Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-10-07

Ids b e c
ows letters from nesrIy every State anc
irlsory, from England, Sweden, Mr..
w, Frsnce, Germany, Italy. Some o.
VS. letters come from women who are
gsIly hoping that l shall reply in the
= gsilve, with anniailatiug mortality
owing into every word from the poiat 0!
yny p.p; others write in spirit of cu.ios.
gity, while still others, attacked by prejI-
oict, seem 10 think thst every woman
Whosa work or words are CT any public
interest whatever, should be compelled to
put herself on record fer or against.
To bs perfectly honest 1 must confess
that the decollete dress pure and sim pie
does not appeal TO me with the force Of 8
moral question, bus merely rs q mater
OF custom. The shock occGsioned the
dear soul from the country who gees a
semi nude society woman is the first
time cannot be likeped to auythirg excsp,
the shock whioh the same society dame
would feel in stumbling upon wholly
nude savage OF the forest-.he shock OF
the unusual.
The sbsence or presence of clothing is
certainly not the criterion by which to
Judge Ct the individual z.ate Of morality,
for N Jrslity can never be regarded IS a
negstivs virtue. A nude woman msy De
as chssss 81 tina ms-oie unless degraded
by impure thoughts and actions.
The sweetest rose bud Of 8 girl that l
ever knew, creature pure as an angeI,
fragrant with innocence, and Instinctlvely
modest as q violet, showed mo her first
I-sss, above which her snowy shoul-
anf leck rose in maiden lovelineee,
Without blush demanded to know
her her dress would have been pref
I cut an inch lower.
ere was nothing suggestive to'thie
young creature in displaying her
and trns. The question did not
IN her minds this modest or i'm
sss, but only is It becoming in point
besuty7 Her mother and grand
ther before her had so worn their
sss, and all Of the grand dames OF
oqusintsnce appeared decollete as g
er Of course. To her il was not in
Fst, il WAS custom-Thst she had
used to sll her life. SIZE did not
know thst there are persons who re-
the decollete dress ss shameless ex-
re tJf the person ard q sin sgainst
Pity; and hek pretty eyelids would
lifted in gEuine surprise had the
bskn tSfher.
the other hand, in rursl conmuni-
where the fashion OF covering the
!. obtains; where girl Is educated 20
cost ecrupulous concealnent Of her
sIIers, neck snd bosom, although she
lays her arms with sleeves rolled
soout her homely household duties,
covering is fraught with the most &C.
suggestiveness-it is almost wanton!
Tow onrh vuornap thGrp ic M
Y but OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES else is
Id and Objectionable, disgusting to
els neighbors and productive Of whis-
fed jokes snd iibes among the evil
rded.
Court etiquette demands the dscollete
ess ;leisurely ultra-isshionsbles sanction
wear IT, and within these social cir
there can be no moral objection &c
1.-THE question resolving Itself into the
1ple one of heslth-if whether il is
dent and advisable from the physio-
cd standpoint 10 cover the neck ahd
warmly by day and expose them to
bit and sudden cold by night
we no doubt that this position or
Fl will be surprise to SONS, snd
be asked how l csn possibly take
b stand II the face Of the fact that
of the conspicuous moralists OF tee
e bending their energies 20 the os
y Fl this form OF full Gress; but l
AMI compelled 10 speak the truth as per-
ceive iii
immortality is state Of seton and not
of being. When simple exposure carries
with 1t no immodess suggestiyeness the
cblaetion to 1t becomes nil, Gnd it would
certainly be G work Of supsreTogstion 10
attempt to prove immodesty where cause
and effect belle each other.
There are Thousands Of worpeg, b2yord
,oues;iop, morally pure, whose education
Md fortunate freedom from haTeher rEd
Auder contact with the cosTseT places Of
ve. have made them involuntsriiT esnsi-
ne TO indellcacy Of speech, manner and
bits; who appear nightly In the Gecol-
dress. These women constitute the
ealled higher soci.l clIc.es; and they
N most cases lsdies-barrirg such as
n wealth or political intrigue hsye
@ into their midst, without the
inilg and breeding Of the social world;
to attempt to prove that these ladies'
guilty OF offense against morality IL
r punctilious observance CT
time .honored custom, is little
less than absurd. Il can.
not even be shown thst such exposure
Smorg them induces immortality smong
kaen,-tor men who are accustomed 10
The decollete dress worn by mothers and
tsters, all OF their lives, hsve 10 thought
Gceruirg the fashion-h passes with
Ia almost unnoticsd-or IL noticed at
merely to call forth such encom.um On
(euttul neck SIS the beauties Of fsce
suggest. There Is With them no
i and far reaching .snNys.s OF its
~ or immortality. II is custom,
else.
Judgment, she decouete dress be-
thing to be avoided the moment
(nsn feels her fist blush 81 so
\er neck and breast.
etsnt tendency OF the eye In
live Is undoubtedly toward
pirate moral Show structures;
\be no doubt bat ceItait
\erenL il our coEmJl nu-
Eompts the best, no less
US, to wish at times to
Porste works Of human
Is and return to etste
simplicity. Ae1east
among US ought TO
evil significance shall
acts end Dtates OF
surrounding us.
the line sgsinsi
pcs with parsons,
palities is where