Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-11-15
CHEATING THE TYRANT.
She surmounted the Barriers Fashion Put
Tn and Got What Chs wanted

Up and Got What She Wanted.
What tyrantf Amongst so many one
may well ask, What tyranti" This time it
was the tyrsnt Of fashion, and all his jailers
IN the form of West End miiliners, boot
makers, etc. We are often blamed-indeed,
|, being woman, might say We are always
blamed--for submitting TO the tyrant Fash
ion, as though We created him ourselves, and
set him up ourselves to rule aud govern Us
like King Stork. who devourei all his sub
jec;s
My old school girl watch had seen its best
days, and after many months of scrapng
and working, getting little odd jobs, over
and above my regular pay, had saved
enough to buy myself a real good gold lever
watch, self winding, minute hand, and all
the rest of it. I went to the army and navy
stores and requested an amiable young man
behind the counter to show mo some
watches. He brought out a case of ladies'
watches.
l have feeling against small watches and
wanted something sensible and useful, so tax
ing up the largest one / said, Il want one a
size larger than this" He replied: That is
the largest size we make for ladies'" ''Well," I"
said, then show me your smallest size of
gentlemsn's watches" A look Of intense dis
dust passed over his face, as though had
been guilty OF an impropriety In asking for a
mans watch After considerable argument
and pressure be stopped down and brought
out q case of mems watches. l chose the one
| wanted, which was, of course, rather
dearer than the largest Of the ladies' watches
So strong was the young mans prejudice
that, although IL was to his interest to sell
me higher priced article he showed an
r,sNr II rhst IL IA
refuse the articles made expressly for the in
ferior sax, and should provide myself with
one made and intended for the exclusive use
of the superior male being. He felt person
ally aggrieved and insulted, and he showed it.
Ny male watch goes very well.
Some time after this q friend in the coun-
try asked me to get for him an extra strong
clasp for a locket and chain which he always
wore, containing his child's portrait. went
into the shop Of one of the first jewellers u
Bond street and said: "5how me some extra
strong clasps for locket and chain" Plenty
of trumpery clasps we're shown me, but moth
ing really strong or extra good. After a
long search through the clasps, rose and
said, half 20 myself: II am sorry l can't find
one; the gentleman will be disappointed. u
''The gentlemanI" cried the man, "you never
told me it was for gentleman I've got the
very thing he wants.n Whsreupon he went
straight to q drawer and showed me, to nv
surprise, a quantity Of strong, good clasps,
made for the superior sex again. Now, these
two incidents st me thinking; In both cases
l had made it clear that price was no object
and that ready money would be paid. What
then, did it meant
1t means that women are, and are to be-
slaves OF changing and, therefore, ephemeral
fashion; that the solid good things of earth
are not for them, and that their pretension.
TO q preference for what may be solid and
good over what Is trumpery and poor is an
audacious and subtle form Of womsn's rights
l pondered deeply; these men are not far
wrong. Women's rights have taught me
many, many things; amongst Others they
have taught me how to cheat the tyrant
Last year / wanted to 60 to Scotland In Q
hurry. required strong, large, comforta-
BILE boots. Faggs had none that fitted me, sc
| went toward T-'s, In Regent street
mused-the boots I required must be wide
soled and double solsd to take iron nails; nc
ladies' boots are made wide soled; in my
musings concoctsd deep laid scheme
found myself at the bootmaker's, walked
in, and said: II want pair Of strong ready
made boots.n "Yes, madam; ladies' depart
ment up stairs, If you plsass." Vision. Of the
narrow solss and high heels and thin kid OF
the ''ladiss' department" flashed before ma
l said to myself, II must dissemble, ~ 90 re-
piled, curtly, "Boys'-for country wear. y
Yes, madam, this way, If you please ,
Several pair wers shown me- chose one
and said, These might do" Can you give
US your boys size, madsmp Ireplied, They
are as near rs possible the same size as mine ,
Would you object to fitting them on for
him, madamT mo" / said, mot at all >
So, in my sons name, l, lonely spinster
bought myself a capital pair Of boots, which
neither money nor the most eloquent and
cogent argument could have procured for me
as a woman.
Once more, and / have done.
l needed q hat that would meet certain
simple equirsments-frst, to keep Its place
ON my head without skewer OF elastic; sec
ond, that it should shade my eyes from glare
third, that it be not ugly.
A patient search In Regent street, BOND
street and South Audlsy street, produced no,
ono hat that would answer even the first re
quirement.
So again disssmblsd l walked into the
shop OF q mans halter in Oxford street. u
want a soft, brown felt hat with wids
brim" "Yss, madam; ladies' department
this way" aud 30 on as before NO" re
piled, "a gentleman's hat" This time ii wa:
my husbands fictitious hat that WAS beins
bought English Woman's Penny Paper.
II