The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-10-17
Nothing to Wear.
Sunday NelrS.


Some forty years ago a poem ap-
pearcd in one of the prominent North
ern magazines entitled "Nothing to
Wear" which at once attracted public
attention and achieved quite a lasting
success. 1t was from the pen of Will
liam Butler, young lawyer of New
York, and was, we believe, his first
public literary effort. The poetical
merits of the verses were not of the
highest order, but it was an amusing
and clever satire on the fashionable
young woman Of the time, personifed
as 'NIiss Flora McFlimsey, Of Madi-
son Square, that region being then
the centre of the New York social
world, that has since left Madison
Square miles behind in it's gradual up
town movement. Everyone laughed
over the cleverly drawn portrait OF
Flora McFlimsey, and knowing ones
pointed out this or that society belle
as having served as model, but
whether they were correct or not the
author alone could say, and he kept
his own counsel. Whether she had
any original matters little, but so
truthfully were the lines drawn that
Miss Flora has passed into common
speech as the synonym for all that is
vain and frivolous in woman, and is
doubtless used by thousands who
never heard Of the poem or its author.
But although the Miss Flora Nc
Flimsey Of those old days, if she ever
existed, must either have long since
passed from the mortal stage, or else
be vap:d, wearisome old woman, yet
she has many representatives in every
wealthy and fashionable society, while
too many young women, who are
neither rich nor fashionable, have all
her inordinate love of dress and her
utter disregard for anything but their
own pleasure. Love of dress, to a
certain degree, is commendable in a
woman, since without it she is apt to
run into the other extreme and become
untidy and careless Of her personal
appearance, an objectionable offense
in woman, and one for which no
beauty, amiability or intelligence can
quite atone. Few men are very criti-
cal as to the fashion or expensiveness
Of a woman's dress, but they all ap-
preciate it's neatncss and appropriate
ness.
OIt may be argued that many women
do not care what men think Of their
attire; that they dress just to please
themselves and to be like other wo-
men but we do not believe that once
in hundred cases such an assertion
is entirely sincere. The carelessness
that these same women exhibit when
they fancy themselves secure from
masculine observation contradicts
their words. The love Of dress can
not be said to be a besetting sin OF a
majority Of women, but the larger
number of them devote great deal OF
time and thought to it, and the less
means they have to spend upon dress
the more it is likely to absorb their
thoughts in contriving how to make
that little go as far as possible. A
rich woman can go to her dressmaker
and milliner and order what she needs,
leaving to them all che care and
thought requisite to make her cos
tunes perfect but she who has only
limited amount to spend in that way
generally has to do the contriving and
often the work herself.
A woman should, unquestionably,
dress in accordance with her position,
and when through false economy or
carelessness she does not do so she is
failing in her duty and in self-respect:;
It is about as bad for woman OF
position and means to appear in a
worn and soilcd dress as it is for a
poor woman to wear tawdry fnery, and
we know of nothing so effective in ex-
tinguishing ones sympathy and be-
neyolence as to be appealed to by one
of the latter. Sometimes those who
are not fond Of dress think it does not
matter much what they put on since
everyone knows them, and knows also
they could dress handsomely; but it
is no merit in woman Of means to
wear her frock into holes, to appear
in soiled gloves, shabby shoesand last
years bonnets, and to go to her
fr;ends' entertainments in costumes
that have done service on scores OF
like occasions. The entertainer has
done her best to decorate her rooms
and spread dainty table, and has
called together her friends to pass a
pleasant evening, and it is a poor
acknowledgment Of her hospitality not
to do whatever a guest can to con-
tribute to the success of her efforts
for their pleasure, both in dress and
demeanor. If it should happen that
all the guests had been struck with a
fit Of economy upon the same evening
and had put on their Oldest and shah
best dresses, what a spectacle the
rooms would present, and how morti-
fying the inference which the hostess
could not fail to draw as to the esti-
nation in which she was held by her
acquaintances.
There are two seasons when woman
is especially compelled to think good
deal of dress-in the spring and au-
tumn; and at these times she must
needs be a saint not to let her eyes
and thoughts wander little from the
service and sermon if anything new IN
the shape of bonnet or the cut OF a
gown is seen in church. We have
known women who confess to having
determined what new costume they
would select, and how they could
remodel some old ones while appar-
emily lending their closest attention
to the preachers discourse but we
hope that the number of those who do
SO is not large, for although we think
proper attention to dress is a duty, it
is a duty to man, not to God, and
there are six days in the week that
can be given to it.