Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-01-15
THE RATIONAL DRESS SOCIETY.
An Account of One of Its Very Interesting
Sessions I'm London.

An account OF one OF Its Very Interesting
Sessions in London.
Before a meeting of the Rational Dress So
ciety in London, Viscountess Harberton
urged upon members the desirability of
adopting the divided skirt as distinctive
costume. She would say that woman
dressed according to the present fashion took
up at least the space of three men
Hon Mrs Beaufoy Heneage desired to ask,
why not the time, also' Lady Harberton re-
piled that Mrs Heneage's interruption. was
outside of the present discussion. Continu
ing, she complained that when woman
Travelled with bag and rug it was impos
sible to enter II railway carriage elegantly
Lady Glencora Abernethy - Then why
travel with a bag and rug.
Mrs. Civilian Civilian would be glad to
be informed why it should be considered
ineiegant to show half all inch of lace
petticoat.
Lady Harberton thought that the good
sense, she would not say delicacy, of mem
bers ought to furnish them with the answers
to such questions, If not point out to them
the logical continuation of the inquiry. The
calculation of inches and half inches was
obviously no proper occupation for this
society.
Mrs. Civilian Civilian was greatly obliged
TO Lady Harberton
Lady Harberton trusted Mrs Civilian
Civilian would would not mention it, Con
tinuing, sho remarked that ladies travelling
in sleeping cars could not dress quickly on an
emergency. Hero the Marchoness Landraie
asked for five minutes of Lady Harberton's 5
time. This was refused. The marchioneSS
then stated that she had had the advantage
OF strict bringing up among circles to
which the resolution of social questions was
perhaps familiar, and desired to say that, ac
cordlng to the best sense OF these circles,
ladies did not travel in sleeping cars. Lady
iIarberton begged to ask how the marchoness
had come on from Edinburgh last week
Lady Landraie replied that the journey
referred to had been taken under exceptional
circumstances A report had reached her
that her son, Lord Glen Innes, was about to
marry an actress. She might observe that
She had not gone to bed, but had sat up in a
chair all night.
The matter then dropped.
A resolution that women ought not to dress
quickly on any emergency was offered by
Mrs, Cainaby Brown, and ruled out of order
by the chair
Continuing, Lady Harberton said that fash
ion had ordered that woman must wear but
| one or two garbs-that of Venus ia voice
oh, oh!''l or that of Noah's Ark figure
| Mrs. Civilian Civilian again displayed
| somo agitation. She would beg to be in,
formed to which of Lady Harberton's types
she was to consider herself compared.
Lady Harbcrton begged to say Venus
| Mrs Civilian Civilian resumed her seat.
| Dress reform. said Lady Harberton, should
| DO not a half but a whole measure. Ia voice
| is not the divided skirt IL half measure?'-
| Lady Herberton would not notice verba
| Dleasantries. They might be meant as pleas
| ;Lltries but their effect, especially upon the
| representatives of newspapers present, was
| rot elevating in tono. She would say that
| Tor obvious reasons the Noah's Ark figure
| had been selected as the model on which tc
| clotEe the female form.
Several ladies rUSo and would be glad to be
| informed what were the obvious reasons.
Lady Harberton replied, the dressmakers
Hon Miss Bevers begged permission to say
that the most sensible woman she had even
| known had been droSsmaker
Lady Haberton-TAat does not prove that
| your Judgment is sound.
Here there was some disorder and the chair
was appealed TO After discussion Lady
| Harberton consented to withdraw the ez
| preston Hon hiss Revers' request that
| Lady IIarhartol should order basque Of the
! dreSsInakcr referred to, was considered by
| the ch3ir to be unnecessary
| Lady Harbcrton must insist that she for
one had no desire to be mistaken for the wife
of either Shom, Ham or Japheth. "a voice
| from the platform: you gre not 50 o,i a,
all that, my dear.rl
Lady Hmborton would be glad to know
who was the speaker. Unless the speaker ac.
knowlcdged herself the chair would order the
| platform cleared.
The speaker not acknowledging herself, the
chair did order. the platform cleared The
| officers, however. We're unable to carry out
the chairs orders, and Lady Harberton en-.
| deavored to continue. Fashion, she said
| demanded small waist of women. Mrs
Civilian; mime is uatural,''l and she ac
cordingly contrived it No woman ever had
a small waist naturally; in no aspect of ma.
ture did two thick limbs ever spring out OF q
circumference smaller than themselves.
Many ladies here demanded to have the
speakers words taken down.
Lady Harberton was endeavoring to repeat
them when the meeting broke up in some
disorder -Philadelphia Times.