The National tribune., 1895-10-17


tion open for discussion in the Better Half"
was only intended for the brightest and most
wel-known writers. / am as yot only one of
the lesser lights, but perhaps my opinion may
be worth something, after all.
Boomers have been discussed mp one side
and down another. and much has been said in
poetry and prose concerning these quaint gar
ments but still they have not been universally
adopted. Most of our women have SO strong a
dislike to an thing odd masculine that il is
not easy for them to brave public opinion. /
am one OF that great majority. and would rather
see woman Igly than masculine. Anything
but a masculine woman. When she adopts
that ridiculous dress she just throws down the
bars of ventionality, and other things creep
in that cause her to lose her native refinement
and make her common and coarse. AS one
man expressed it, he lost his respect for any
woman soon as she adopted masculine habits
aud ways.
We must have some distinction in dress.
Even the savages follow that rule. can hardly
believe that a woman is refined and womanly
when she appears in public clad in boomers.
l sincerely hope that they will never become
popular. aud even though they do and are worn
everywhere, for one shall cling desperately
to my skirts and dresses
/ am woman, every inch of me- and don't
believe sisters gain anything by aping our
brothers. If anything we lose their admira-
ton anu our own StII-TeSpecI As lar as EGGu
is concerned, We don't ueed to wear boomers
to be comfortable. We can make our street
and working dresses short. above our shoes. If
necessary, and be at once sensbly and prettily
dressed without being odd mannish.
MOLLY MCQUAID.
Another letter from the West this time from
Kansas, and as breezy and crisp and strong as
a letter from that energetic State should be.
1t tells its own story well that We will pro-
coed to it Immediately:
As the editor has asked the working woman
to xpress her opinion on the bloomer question.
| would like to relate some of my experiences;
perhaps--if they meet with the approval of the
editor-they may be of use to some woman.
who like me, is both housekeeper and farmer
Nearly all farmers wives, and especially those
in the Western States, not only do all their
Homework, but assist in the outdoor work as
we'll such work AS milking, gardening, swill-
ing hogs, herding, feeding calves, and some
times even following plow cultivator.
How much grace and beauty the average work
ing woman's dress would possess after she has
finished such duties
Very likely the cow has kicked the pail and
splattered the milk all over the front of her
dress; the wind has blown the bottom of her
skirt into the swill-pail, or fastened it onto
nail where it will receive ugly tear, and
ninety nine times out Of q hundred she will
come in with the bottom of her skirt fringed
with sand-burrs and adorned with spots of
mud. Some women can attend 10 these duties
without getting into such deplorable condi-
tion but the majority cannot. When / first
began TO assist in this kind of work, found
my skirts very inconvenient, and especially so
when misunderstanding Did you ever try to
round up herd of cattle during blizzard
such as we often have in Kansas, when the
wind is blowing the sleet and snow in every
hon
tistic and cool a skirt be. 1t was after
such an encounter with the clements that /
decided to break the acquaintance with skirts
while riding. | thought if tho reform dress
was appropriate and useful to the fashionable
lady in her outdoor exercise, then it would DO
the same for me; and being handy with the
needle and scissors, I soon had regular
bloomer costume of black flannel. As this
proved so con yenient in outdoor work, / thought
something similar would be equally so in tho
house. on such occasions as washing ironing
scrubbing. house cleaning, ETC. The compro-