New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-24
WILL THE BONNET COZ

The prOprlefOrs Of one of the Boston theatres
print the following notice on their play-bls:
VIII yon aid the management in It's work Of hat
reform Wear small bonnet Or remove yOur large
hat during the performance. The theatre IS wei
gratefully, ABBEY, sCIIOEFFEI & GRAU.
IL is reported that this reasonable, well pre-
ferred request has met with large number of
favorable responses, and since reforms never 20
backward il is fair to assume that the time is
approaching when all Boston women will either
discard bonnets altogether at the theatre and the
opera house. will wear only those so small
hardly 10 be observable to the naked eye.
The notice In the above request TO wear small
bonnet would seem u bc maladroit. For what
woman would regard as u small bonnet might
strike the person sitting directly behind her as
large enough to be in the way. We have all
seen bonnets which, while entitled TO DO called
small when compared with some others, were
bouncers when tried by the standard which would
be satisfactory TO the ordinary man. SO, per-
haps, these theatre managers would havo been
wiser IL they had declined TO condone even
small bonnets, bat had made bold strike for
radical reform.
Here in New-York little has been done in this
matter Now and then one Of the loveliest Of
her SEX sttcnls theatre or opera without bonnet.
The rest Of the audience. all the male portion
OF II, db al 'NfNt1 lftl EIdFIul anu VAIN W
present her with few diamond necklaces and
things by way Of attesting their qualification.
But this winning creature, we have said, is
the rare exception 10 the rule. In the metropolis
the bonnet sticks. II may not be. speaking gen.
orally, az large, as staGecAacng it once was,
but II sticks Apparently it is deaf 10 the suppl
cation, como of, addressed 10 10 By persons
occupying seats in its rear-scats, IL may be re-
marked. for which their occupants have paid out
hard cash. Up the State, however. the reform is
making Roadway. The Rochester Post-EXpre:s7
states that in almost every audience at the
Rochester Lyccum now there are few women
who have the sense and the Kindness 70 remove
their hats. When tho audience Is what the papers
call brilliant or fashionable thi, sprinl,ling
Of hatlcss women t. quito pcrceptible and the
number of those vino wear bonnets so small
q be utterly unobjcctiOnable il very great" In
Buffalo the reform has not advanced 50 far, but
since the city il rothing il not progressive. and
has the example Of the Rochester women firmly
but ahectonutely set before il by Buffalo news
papers, there is reason for hoping for the best.
All such minor reforms are best promoted by
courteous appeal 20 those who offend. But per-
haps il might be well 10 invoke the aid oe the
Nations law-making power in behalf Of TINS one
An act might BE- passed for the relief of theatre
or opera gocrs. limiting the $40 OF the hat when
u,i.ht b., worn TO a place OF public amusement.
Something OF this sort ON and after the date
or the passage Of this act 1t shall not be lawful
for any person to wear IN place Of public amuse-
ment any hat having 4 greater height than -
inches or a greater breadth than -- inches ANY
person violating TIE provision Of this act shall
be guilty OF a misdemcanor, and shall De fined
- dollars for each offence
However. this is about tie time whcn people
begin 70 get out the timber for new resolutions
for '93. let us trust that the majority OF tho
women Of the United State; will highly resolve
10 begin the glad New Year by personally en-
colrasing the nat reform, and that the minority
will yield GRACEFULLY.