The herald., 1893-06-25
[BY L. BEHYMER.l

nevertheless the disabilities and degrade
lion of her dress, together with that
large group Of false views of the uses OF
her being and of her relation to man,
symboized and perpetuated by her
dress, will make your striving in vain"
A little different view is taken on this
subject in a new work jnst issued by the
Fowler & Wells Co. of New York, The
Well-Dressed Woman, a study in the
practical application to dress OF the laws
of health, art and morals, by Helen
Gilbert Ecob. 1t is work finely illus
trated, which every woman should not
only read but also heed. Ignorance is
the mother of Indifference. This ex-
plains the apathy OF women on the sub
ject OF dress. 1t is true that wholesale
condemnation of the follies OF fashion
able dress has abounded, yet scientific
Investigations concerning its evils are
comparatively recent. The results OF
these Investigations are scattered
through various books and journals in
accessible to the general reader, and ale
expressed in technical language incom-
prehensible to the enon-professional mind.
The present interest in rational dress is
many sided To overcome physical frailty
though obedience to the laws of our
being; to return to true standards OF
beauty in the female form to cultivate
artistic taste and feeling in the structure
of dress, and to free women from the
degrading influence of social environ
ment which binds them to self-adorn-
ment are the aims which animate this
movement, and encouraged the author
to write this book so full of study and
sound argument. 1t is evident that the
well-dressed woman must observe the
laws of dress. These laws relate to
hygiene, art and morals. They form
trinity mutually dependent upon each
other. To observe the laws OF art in
dress and ignore the laws OF health is
impossible. To observe the laws OF art
and health and be disloysl to the morals
OF dress ia equally impossible. The well
dressed woman must be q harmony of
the laws of dregs, as q painting is
harmony of the laws of drawing
and color. Any study OF dress, there
fore, ie defective which does not clearly
define the laws of health, beauty and
morals. This valuable little volume has
been carefully prepared to bring to-
gether the opinions of those who are
recognized 40 authority in these depart
ments. The author has simply "acted
the part OF q sieve," collecting from
diverse sources the best information to
be obtained, and presenting 1t in direct
and simple manner. 1t ia manuel for
the help OF busy women who have
neither time nor opportunity to study
the laws of dress for themselves. In
this spirit, and with no interest in ad-
vocatiDg particular systema, the author
has directed those who may desire snch
information TO methods by which
rational clothing may be obtained.
The intense interest which Is begin
ming to manifest itself on the subject OF
dress marks an epoch in the gocIal history
OF women. 1t indicates that she is
ready to put away childish things and
to be governed by reason and conscience.
The movement is fraught with promise
to the coming generations and to civili-
zation. The purpose OF this volume is
to help in any wise the struggling
minds and hearts of the masses of
wemanhood toward true emancipation
OF body, as we'll as OF intellect and soul.
With this edition-which is the second
one brought QUITS presented a number
of designs of costumes suitable for dii-
ferent occasions. The reproductions
from the works of good masters show
how the eye may be educated by the
study OF art In the illustrations the
endeavor has been to carry the mind
back to the laws OF health, art, and
morals, and these must issue in the
beautiful. The beautiful is sought be-
cause il 10 the good and the true, but
not ss q bait to attract attention.
The character of woman is valued
too highly to believe that the reform
can be made successful by only appeal
ing to her vanity. If woman cannot be
reached through the moral sense. the
outlook is dark aud hopeless. Only
reason and conscience will rescue
womanhood from perverted taste and
vicious servility to the Paris fashion
mopger. The book is a valuable mine
OF information in regard to correct dress
and hcw to wear it.
.*x
Houghton & Miflin company have a
new book with which to pees q prosaic
hour or two on these long summer dave,
entitled Old Kaskaskai, by Mary Hart
well Catherwood. The author OF this
tale 10 studying the romance OF the pc
riod OF French occupation of America as
industriously as Parkman studied the
history OF the same time, and it
is esid that the most appreciative
comments upon her cartier books
came from MIR. Parkman himself, who
with the head Of philosopher has q
keen eye for dramatic and romantic
possibilities. The new story is of
much later period than any other from
the same pen, and it is also more ambi-
tioue, for in its pages there is continual
contrast of the new with the old-the
Anglo-Saxon and the African joste the
French Of high and low degree; although
the descendants OF the man who founded
the old French port OF "Keskaskia, ;" the
capitol OF the new territory of Illinois,
when the story opens, have lost none OF
their spirit and thrifty ways. At times
it appears that the author has grasped
more characters than she can manage in
90 little space; the book is sketch
rather than novel, yet
sketch which should not be
missed by anyone who enioya
picturesque scenes and likes to encoun.
ter characters unlike those whom one
meets as frequently in novels as in daily
life. The author has a rare faculty for
contrasting types of young women, and
her men are always strong, which is
more than can be said OF the ruder be-
ings in most fiction written by women.
Pelhaps the writer Of this cannot say too