The Van Buren press., 1895-02-23
A PAIR OF BLOOMERs.
Why Mrs. Cranston'e Husband Al
lowed Her to Wear Them.


Why Mrs. Cranston'e Husband Al
lowed Her to Wear Them.
Before bicycling became craze with
women there had never been SO much
as shadow Of quarrel between Mr.. and
Mrs. Cranston. But after Mrs. Gram
ston bought bicycle and learned to
ride we'll, there was disagreement
which came very nearly breaking up a
happy home. They had been married
three years, and they had often said
that their married life had been one
long honeymoon.
Tom had yielded SO readily to all OF
his wife's whims that she had uncon-
scioasly gained an opinion that her
word was to him like the laws OF the
Medes and the Persians.
But this idea was all knocked to
pieces when one morning as they sat at
breakfast Mrs. Cranston said,
tom, I'm going to order my dress
maker to make suit of bloomers for
me to-day. do SO much bicycling
now that the skirts are too heavy for
me-"
"Whatl' shouted Tom, dropping his
spoon in the oatmeal and splattering
milk all over his nccktie, looking at
her as though she had announced that
she was going to commit suicide.
Mrs. Cranston also dropped her spoon
and looked in surprise at her husband.
81 said,' she repeated, that was
going to get bloomer suit. What
strikes you as particularly strange
about that?'
"What strikes me as particularly
stranger" he repeated, with wild look
in his eyes. "Do you think for one mo-
ment that will allow my wife to race
around town looking like lithograph
Of variety entertainment? Not
much"
"But Tom," said Louise, In tone
that had never failed to persuade her
husband that she was right and that he
was wrong, II don't see why l can't
have bloomers. Mrs. Kynaston and Mrs.
Bentley and Mrs Jennings all wear
them and their husbands don't object,
SO why should you?'
"It makes no difference why l
should,' said Tom, doggedly. II don't
intend to have my friends on the ex-
change coming to me and saying:
Tom, see your wifes wearing bloom
ers.' Not If know It,"
"But, Tom," she began, IL"
"Oh, don't talk any more nonsense,
Louise" he broke in. II am sick Of it.
You shan't wear bloomers, SO that set
ties It," and Mr.. Cranston, whose ap-
petite had been taken entirely away by
his wife's announcement, got up from
the table and started for the door.
"Good-by," he called from the hall,
and then the door slammed and Louise
sat ut the breakfast table wondering
how 1t was that she had never before
known that her husband had q will of
his own.
She had told all Of her friends only
the day before that she would be wear
ing bloomers within a week, and when
they had suggested that her husband
might object she said:
"Whatl Tom object9 Why, he never
objects to anything"
And now Tom had absolutely refused
to allow her to wear them. with ia
cial expression which showed that he
would not stop short Of the divorce
courts to prevent 1t.
Finally she arose from the table and
went to her room.
She had an idea which she thought,
II properly carried out, would gain
Toms consent to the wearing Of bloom
ers. She wrote hurried note to her
dressmaker ordering bloomer suit Of
o pattern which she had already Sc
lected, and then donned her old bicycle
suit to pay call on Mrs. Kynaston,
who had husband who did not object
10 bloomers.
She told her troubles to the vivacious
Mrs. Kynaston, who was not sparing
in her sympathy for the poor friend
who had o narrow-minded husband
who objected to q convenient bicycle
dress.
"Why, how foolish Of him." she said.
II don't believe the poor man has
ever seen proper bicycling costume.
I'll tell you what we'll do. Well all
go bicycling this afternoon, and come
back by your house at just the time
your husband gets home, and he will
sec what bloomer suit looks like"
And SO the bicycle party was ar
ranged, and when Thomas Cranston
arrived at his house that evening he
saw five women riding In front Of the
house and four Of them were in full
bloomer costume. The fifth, who wore
skirts, was his wife.
He was not SO badly shocked as he
thought he would be, and he wished
that he had not been 80 decided in his
refusal Of his wife's request, but he
made up his mind that 1t would be un-
manly to yield after his remarks OF
the morning, and so, with bow to his
wife and her companions, he went in
doors and began to dress for dinner.
That night Louise again broached
the subject Of bloomers, but her hus-
band silenced her by saying:
''Now, see here, Louise, don't speak
to me about bloomers again. You may
go in for women's rights II you like,
and you may wear standing collars and
mems waistcoats, but you shall not
wear trousers even II bicycling does
justify 1t In your eyes"
"Trousersl" cried Louise, indignant
ly; "who said anything about trousers9
was talking about boomers.
II know you were," said Mr.. Grams
ton, ''and please don't talk about them
any more. I'm tired of It, and won't