The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-10-06

Women were the First Ia Wear Them ana
Why not Now.
To the EdItor OF INC TImes:

To the Editor OF The Times:
slr.-In your issue of the 2th, under the
caption OF The other Bicycle Girl ap-
pears a critical reply by Mr.. Il. Thomas
Perdue. TO Dr. HawthOrnes sermon on
the bicycle which is very apTopoS anu
very sensible Heretofore have not
ventured to enter the lists with your es-
tee..ied contemporaries and distinguished
luminaries. di,incs and writers in dis
cussing the propriety-or the improperly
of female bikes ana boomers, 50 20
snack. but now that the war on the 1aI
sex has become fagrant, feel II becomes
my duty 10 enter q mild protest AS 70 the
bifurcated garment bearing the many
aliases of pantaloons, brseches. trousers.
and pants. / beg leave TO remind the nu-
Inerous readers OF your excellent JOurhdI,
The Times, that the cultivated ladies' OF
the civilized Cast. centuries ago, invented
the trouscrl0, rs or the pantalOOns for
,hcir own benefit and behoof They wore
them, TOO, in undisput6d ownership. until
within a few centuries ago. Clherc be
censor'ous cynics who insist that some
Of the women wear them yeti Man
stole the pantalOons from the so-called
weaker sex He was the stronger aniinal
OF tho two. and when he entered mat
citadel. weak, submissive woman had 10
vacate. CThere was not room enough Tor
two> As far back as five hundred years
Il. &. man wore mantles, mostly made OF
qoat skins. At that time the wife dOnncd
the trousers and did the harder part Of
the work necessary 80 support the
family. the outdoor work. while her hus-
band rocked the cradle, and as seam
stress (or setmster) absolutely did the
sewing. and after making the parts IN
tie first place. had to put sOn the necessa-
ry patches as occasion required. tut
now ne has grown 50 bold he absolutely
objects when his better half proposes 10
return to the modest divided skirts. Nheh
in the third century man began trying
TO sneak into the pantaloons upon which
ne had 50 long looked with covetous eye
Father Tertullian demonstrated. Why,
said he should men seek TO adopt the ef-
Terminate costume. trousers, and lay aside
their manly robes, their graceful male
attire? ] do not think, the goes on some
what opolOgeically. that men should
wear their gowns long enough 10 tran
in the dust. as is the fashion Of many
Roman gentlemen, but | most emphati-
callv reprObate the abandonment OF thls
manly garment for the effeminatc blur
Gated garment imported from Persia.
But man kept striving for the biest
nbodes. About the dawn of the four
tftfll century III itit it'N"-''t ~ ''+i'tf'
the tlonsers from the weaker and al
WAYS accomplishing sex. That IS 10
saw he had cabbaecd as much OF
the garment as would reach 10 .-.e
knees. After that il was a long pull ana
a strong pun for the remainder. but
male philosophers urged their cffemnate
male brethren TO surrender what lttle
they had managed to 80 hold Of. Mon
taig1e said:
Let kings do the villainous thlngs-ie-
store man 10 the flowing gown-the old
Roman toea which becomes him best,
and we shall all follow" ! believe that
the bifurcated garment, like law, IS the
perfection of human reason and common
sense. However. man has no reason TO
boast himself Of either the Invention or
original proprletorship. They we're OF
woman's U.Vn invention. and made ana
adOptod for her own special use and prl-
yiIoge. After centuries OF struggle. man
was mean enough to snatch them from
her. In the war to recover her own, ]
an for the woman. Go In. ladies, ana
recover all you have lost. Shame on the
man who shall refer TO il as unsurpailon,
or call It personal devil Beyond thls
century's ebb and flow.
Man sat and drew the stitches,
Now let fair woman shout Let go!
NV breeches. Oh. my breeches
JOSEPH H.. SHEPHERD.
Richmond. Va, oct. J. 1888.