The morning call., 1892-01-09
SPOKE HER MIND.
A Business Woman on Rainy-Day
Dress for Women.
The Futility Of All Inventions for Holding Up
the skiTt-Why Women Do Not Adopt
Short Street Skirts.

81 saw something the other day." said a
lady to a CALL representative yesterday,
"that made me fairly gnash my teeth with
envy and yeXation.
81 was crossing the bay on my way TO
the business Office in which my days are
spent. 1t was raining hard and I was
weighed down with raiu-coat, umbrella, a
bundle Of papers and the skirt of my dress,
which was busy holding up that it might
not be drabbled with mud. knew it was
short enough to escape the ground, but l
also knew that it hit my heels st every step
and got almost MS much mud from my over
shoes as it would from the street.
." In front Of me walked young man who
was absolutely protected from the weather.
On his head was a soft crush hat that rain
could not hurt lie wore light raiu-cOat
with a long cape; his feet were encased in
ordinary light rubbeTs, and buckled over
them aad extending nearly to his knees
were pair Of
LIGHT CANVAS LEGGINGS,
That kept ankles and trousers perfectly
dry. He swung of as If he thoroughly en-
loved life. When he reached his place Of
business he could take off his coat unbuckIe
those legginCs, kick off the Tubbers, aud be
clean, dry ana comfortable, ready for WORK,
While | could either spend half an hour or
more lowering about tie stove, drying my
GraEEled skirt, or sit with II Mapping about
nv feet all day, rskjug a cold and under
going all manner of discomfort Il may be
W0maniy 20 be Swathed up IN such fashion
as 10 he unable 10 move ia bad weather
without getting wet aud dirty, bat Il IS GER
taln.y not decent.
The speaker paused, but only for lack Of
IA IA
could fill a book with the expression Of her
sentiments on the subject.
But cannot the ladies' fasten their skirts
up in some WayY' yenjuTcd IHE CALL
representative.
RDuu. in tie mud # there was any way 10
helpIt?' was
THE YAEKEE-LIKE RETORT,
Uttered so ferccly that the MORNING
CALLER fairly quailed, aud offered no
further suggestion. The speaker contin-
uel. There are hundreds of ways sug
Cesttt. Tie w0men's pages OF all the
Ava have periodical. hts OF publish
tTiTsnces OF rubber and
rs and clamps, for hold
every one Of them is
an the others; none Of
!. Of beans
sud metaphors or this
been a little mixed. bVt
ouyeyed TO the hearers
mind q GEAR idea Of the entire futlity Of
tie COntTlvauCes referred TO, SO could not
lie sad TO lack lucidity.
You see, said the lady growing conf
Dental, 1T Isn't in the n3tuTe If skirts 10
stav tucked up pinned up tied no or held
no. Unless you want your dress goods
torn you mustn't have any If these con-
triYanCeS so secure that they viii resist all
stTRln. II they are not strong enough for
that they Will give way VIXEN You are least
prepared for 1t, and down comes your skirt
N THE MUD.
Il might as well drag al. around as IN
enc place, so far as comfort as concerned.
Now, what a business woman needs
lin rainy weather IS a dress skirt
of light warm material coming
10 the tops Of her boots Then the
ankles Of women and men both ought to be-
protected. IWO-,hiTds of the colds people
die Of are taken a. the wrists aud ankles,
my doctor says aud the legEingS that young
man wore would be admirable things for
both sexes. Without some such protection
the rubber garments worn by so many
ladies' are a bad thing, for they she'd Oh the
water straight down upon tie feet and
ankles. With q short skirt and a good
WOODEN storm-coat they Wouldn't be needed,
anywaT.'
Why don't women wear shorter skirts,
tleu% tie CALLER yeutuItd TO ask.
J Doe reply was a TigOTeT.
Because tie modern shoe has so spui ed
and defoTmed womsn's feet that they're
ashamed to show them.
NARROW TOES
Have given them u1shapely corns aud
bunions that press their shoes ont Of shape.
High heels have given them thick ankles,
and q good many If them are uige0n-tOed."
Whewl The CALLER couldn't think Of
another word 70 say, but bade tie little lady
gOad-m rEjGZ, their ways diYeTged Just
tlen, aud walked slowly on.
Il is really very distressing to have such
dreadful thoughts in ones mind as one
walks the streets behind d lady whose dress
is tTaied for an inch or two up the hem
with the mud Of the street, whose gl0ved
hands are CrRmDed and tortured with the
Intellectual effort to hold the dress up. Yet
seven out Of every ten women who walk
our streets In the rain have draggIed skirts
particularly now that long skirts are 50
much in vogue, and it IS hardly possible
that even lumpy feet, pigeon-tOes and stout
ankles could be more painful to the be-
holder than these yards Of dragged dry
goods.