so disturbing to a woman, or
which she cannot find it equally handy
to employ. IL man has a handker-
chief, or a penknife, or a pencil, or q
| toothpick, or a pocketbook-a few let
ters Just received, and a pair of specta-
Giles, 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
usually has two watch pockets and a
special pocket for spectacles, if he uses
them. On the top of the left-hand
sleeve of some of the listers is pocket
made especially for theater or other
tickets; and either that may be used, or
another 10 sometimes, for small change
only.
| Now, there is no one of these various
articles mentioned that a woman or a
girl does not as often possess as does
the man or the boy, besides having some
articles, possibly, that are particularly
her own. But, when she travels abroad,
what does she de with then? In mans
complete suit of clothes, when he is
dressed and has his overcoat on, there
are frequently not fewer than sixteen
pockets by actual count. In a garment
which he does not wear In the daytime,
In which a pocket was once considered
not essential, his handy device now ap-
pears And it is eminently useful
there, too, and illustrates we'll current
proyerb on hardness in general.
We have said il is mystery, to the
masculine mind at least, what il is that
| a Girl or a woman does with all the lit
tie utensils and Accomplishments which
are equally necessary to beth sexes. 10
get rid of watch pocket she sometimes
makes her belt pinch the watch on; and
the single pocket which we have admit
ted she may have is probably devoted to
her handkerchief. We say this tenta-
lively, however, not knowing certainly,
and wishing to avoid dangerous ground.
Whatever il ia used for, il is very small
almost extraordinary, in fact-and
when we have placed in it the handker-
chief it will be more than full, and prob
ably the handkerchief will hang half
/ outside.
| There is one curious thing that we do
know about this pocket matter that we
never can and never shall try to account
for. The pocketbook, 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. Ii makes no differ
ence whether a wOman's pocketbook
contains ten cents or one thousand dol
lars, she will not on any account be
induced to put it in her pocket-the
emily place in which she will carry it is
her hand.