The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-04-09
DRESSING"
The Lady of the White House Defines Her
Position ON a Delicate Subject.

rhe Lady of the White House Defines Her
Position on a Delicate Subject.
Miss Cleveland, having been sharply
criticised for encouraging immodest
dressing i'll society, a lady sends the
following letter to the Boston Tran
script which she received from Miss
'leveland IN response to a note OF in
luiry on the subject:
II nm very glad You have spoken to
me about this matter, for it gives an
opportunity to you, and through you
perhaps to others, what / have long
wished but have had no opportunity
TO say. The newspaper statement
with regard to my 'immodest Dress
and its influence in ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ing scarcity OF waists and sleeves in
other women's dress, has been sent me
several times with accompanying COM
ments, but always anonymously, so
that | have been unableto reply had |
deemed the animus Of communication
honest enough to Justify an honest re.
spouse. That has not always been
the case, But to-day | received a
note from q person who speaks Of
himself as an aged clergyman, who
signs his full name to the communiCa.
ton, and seems to be g%eriuinelv con-
cerned and friendly, although / n
scarcely reconcile the true interest and
true respect with which he signs him
self Us consistent with the credence
which he has given, apparently, to the
statement which forms the occasion Of
his protest. | should hardly feel true
interest or true respect for q person
whom / believed to be doing what the
newspaper slip represents me to
be doing, namely, using the brief
prominence of my position to
encourage habits in dress and
manners which are subversive Of
whatsoever things are pure, lovely,
honest, and of good report. Such |
believe the immodest dress of some
few society women to be, and against
SPONTANEOUSLY ! have made that ST.
lent protest which it is every woman's
right and duty to make by having my
own dress waist cut in q style, which,
so far as modesty is concerned, |
should be quite willing to have all
women, to whom this style of dress is
becoming and comfortable, follow.
II approve of evening dress which
shows neck and arms. | do not APP
prove of any dress which shows the
bust. Between the neck and bust
there is a line always to be drawn, and
it is rs clear to the most frivolous
society woman as to the ANTAGONISTS.
This line need never be passed, a and
fashionable woman's low neckeddress
need eve be immodest. Ii it is so, it
is because she prefers to be so. 1t is
wholly false, so far as | have observ-
ed, that a shocking scarcity of
waists and sleeves mark the gowns of
society women. This is sadly and pain
fully true of afew society women and
it is indeed shocking, ~nauseating, re-
voting and deserving of the utmost
denunciation on the score OF morality,
beauty, health, and every other con-
sideration which good men and wom-
EN- would conspire to preserve and ex-
act. There is need of very few words
on the subject and no argu-
ment. Any American m can
wear the waist of her evening dress up
to the lobes of her ears if she likes.
THERE'S no queen to command her APP
pearance in low corsage. She can
also, alas SO contrive her dress that
by the exposure of her person all rue
social ethics, and aesthetics as well,
are revolted. Between the two there
is an appropriate and beautiful and
modest mean, which all can, if they
will, follow"