Morning journal and courier., 1894-04-21

worn-out beliefs and superstitions of the
days Of our great-grandfathsrs. You WIN
find polite people evsding the objection
able Worda Gold maid and mentioning
the "girl bachelor or the s'single lady"
with much respect as an honorable member
of society. Poetically, she is spoken OF a.
an ''unappropriated treasure" In the
sense that she has not been claimed, or
has not permitted herself to be claimed,
BY one particular man, the title is suitable
enough, but such treasures as those de-
scribed above can hardly be said to be un-
appropriated. They may be unappreciated
and often are, but appropriated they will
be by everyone who can in any way make
demands upon the kindness of their hearts,
the industry Of their hands or the contents
OF their purses.
NO CAUSE FOR ALARM.
Whenever conspicuous fashion prevails
some slarmist Is sure to arise and spread
abroad report that, in addition to its
being unbeautiful, 1t is also unsanitary,
unwholesome, and positively injurious.
Therefore 1t ism surprise to have some
man start mp to proclaim that the 'enor-
nous and preposterous shoulders" that
women are now wearing In their gowns
must be suppressed. By their weight SO
he says, they are bringing about perma-
nent enlargement of the muscles of the
shoulders and consequent loss of shape
nness and grace.
How far this mssculine meddlsr with
feminine fashions Is right we cannot at
tempt to say, but doubtless he continues to
wear the heavily padded shoulders of his
own coats with supreme Indifference to
anl.roar,a,, of kha da1kotd -, r.,Ia. .n., =. a
he has ever done and ever will do.
The slsrmist should not take this matter
so seriously. Fashion varies frequently in
minor details, and shoulders" are already
coming down. There is little weight In
frills and ruf1es, and as winter garments
with their heavy overlapping cspes are be-
ing discarded, the shoulders will be re.
lieved from their muscle-producipg bur-
dens. Women who have been going
about looking much like animated Chinese
psgodas will soon be wearing the ARREST
of frills on summer silks and muslins, and
the over development will be arrested.
else and growl, to rail at o passing fsshioni
1t is the certain insliensble right of wo.
man to follow the vsgsries of "the style"
as far as she thinks best, and potentstes
and powers cannot take this privilege away
from her.
Now for instance, away back in 1903,
Venetian women were wearing what We
are wearing now, excessively large sleeves
In their gowns. And the Senate took the
matter up, end debated 1t. and at last
promulgated decree that these top knots
should come down. They came down, but
Immediately enormously long trains ap-
peared to the ladies' skirts, these probably
being the sleeves made over.
The Senate was indignant and another
law was passed. The trains must be cur
tailed. The danes obeyed, and cheerfully
set about decorating their abbreviated
embroideries, all alight with Jewels
And then the mighty Senators were
mad. The roof of the senate chamber
rang with their vituperations. Another
decree was passed. forbiddipg this extrava-
gance, and the ladies of Venice smiled
sweetly, and ripped the jeweled ornaments
from their dresses to sew them upon their
collars and various kinds of head gear.
Then they bought yards and yards of
material and made beautiful long sleeves
that swept the ground, almost surprising
the discarded trains in length. And the
Senators, wearied out, gave up the un.
equal strife. and turned the search-Hght of
their manly intellects upon affairs of
church and state, about which, it is to be
hoped, they knew something.
Hence We discover that Il Is useless for
mere men to attempt to check or thwart
the progress of any fashion in womsn's at
tire. 1t is but a variation, an experiment
the general design remaining un-
changed. 1t is tried, admired for time,
then wearied of and cast aside for q newer
fancy. Its life is too short, as q general
thing, to permit of its doing decided in
jury. 1t does not require the interference
of Q senate, or call for anxious considera-
tion from private citizens. As an expert
msnt 1t often results In the adoption of
something more sensible or graceful, and,
on the whole, the world grows wiser in this
respect ss in others, many improvements
In the matter of dress having been brought
about gradually, and these bid fair to be-
come permanent. Occasionally the wear
spotted wells, for instance, the source of
wealth to ooulists-'s persisted In, but
not by those who on account of their own
"htness" have right to survive.
As tor an ungsinly expansion of femi-
nine deltoid muscles, caused by resistance
to the pressure of heavy shoulder trim.
mings, that other fashion of physical cul.
ture now SO popular, and home gymnastics
With brooms and scrubbipg boards, quite
necessary If not popular, will 60 far toward
oouuterscting such tendency.
Therefore the alarmists, like the Venet
| ian senators, may as we'll turn their atten
tion tc other things. There are 30 many
| matters of real importance which nigh
require all the zeal and thought that are
wasted in trying to oust fashion that, Il
left to itself, will die natural death.
| HILARY.