The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-12-19
THE SANITARY WOMAN.

With the various effects in the way of
chills, feyers. nervous exhaustion and
the queer stomach troubles and horrible
colds that have come from stagnant
pools and abominable smells at least
one type of woman is abroad. She is
not altogether pleasant. She is crude.
Crudeness in a woman is offensive. she
must be like the orchid, the product OF
civilization. But the woman who is to
the front now and who is doing much
talking is the sanitary woman. No place
is sacred to her, for she rushes in where
even the most daring angels would not
venture and no human being is free
from her fads. She tests the way we
breathe, the clothes we wear, the friends
we have, and scorns tradition as she
does dust.
/ hate the sanitary woman. am per-
fectly willing to live on as did my grand
mothers, with no knowledge whatever
of sanitary blessings. In fact, | some
times wonder if they are blessings. The
sanitary woman is most unpleasant
person to visit you. On her arrival she
carefully inspects the plumbing and has
to have. some special treatment of her
own given to the bath nearest her. She
criticises the food and counts it worth
less unless it belongs to the special
health variety which she uphods. She
tries to convince you that you are MOI
properly clothed and that she is, while
the fact that she looks a guy and you
do not only adds to her Indignation.
Nine times out of ten, unless she is very
well bred and simply slightly insane,
she manages to call you frivolous
female.
OF course every woman is a female,
but no woman likes to be called that. II
is putting her ON a par with the animals
in the menagerie. Still it is curious
thing that in this world men-unless
they are cranks, and then they are not
men-like frivolous females. l have an
idea that Eve frivoled. | am sure that
Lillith did, and | would be willing TO
bet my last gold dollar (now worth
$165) that all the women OF ancient
history who were in the least degree
charming were frivolous. One does not
want the air dissected and the water
analysed with ones dinner. One does
not want the charms of graham bread
and the delicacy of a baked apple and
the intoxicating Qualities of oatmeal the
theme at breakfast, nor does one wish
the value of flannel worn next to the
skin and no corsets the subject for
lunch.
Imagine, If you can, the sanitary wo-
man in love. Imagine the discussion OF
what one ate and drank and wore as be-
ing part of a love affair. Fancy talk
ing about a new health food between
kiss. On, it is past belief! 1t is abso-
lutely fair to conclude that the sanitary
woman has no reason for existence, and
hot in, u int I,o+ 4
uetude which is her proper place Selah!
ABOUT BIG HATS.
The big hats, with their twelve to
twenty-four feathers surmounting them,
are shown in the shop windows and are
sold to those unsuspecting women who
helieve what their milIiners tell them.
AS the woman who buys whatever she
is advised to is many in number, you
see the big hat here, there and every
where. Che tail women look like over
grown mushrooms, and small women
look like candles wearing fire extin-
guishers, and the wind plays havoc
with the feathers, and the milliners
smile and thank heaven that there are
a great many fools still in existence.
However, there is an occasional mil
liner who tells the truth. She said to
lie the other morning: "Big hats We're
bought early in the season by the very
smart women. who wore them when
they were driving and while they were
still in the country. but now they are
the women who have the close fitting
little toques oftenest made OF piece
left from their gowns Don't misunder-
stand me. These toques are not cheap.
The less they have on the more they
cost, because under much trimming you
can hide bad work, but a simple hat
must be perfect in its development"
The well dressed woman is without
doubt that woman who understands the
eternal fitness Of things. When the
beautiful Duchess of Devonshire was