The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-06
SHORT SKIRTS EVERY DAY?
n,1yr DAT CLUB DISCUSSES WEAR
IyG THEM IN FAIR WEATHER,

AmlthtNu ss"- S-@NH AAeL w.
soo, and go characterized the meeting Of tho
Rainy Day Club at tho Murray Hill Hotel yes
,orday afternoon. There were no set speeches,
Int every member talked whom she pleased and
Gus, AS long as she saw At. Every woman OF
;sn however. has tho common sense to mako
boz remarks as briof as she would like to sec
xomanktnd's skirts, so there arc never any
noInilcss, pyrotechnic flights Of gabble at their
,rs,,ings. The members had been requested, on
,bc uos,nl cards announcing the place Of meet
inc. 10 wear their rainy day costumes II IL
rainei. As II did not rain, this caused some con.
fusion. Some who have fallen enough In love
With their short skirts to wear them rain or
,hinc turned out in long skirts, and grumbled
no end when they lcarhoo that they had misun-
d~erstood.
Mrs. Emma Beekwith was In the chair, and
the turnout was large. Mrs. Bertha welby. the
Secretary, reported that eleven new members
had Joined since the last meeting and that she
had received and answcrcd seventeen letters
from other Rainy Day clubs wanting informa-
ton; also sixteen postal cards. She said that
abe had received n request from the organiza.
ton in Syracuse. asking her to give q reading
there and II talk on the rainy day dress before
the club, and also to form q club at watertown.
Just SEQ how the movement is spreading"
she remarked proudly, rs sho sat down.
Mrs. Gertrude Andrews. Chairman of the
Executive Board. rose next. After reporting
that the board had sent Miss K. Marguerite
Lindlcy AS Il delegate to represent tho club at
the Convention OF Working Girls in Philadel.
phia last week and at the Health Protection
Convention this week, she said:
AT the last meeting Of tho Executive Board
there was quite a discussion as to whether wo
should force the members of this club TO wear
the rainy day costume to the meetings so as to
p" 5000 tha NrAau GnY..- - L.. A..,-. - a-t--
all who refused to do 80, but we thought best to
bring this matter before tho members"
"I found tackled on to the end of my postal
card, II a rainy day, please wear your rainy
day dress cried out Mrs. Fowler. jumping to
her foet. Thought by that you didn't want US
10 rome in short skirts II 1t was clear. and l made
great sacrifice in discarding mine. felt ter
ribly disappointed when l got here and found q
few braves out in their rational dresses. Tho
rainy day dress should become the business
dress Of every woman when she Is about her
business. II we would all use 1t as a business
suit and make it the popular thing to wear r-
tional skirts. rain or shine, we wouldn't have
Mrs. Fowler is quite right said Mrs. Herbert
Think A number Of women have said to me-.
kfaiRy bay clu6r ASaa %Esen / / toll them yes.
C1ey We answered.. 'Ol, 1 m 80 sorry. q ike
70 Join so ss to get a badge, but 1 won't Jake
W. I'VE are W stll feeling o, our E,E, remarked ssa e, Mrs Mrs:
ting a comfortable. dress for bad weather. but
there is something back of that I've worn my
short skirt on all occasions since October, except
that, and l simply couldn't wear a long one g
worn short skirts can't comprehend how quickly
h you can make your way through a crowd. You
a nsith / nas are 70 you s,' sto sP sd'Sb By nR RA yGaE seaas s one
step on 1t and run half way up your back before
MI i5sSSp sSoS; s siI h,se ad tssq ssa1 yx faa n aifiP lSa,. to Sn %e i
think the end to which we are all striving is to
wear the dress in pleasant as well as Indictment
weather, though i oppose forcing the women to
wear their short skirts to the meetings on pleas
whether the members shall wear their costumes
in pleasant weather for business wear. This 10
!. that. When they sign he Constellation they
agree to wear the rainy day dress in ipclement
i DO forced to wear them to club meetings in
: pleasant weather, too, or not" .
said Mrs. Fowler. q but that we shall not force
them, as our membership would be apt to grow
II make a motion that the members be re-
fngs whether the weather is pleasant or not"
tartan /. the back declared quite audibly that
che heard poor Cavendish sroap. but all the
same, the motion got a second and was rushed
II come from out of town. said a suburban
ite; Land I feel very queer coming in on a pleas
-"Ithink 1t takes away from the name. Rainy
a Day H GIsb' M to n Rlnks such st.c a requss W,.s snSS sI,cl
makei It the Short skirted Ciub." aud everybody
said Iy Mrs. SSS WeiSye s sn9 Press as t Te%e express aaiKih ny
opinion I shall tell what they say: They think
their short costumes to the meetings in inclem-
emit weather and be LEFT free to do az they please
justly, too, because We came here, all except q
few In terrible weather with our long skirts on; f"
short rh sl iiSit 70 h al m Sssn EsG@e ssiS n Mr. Mee W fhtsr
head. Let them do as they please" And that
Miss Ltn aflestG next ext 8 made report of her trip to
Philadelphia. She said:
The interest manifested, In our cause was
great. Tho Wonlan's Health Protective Associ-
alton OF Philadelphia has taken the matter up,
and as soon as the convention is over has de-
and the delight With wbieh; the OBJECT Of this
i skSa spr fsd msf rap Il q iigf' ready Tor this work and
said tT Mr. sh Hsefw fsf, very swdp T Ssse of ma Ssr . I a4sst
Eith our work and not drop it, because sumner
In speaking Of summer work" interrupted
m mrsi isal's tRat we o' had p1 %o f6 Ss%e ~ VI g. w tSs 1a so
send out organizers. Cannot women volunteer
no 9rs Miii y,s sIne Sia in 9th1 nias plses Ell, s "A srsst
E'NfE HAA ANhs thAAS
Each woman might start a club with ten mem.
tSs E Ena the b nSwfment T SSs. sRre yoIa as that 90 90
mother club"
That Is a most excellent suggestion" said
Ms. Andrews. Health Is the greatest blessing
that woman can have, and these clubs will be
smeans to that end. we have a theory. which
we do not put into words. that God knows how
Srally to manhood; But we have no faith In
Gods ability TO make girls. Almost from their
Infancy we impede them in every way physically.
Women are tortured In every part of the body.
They arc. like flowers growing In pots that ara
bonds"
"It seems to me- said Mrs. Celia Whitehead,
that the w. c. U. might take up this move
ment ! think the union is always interested In
such things"
Some one announced that the w. CT. u; was
holding "A two days convention In the Broadway
tabernacle, and Mrs. Welby was delegated TO
en- the matter before the White Ribboners.
Miss Lindley extended an invitation TO the club
70 be present at Point OF Woods, the Long Island
tertailed. Mrs. Beckwith suggested that the
iast meeting In June be a social one. and that
n mo-. - IA -a