The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-05-12
THE ADVENT OF CRINOLINE.

Far be it from us to lend even the
smallest countenance to the ill-natured
suggestion that dress forms the sole
staple of woman's-a young wOman's
thoughts and converse. But we may
grant it fruitful, an attractive, and a
proper theme. Why not? 1t is prefer
able to knit fabric of most mems talk,
"the shop" If it happens to be the
warp of her conversation, she works in
an ever varying welt of irridescent colors;
and the fabric is always pleasing and
welcome to her listening sister. That
cannot be averred of her brothers audi
ence, at all events. And what a range
this maidenly intercourse possesses
past, present and prospective! The girl
may discourse, and discourse prettily, of
what she wore in the years long elapsed
on some occasion which has marked her
path with sunshine; she may expatiate
upon her actual adjoining; or she may
speculate and wonder about what joys
Fashion may yet have in store for her
sex. A map, or gentleman, or dude, has
no such resouTces-least of all, such
prospective resources. You cannot even
imagine the dude musing on the fashion
of hat or the color of a necktie as APP
prOpriate when tree and hedgerow don
their vernal vestments, or when the
cornfelds array themselves in shining
gold. But all this is within the compe-
tency of the fair and favored sex. Is?
or was? All, that is the secret of our
present solicitude; for we feel that she
has been robbed of one of her joys by
blatant press. The future is left her;
but it is not future of rainbow dreams.
Her horizon is darkened and disturbed
49,, a. IL a,,I Oh -,
stead of one trusty guide in her hour of
doubt and bewilderment, like Worth,
she is distracted by the cries of multi
tude of would-be councillors, and has
barely found safety on the Throne it.
self. Her Majesty has, however, bet
tered the teaching of John Strange
Winter" herself, and, praying that wom-
an can decline to be led, has refused to
enrol herself under the banner of the
mo CrinolIne League" and our royal
consort that is to be has in like manner
objected to express any opinion upon
a matter which is in nebulus, the Pigment
of some excited imaginations. Never
theless, there are possibly good many
tender and timid breasts that refuse to
be comfOrted even by Mr.. Worth's as
surance that in speaking of crinoline lie
only meant crinoline and not steel hoops,
which Iron has, with obvious disinter-
estedness, discovered to have been ''an
exceedingly graceful metallic DEVICE"
and highly profitable to the hoop iron
trade. But even where the assurance
does carry conviction, it brings no con-
ISOLATION. The female minG finds little
satisfaction in having cleared the rock
only to find itself approaching the whirl-
pool--in having escaped the hoop-ex-
banded skirt only to be caught by the
milkmaid skirt of Lady HarbertOn, the
rule of those "league" leagues, observe,
not societies) is that everyone joining it
shall undertake to wear her walking
dresses not less than five inches off the
ground all around. Does that alarm any
of our lady readers whom Nature enjOins
TO wear No. boots, fitting2 No?
Very we'll. If they are fearless, there
is still more scope for their courage in
this new league. 1t is indicated that
"knickerbockers and CATERS may advan-
tageously take the place of the ordinary
petticoats." And figure TO yourself that
this is only beginningl Knickerbock-
ers and CATERS, and no petticoatsl This
is only the auxiliary Of Lady Florence
Dixie's emancipation crusade. Lady