Evening star., 1886-11-27
Major Inman said that the army in this city
TALKING AGAINST CORSETS.
Mrs. Jenners Miller Gives q Lecture f<
Her Fellow Women.

Two hSures-One Grec1an goddess, the other
fashionable woman Of the present day-were
drawn side by side on q chart that hung be-
tween the windows in the parlor OF the Temple
cafe. Wednesday afternoon. At least hundred
ladies dressed like the modern figure sat in rows
of chairs facing the chart.
II think she ought to have corsets," said q
lady who sat braced up in her chair cycling the
Grecian goddess critically. II think"
"Oh, the idea" burst out some one, and eyery
lady near by laughed.
81 don't want to be a goddess" whispered a
very fieshy lady with small waist and short
"Well, they aren't at all comfortable 1 am
always glad to get mine of" said young lady
aside aside to to- her companion, Il do wish she would
"Oh! there she comes. She is Just too sweet
In that dress. What would Annie look like
with that on?' And the young lady bowed her
arms to indicate some one Of immense size.
At this last remark there was buzz in the
cate OF grace and sworn enemy OF cOrsets step.
ped upon an imprOviSed platform. She was
dressed In one OF those pretty little half Grecian
costumes OF her own design, which have before
been described in THE STAR. She wore no cor
sets, and the garment OF sober gray material
hung in graceful folds about her form. Seen on
the street, the dress would scarcely have at
tracted especial attention for its Oddity. 1t was
not conspicuous, but IL was the center of a hun
dred pair Of critical female eyes now. The la
dies stood on their tiptoes, and some on chairs,
looking over each others shoulders to get {,
good view. For a moment every lady had
some remark to make in a half whisper
"When go on the street in this DRESS" said
Mrs. Miller, II do not attract attention. No
body looks at me-"
Idon't believe it; she is too sweet or course
they look at her." a young lady in the back OF
the room whispered enthusiastically into the
ear of q companion.
Mrs. Miller proceeded to ask the ladies all
sorts OF questions about cOrsets, which, of course
no one but woman would understand, and
from their failure TO answer or to dispute her
charges, she claimed to be master of the situa-
tion. She explained how it was the duty OF
every woman 10 be beautiful and healthy and
then showed how ugly, miserable and siclsly
cOrsets, as she claimed, made them. Some OF
the ladies were easily converted and soon be-
came eenthusiastic-as enthusiastic as they could
be with cOrsetS on. Others braced themselves
up behind their stays and remained silent.
There were skeptics present In u pleasing
voice she talked on artistic dressing. The audi
ence seemed more taken with the dress than
the logic, but they listened to the one and ex-
amined the other with much show of interest
Several asked about the sort OF material TO use:
how much 1t took, and who was her dress-
maker, and all sorts OF such questions women
will ask about dress.
Then Mrs. Miller came out In several different
costumes, and each was greeted with mur-
muir OF admiration. Finally she put hustle
under her skirt to caricature the fashion, and
everybody laughed at the ridiculous figure.
She explained her mode of dress; how comfort
aDle aud graceful 1t was, aud with what ease
she could move.
The audience manifested the deepest interest,
her.