, 1890-08-28

Yet she still is bright and gay,
For you see.
In the losing she is found,
And though closely she Is bound,
Still she's free.
Decoiiete Literature and Dress.
The decollette in literature snd
personal attire are just now the alb
sorbing topic in all the debating so
cieties for women. The boldest,
most forcible and mt the same time
sensational argument on the subject
Of dress that has appeared since the
discussion began was written by a
woman - Mrs. Elizabent Stuart
Phelps-whom the Chicago Inter
Ocean characterizes as tone of the
purest Influences of the century, one
of the bravest women of her time"
In an outbreak of enthusiastic ad-
miration, not customary In that con-
servative paper, the writer says:
With gifted pen and clean heart,
with strong, educated mind and
body, sweet, clear-seelng, compass
sionate soul, she has written exquis-
itely and powerfully to the honor
and to the good as well as to the
pleasure Of her countrywomen; and
now in her age she has struck one
great stroke for high civilization that
should do as much for sick humanity
as the rod of Moses smlting the
rock did for the perishing children
of Israel. Nothing has appeared IN
recent literature the equal of her
paper published in the August
Forum, "The Dccollete in Modern
Life" Too much can not be said
I'm praise OF this timely fearless plea
for the publication of society and Its
restoration to the mOdesty and
delicacy of refined nature. 1t Is O
nifty an article of the noble quality
and almost inspired eloquence that
characterizes this utterance OF a lofty
spirit holly indignant should be
locked forbiddingly under the copy
right" of u class magazine. 1t should
shine truth-blazoned in every
journal and periodical that has
readers with consciences and u
regard for the moral upbuilding Of
manhood and womanhood-
1t is a strange contribution to con-
temporary literatue 1t is not In
harmony with the spirit of the age.
1t does not, indeed, present that
view of society with which we would
fiatter moral scruples into silence.
In short the paper Is at once an In
dictment and prayer directed
against the tendency Of modern life
to strip itself of all one-time re-
straints aud adornments that
clothed a refined, delicate, modest
young woman as the star-mist wells
the star, and made virtue beautiful
In matron or In maid. TO make ex-
cerpts from this article Is to weaken
Its argument. Its power Ii In Its
integrity. But there are burning
words caught into sentences Of flame
at times that scar the conscious soul
with an imprint of shame that the
most perfect and chaste ideal of
nature, an innocent girlhood, il 80
sittle priced and 30 poorly guarded
In modern convention.
Mrs. Phelps Ward fears with a
great sorrow that the sense of mod
esty among women Is declining.
Those of to-day are indifferent to,
nay, they assiduously cultivate the
things that would have shocked a
well-bred woman of the last genera
ton and given over to helpless con.
fusion the delicately reared maidens
of that period. Young girls now
gaze unrufiied at sensuous ballets
danced by half-naked women that
make even the man of decency feel
uncomfortable. These young girls,
emulating their gay or thoughtless
mothers, are dangerously decollete
in public places, and are as COM
'placent as a Paris grissette in the
presence Of a literature, u drama, or
a conversation that no woman, TO
say nothing OF young unmarried
woman, should contenance without
self-dishonor. This is II period of
moral lOoseness that woman has II
In her power to correct will she but
have the courage Of high principles.
Masculine Women and Effeminatc Mon.
The war against the decollete is
not confined to corsages and skirts,
but Is extending into the field of
social custom. Emma Howard
Wright is fearless leader in this
contest. Deprecating the fact that
~ 10 onhSuie w uiStitlDulsu tne
young woman from the young man,
on account of the abominable fash-
ions now In vogue, she says: 1t
is the ambition Of the former to be
as masculine in dress as possible,
which certainly reflects but little
credit on their taste, and undoubt-
edly shows a deficiency in those
womanly attributes which should
belong TO the gentler sex. An
efieminate man is an object of dis
gust, both To his own sex and the
opposite, and why should not mus
culine woman be the same? In.
deed, am ready to assert that she
10 to men, let her fiatter herself as
She may to the contrary.
She may consider herself irresist-
lble in her masculine get-up, her
blazer, her cravat, her cutaway coat.
her sailor hat, and with her mascu,
line stride, and her male friends
may tell her that she is (for mans
tongue can wag glibly enough
In the language of fiattery), !,
but he really feels anything
else but admiration and
II she would but add pair of pan
saloons TO her upper get up and pay