Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-03-30

dents sister, who probably had seen nothing
equal to 1t among the women with whom she
has been brought in contac, since her broth
er's elevation.
The truth is that our notions as to modesty
or immodesty In woman's dress are largely,
IL not chiefly, conventional, so that, up to
certain point what Ia customary seems
modest The Turks estimation of woman
Is low aud gross, and vet he will not endure
the sight of his wives In public with their
faces exposed and in other countries where
women are degraded they are kept bundled
up from view, except in the presence of their
lords or of each other. But Christian civili-
zatior everywhere demands that feminine
beauty shall be seen, and wherever that
civilization has reached its highest develop
ment the practice against which Miss Cleye-
land inveighs so violently, has continued
to prevail, though other fashions OF women's
dress have undergone multitude of
changes In every country where women
are most highly honored and most tenderly
cherished, and where respect for woman is
most complete and sincere, it may be said
generally that the line drawn by Miss Cleve-
land Is always ignored in the full dress of
the best women.
This style of dress has been worn by the
most admirable of women in all generations.
u was worn by our grandmothers, the ball
dress. AT the beginning OF this century, for
| instance, having bee described as "nothing'
| but chemise OF pink silk y aud yet Miss
| Cleveland would hardly denounce the
| Wthitu va thht ltIluu llillhpbcSt, vi cShN
that in spite of their low.cut gowns woman
| ly purity continued untarnshed among
| them. The evening costume of the present
l time, so Ia from being more generous in its
| display OF feminine charms than that of past
| periods, is rather more reserved in that re-
| spect even in its freest manifestations, al
| though those who have but lately become IA
| mliar with the social customs OF great cap
itals may think differently. Perhaps
dresses may now be worn trile lower in
| the United States than was the case ten or
| fifteen years ago but in Paris and London
the line drawn by Miss Cleveland has never
been respected during that time.
| Nor is there intrinsically any more inn
modesty in showing the beautiful curve o
the bosom than there is in exposing the neck
| and chest, the arms and shoulders The eN
| hibition, too, is quite as unassailabe on
aesthetic grounds as 1t is on grounds of taste
and morality. We observe also that as
general thing the denunciation of the fashion
is apt to be more ardent to the young Il
whom niggard nature has denied the beauty
they insist should be concealed, or in the ole
and sickly in whom 1t has passed its bloom
so that they no longer dare to confront tn,
air for fear of ague and catarrh.
However, there need be no dispute on thu
, question The beautiful will continue to de
! light society with their beauty, and tn,
others will only follow the law of wisdom il
avoiding the attempt to do what is impossi
BILE. Meanwhile Tor all those, beautiful o
not, who share Miss Cleyeland's opinion
only one course is open, and that is to ODE,
their conscience whether the world agree
; with them or not