Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-04-21

stepped on a car or came down stairs.
Why, in olden days when the things were
used, hundreds of women were dragged to
a horrible death behind cars. Think of
you being pulled over the cobble stones
after trolley car feet first for several
blocks before they could stop to disentangle
the hoops from the rear platform. Think
of you plunging head first from the top of
the stairs and landing at the bottom on
your noble brans-maybe while carrying
the twins to be kissed by their papa on
his home coming. | never could survive
the shock
The poor woman was fast losing all de-
sire to don the advancing style.
"Of course my dear, don't wish o dis
suade you from wearing hoops-if you
think they're becoming and are willing to
risk your and the twins precious lives
soberly said the daisy of husband, "but
you know that people nowadays haven't
the room to expand in as of yore.
"YOu couldn't call on your friends who
dwell in modern flats, for you would not
find room in them to enter. Everything is
now on so small a scale to accommodate
the crowded population. You would
sweep all before you on the sidewalk so
little innocent children playing there would
be forced in the road to be crushed under
carts. You couldn't ever more go to a
theatre, and. what is worse, perhaps, you
never could approach bargain counter in
the stores if there were any hoops around
as, no doubt, there will be.
That last shot was a "knocker out"
'Well, IL rather think there are two sides
to the hoop-skirt question" sighed the dis
tressed female.
81 should say so, indeed, and the out
side is bigger than the inside. How would
you like to 90 into your kitchen and find
Bridget's hoops covering more ground than
yours? You know the servants are crazy
to put them on for they want to look as
big as they feel. I'll wager a hat that
Bridget will take pride in showing larger
circumference than her mistress. Ha ha!
1t makes me laugh to think of it"
Mrs. Toddles tried to laugh, too, but the
effort was failure" Do you really think,
Timothy, that the servant girls will wear
crinoline?" she feebly asked.
"To be sure, my dear. Are not their
hats already bigger than yours? But have
you reckoned on the extra stuff it will take
to make a dress? just double. That means
your allowance for new dresses (Which
can't be increased as you know will allow
you only half the number of new dresses
you now enjoy. But l guess you won't
mind that small matter"
Timothy" said the imposed on woman
after a thoughtful pause. "Isn't there a
female anti-hoop-skirt league being formed
to stop the revival of that foolish and
ancient fashion?'
$50 the papers say" serenely answered
the good little man, pretending to lose in
terest in the matter.
"Then l shall sign the documents al
once. Yes, if necessary will head a pro
cession of sensible women to the President
and have him pass a law prohibiting the
folly. If undeveloped and badly-shaped
females wish to start rivalry with theil
servant girls as to who will wear the biggest
hoops they can, but l am not in it. Coco
night, Timothy. Wen have no skeleton,
in our closet, anyway"
"Well, we'll" unused Mr. TOddles, wher
alone, ~ talked her out of it, for tn,
present. But when the hoops really dc
make their appearance I'm afraid Betsey
will follow the fashion like the rest of thu
lovely sex. Guess I'd better get her t
join the Anti-whoopers right away"