Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-07-30
A Masculine Woman of the Day.
BY EMMA HOWARD WIGHT.

| BY EMMA HOWARD WIGHT.
At the present time it is somewhat di
ficult to distinguish the young woman fror
the young man, on account of the abOm
nable fashions now in vogue. 1t is the am
bition of the former to be as masculine i
dress as possible, which certainly reflect
but little credit on their taste, and un
doubtedly shows deficiency in thos
womanly attributes which should belong t.
the gentler sex. An effeminate man is al
object of disgust both to his own sex an,
the opposite, and why should not a mascu
line woman be the sam ea Indeed, I an
ready to assert that she is to men, let he
aatter hetself as she may, to the contrary
She may consider herself irresistible il
her masculine getup, her blazer, he
cravat, her cut-away coat, her sailor hat
and with her masculine stride, and he
male friends may tell her that she is, (fol
mans tongue can wag glibly enough in tht
language of fiatteryl, but he really feel.
anything else but admiration, and if she
would but add pair of pantalooEs to hel
upper get-up and pay visit to the club,
thus effectually disguised, she would have
pretty rough awakening to mems opinion
in general on the subject of women's mas,
culine tendency.
1t would be very unnatural if men did
admire that sort of thing. What attracts a
man toward a woman, by all the laws of
nature, are the softness, the gentleness,
the womanliness, which belong to her sex.
He would be going against the very laws
of nature if he admired her when she filings
aside these attributes Of her sex. So let
these young women who GO in enthusiast.
cally for masculine style of dreag, disabuse
their minds at once Of the erroneous idea
that men admire it, for they do not. It is
just as repulsive and disgusting to them as
the etfeminate man is to woman, and Just
in proportion as woman admires strong,
brave, manly man, so do men admire
her with all the weaknesses and folIies of
her seq than to be in the slightest degree
strong minded or MASCULINE.
So if young women desire to be attractive
in the eyes of men, and think all do, they
will not adopt the fashion of masculine
dress now IN vogue. There can be but one
inducement to do so surely, ard that is be-
cause it is the fashioa, for it is certainly
not becoming or even piquant as some
Yopoly imagine. The thin girl undoubted-
ly succeeds In looking decidedly masculine,
the Style of dress showing up her angllarity
and effectually exposing her worst points;
while her stout sister looks only supremacy
ridiculous as il is impossible for her to
LOOK Iaannish, and the dress becomes carl
cature,
Not less abominable arc the tfdress re-
forms" (deforms would be more appro-
priate) that some women are endaavcring
to introduce, for instance, Mrs. Jenness
Miller's divided sklrt. / fail to zee one
singlo thing to recommend it 1t is cer-
tainly neither graceful nor pretty, and,
from its construction, 1 can not think it
comfortable. Of course it answers the pur-
pose Of those women who ride bicysles and
astride horse like man. but / think it
greatly to be deplorel that women do these
things,
There is no reason why they should not
take part in outdoor sports; on the con-
trary, many good reasons why they should,
but still this can be done without sacrif-
cling delicacy and womanliness, A great
many women have taken to, cycling en-
Enthusiastically, the newspapers admire and
applaud, but this does not make it the less
Objectionable from refined and feminine
point of view. There is something out of
place, unwomarly, and, to me, vulgar in
the s:gat OF O woman mounted OF hiayole,
and the fashion which is sow struggling
Into life Of women sstTiding horse like a
man ia simpiy disgusting.
Some years ago there could be no prettier
sight than a woman who could sit grace
fully and ride we'll on horseback. Then
the long flowing skirt was done away with
and the pants substituted under the short
skirt, which took good deal away from
the beauty and grace Of horseback riding
Now they seem determined TO do away al
together with the charm of horseback
riding and use it only as an unfeminipe
exhibition of themselves.
If women would but be convinced of the
mistake they make in being in any way
masculine. AS said be2ore, men regard
it ouly vita disgust, Or if woman's ex-
pertnass in some OF their sports should win
their admiration it is in sort of bon-com-
rade way, they really lose sight of the fac.
that she is woman and look upon her ss
one of their own sex, kind Of admiration
l shouldn't think any woman would covet.
It is really the duty of every woman TO
ne what nature has made her, thoroughly
feminine. Nature never intended for woman
to model herself upon man, bat by her
opposite qualities. her womanliness, to
minister to the happiness, to elevate the
sternez sex. In word, nature made her a
woman, aud, by putting aside any Of her
prerOgatiyes, she goes against its very law.
Surely, thara is d wido enough sphere for
woman without trespassing upon that ol
man, Or overstepping that well-defined
boundary line which divides what is msgcu
line from what is feminine.