The Washington critic., 1889-01-28
BUSTLE OR NO BUSTLE +?
WOMEN VERY WELL KNOWN IN THE
WORLD SAY 1T MUST GO.
Mrs. Brown Potter, Mary Anderson,
Celia Logan. Ella Wheeler Wilcox,
Mrs. Cleveland, Mrs. LnpRtry and Miss
Kate Field Agree on this Point.
Must the hustle 90 2"


brain as the elevator went up and up and
| felt that must be nearing Miss Kate
Fields eyrle in the Victoria. As a rea-
sonably valuable small boy of my family
says: 81 ask you, ask you" Dared l
ask such frivolous question Of such a
bright woman
ooh, its you, is it? thought an inter-
viewer must be a man. Well, as your
u woman you may take low chair. l
had just SET out that high one for you.
"What is the matter with you news
paper people? How many days is it
since I was asked: is marriage failure?'
And then il was: DO you believe in
cremationl' Well, do. Excuse me il
60 on with my work, won't you? This
Is what call Fields Folly" and the
plant figure In the soft red gown bent
over handsome travcling-bag which
the white fingers were rubbing. well,
the bustle / think it's an invention
of the devil. / don't know that there's
anything else / can say to you about it,
really"
"You think, then, that obnoxious
article is doomed?'
''Yes; no; how can one tell The
dressmaker tried to put one into the last
gown l bought; it was an imported
French robe, and she thought she could
improve upon it with hustle. soon
interfered with that little manipulation,
though"
"Do not fashions alter in the long run
for the betterT'
Fashions change for the sake of
changing, and because the dressmakers
change them. Women are dessmakers'
Il, IL ,x.xk a~ntaA tttAu ~
ment of their own. If the hustle goes it
the subject, but because the modistes
think IL Is time to turn wardrobes topsy
turvy and handle money for new out
fits"
Mrs. Frank Leslie has such COM
Portable way of diffusing warm glow OF
self-satisfaction over her visitor.
"Do believe in the hustle? Why,
of course l do. A well-formed woman
can hardly dispense with a little fullness
at the back of her gown. Oh, can't
agree with Mrs. Potter. She says her
form is so perfect that she doesn't need
bustlc Now, if she doesn't need one,
that is proof on the face, or the back of
it that her form is not good at all. OF
cousre don't mean large hustle. The
big hustle was dreadful, but that is very
old style. In the new dresses from
Paris the hustle is scarcely perceptible."
81 am to put you down, then, as ia
voring small bustle9"
mot small one, tiny one. Why,
mine is not over four inches wide and
six inches long," and the lady measured
off something still smaller with her ring
decked fingers.
"And you don't think the small hustle,
L hno mi
"No, think we'll formed well-dressed
women will stand by it to the end"
VIEWS AGAINST THE BUsTLE.
1t was very squeaky elevator which
carried me up to Celia Logan's sanctum
in the editorial rooms of Bejord's Maga-
zine, but 1t was a bright and CHEEKY voice
which ranged itself at once on the Cleve-
land side of the question.
"This is an old ISSUE" said the kindly,
clever writer. GIVE seen it fought out
before. When I was q little girl in Gin
cinnati the ladies wore what they called
'turneys,' degradation of the French
tournure. Positively-now this is NO
exaggeration-the turney was big enough
for three.year.o child to sit upon 1t
and be carried about the room. If
American women would only follow
Mrs. Cleveland the hustle would be ban
ished. But we have no fashion leader.
II the Princess of Wales were to lay
aside the hustle there would be an end
of it,"
'You don't think Mrs. Cleveland g
example has counted for much, then?"
"For nothing at all. If the women
give up she hustle it will be because they
want change"
II told you so," said Annie Jenness
Miller.
There's phrase which nobody likes
to have flung in her face, but there's a
certain satisfaction in reminding people
that your prophecy has proved correct.
When / first advocated the abolishment
of the hustle and a return to the easy,
comfortable styles of an earlier period,
the fashionables laughed the idea to
scorn. And now the hustle must 60. I
said so and nobody believed it. The
newspapers are crying out that our lady
of the White House has pronounced
against the hustle, but nearly two years
ago was at one of this same lady's pri.
vate receptions at the White House with
out any hustle and she never once asked
me if was not remiss in my court Ell.
quette."
Lille Devereux Blake writes me q
Uttle nOte aprOpOS Oh DuSlleS.
II have always disliked the hustle" +"
says the woman suffrage leader, "consid
ering 1t both unsightly and uncomforta.
Dle. Not wishing to be peculiar In ap
pearance, so long as fashion required il
/ wore light steels in my skirts. l an
heartily glad that the monstrous thing IL
going out of style. If we can wear natu
raj waists and no bustles we shall have 9
dress reform that will greatly increase
the health and beauty of our women
Mrs. Wilcox rejects the alternative OF
Cleveland or Harrison style.
II discarded the hustle before Mrs
Cleveland" she says
So you did, Ella Wheeler. You were
one of the pioneers Of Empire dress ir
New York and you have worn consist
entity the short waists and graceful cling
ing skirts which go with your Psyche
.knot and piquaut countenance.
THEY SAY 1T MUST GO.
Belva Lockwood leotured in Brooklyn
the other evening.
"Not in the least disappointed abou
the election?"
"There are better times ahead. TIL,
women's day will dawn"
"And you will take sides on the bustl
issue ?"
against the hustle, thank YOU"
"You don't admire the dress i'm
proyerH"
DRESS distorter is better name. /