Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1895-02-05
/ sTRovE WTTH NONE.
BL00MERs.


Before bicycling became craze with
women there had never been even so
much as the shadow of quarrel be-
tween Mr.. and Mrs Cranston. But
after Mrs. Cranston bought a bicycle
and learned to ride well there was a
disagreement which came very near
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-
soiously 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 q suit of bloomers for
me today. do so much bicycling now
that skirts are too heavy for me. -
"Whatr' shouted Tom, dropping his
spoon in the oatmeal.
Mrs. Cranston also dropped her spoon
and looked in surprise at her husband.
= EalQ1 6llG I6POt1bGuB eLab L Me-1
going to. get bloomer suit. What
strikes You as particularly strange about
that2''
''What strikes me as particularly
stranger he repeated, with wild look
in his eyes. do you think for one in
slant that I will allow my wife to race
around town looking like hthograph
of variety entertainment? Not much. -
'tBut, Tom,'' said Louise in tone
that had never failed to persuade her
husband that she was right and that he
was wrong, 81 don't see why 1 can't
have bloomers. Mrs. Kynaston and
Mrs. Bentley and Mrs. Jennings all
wear them, and their husbands dom t
object, SO why. should your"
''It makes no difference why
should,'' said Tom doggedly. ST don't
intend to have my friends on the ex-
change coming to me and saying, Tom,
/ see your wife's wearing bloomers.
Not if know it. {"
'But, Tom,' she began, t'I''-
"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 appe-
tite had been taken entirely away by
his wife's announcement, got up from
the table and started for the door.
''Goodbyi'' he called from the hall,
and then the door slammed, and Louise
sat at the breakfast table wondering
how it.was that she had never before
known that her husband had will of
his own.
She had told all her friends only the
day before that she would be wearing
bloomers within a week, and when they
had suggested that her husband might
object she had said:
"Whatl Tom object? Why, he never
objects to anything. :"
And now Tom had absolutely refused
to allow her to wear them, with facial
expression which showed that he would
not stop short of the divorce courts to
prevent it
Finally she arose from the table and
went to her room.
She had an idea which, she thought,
if properly carried out, would gain
Toms consent to the wearing of bloom
ers. She wrote hurried note to her
dressmaker ordering bloomer suit of
a pattern which she had already select
ed and then donned her old bicycle suit
to pay call to Mrs. Kynaston. who
had husband who did not object to
bloomers.
She told her troubles to the vivacious
Mrs Kynaston, who was not sparing in
her sympathy for the poor friend who
had narrow minded husband who OBJ
jected to convenient bicycle dress.
'Why, how foolish of himl'' she said.
''I 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 see
what bloomer suit looks like.
And SO the bicycle party was arrang-
ed, and when Thomas Cranston arrived
at his home that evening he saw five
women riding in front of the house, and
four of them were in full bloomer COS
tune. The fifth, who wore skirts, was
his wife.
He wastnot SO badly shocked as he
thought he would be, and he wished
that he had not been SO decided in his
refusal of his wife's request, but he made
up his mind that it would be unmanly
to yield after his remarks of the morn
ing, and SO, with bow to his wife and
her companions, he went indoors and
began to dress for dinner.
That night Louise again broached the
subject of bloomers, but her husband
silenced her by saying:
Now, see here, Louise, don't speak
to me about bloomerE again. You may
go in for women's rights If you like,
and you may wear standing collars and
mems waistcoats. but you shall not
wear trousers. even if bicycling does
Justify it in your eyes.
''Trousersp' cried Louise indignant
ly. who said anything about trousers?
I was talking about bloomers.
81 know you were, said Mr.. Grams
ton, "and please don't talk about them
any more I'm tired of it, and won't
hear it mentioned again y
The next morning when Mr. Grams
ton put ON his coat to start for his Office
his wife called him back and said
''Tom, I'll promise never to mention
bloomers again. but If you ever change
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