The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-09
Tic bird on the Hat.

Some sensation has been caused by
the utterances of Rev. Jenkin Lloyd
Jones on the subject of the bird as an
ornament for wOmen's hats. This gen
tleman has hitherto borne the reputa-
ton of being. as one of his admirers ex-
pressed it, sort of soothing" But on
this occasion he was not soothing; not
bit. He became a burning, fiery fur
mace of eXhortation. He used such rep
rehensible expressions as the headgear
Of a female fool "multitudinous muir
ders" and 'monkeyish vanity. And he
gave the nerves of some of his hearers
a severe shock. 1t is just as true
as it ever was that man land woman)
can do things which woman, espec-
tally, cannot bear to hear described.
There is no doubt that if the bird mil
linery business depended upon the abil-
ity of woman to wiring with her own
hands the neck of the bird she wears
on her hat there would be very few
birds on hats. 1t is also probable that
most men would not care to go into the
butchers business, although they prob
ably would do a limited amount of that
sort Of thing, rather than go without
meat But there really is no shadow OF
excuse for the bird on the hat business.
1t is not pretty, to begin with. The
stuffed image of a once beautiful bird.
pinned down on a hat or bonnet with
glass eyes replacing the real, bright,
twinkling eyes of the live bird, and the
body twisted around into some unnat-
ural position or other, and surrounded
with lace, ribbon and velvet, is in no
way artistic. 1t is contrary TO all the
/ canons of good taste. Artistic arrange
ment demands that there should be a
/ reason for ornament, and that it should
( be where it naturally belongs Flowers
/ have from time immemorial been used
I to deck headgear. and so, to certain
extent, have feathers, but no bird in
/ this world ever alighted on woman S
head, much less stayed there, and he
does not look natural in that position
and would not be tolerated for one in
slant We're he alive and OF the size
which he frequently is in millinery As
dainty and airy effects may be had by
arrangements of lace, ribbon and vel
vet as by any use of birds. especially
| whole ones.
And then there is the cruelty of the
thing. although that is, with fashion,
able European dame, entirely sec
ondary consideration. She will tor
ment her servants, her horses, or her
so-called pets of all kinds, with the ut
most unconcern, so long as the fact OF
their suffering is not brought home to
her, and sometimes when it is. The
wearing of birds is a relic of barbar-
ism, and should be treated as such II
brings back the days when savages
capered in the forest, dressed in skins
their own and other animals'-and al
the feathers they could get hold Of, and
thought themselves beautiful. But as
to the cruelty Of it, 1t is no worse thar
hundred other customs Of our day
You may walk down the Avenue any
day and see signs displayed TO inform
you that if you will enter you may par
take of broiled live lobster, crabs cook
ed alive and various other delicacies OF
like nature A celebrated cookbooE
printed within the last generation rec
commended the cooking Of live fish anC
live ducks. The reason for this sort
of thing seems TO be that the palate OF
the eater for several minutes, is highly
eratified, A woman, at any rate, Ii
economical in her enjoyment. Sh'
wears her bird trimmed bonnet fol
several months.