Washington sentinel., 1898-03-05
Dress.

1t is urged that it is an indecency
tor women to sit astride. ask,
Why3 remarks Lady Cook in the
Eureka MagasfnS Until Good
Queen Anne" introduced the side
saddle, the women Of England al
ways rode horseback astride like
men, as women of many countries
do to the present day. 1t is nom
sense to connect immortality with
either mode, as il is simply a mat
ter OF custom; and when the
novelty Of seeing a woman astride
has worn off, time will sanction
both it and knickeTb ockers, as it
has sanctioned so many other
things. 1t is somewhat amusing,
however, to hear women who ap
pear at public functions in the
most dec0Ilete manner--semi-nude,
arms and shoulders, backs and
breasts bare to all beholders--dis-
paraging the modest woman who
only displays, to the extent OF a
few inches, the shape OF pair OF
we'll covered legs. Ladies of po.
sition have long been accustomed
to accompany their male friends to
cover and moor shooting, habited
in knickers and leggings, and
little notice has been taken; but
the adoption of similar garments
by the cycling community is quite
another thing. and requires police
interference.
Mankind have been trying all
kinds Of clothing, possibly to dis
cover a rational dress, and have
not found suitable one yet We
may still say, as Chaucer in the
Parsons Tale, "Alasl May not
a man see as in our daies, the
sinneful costlewe array Of clothing
and namely in to moch superfui-
tee, or elles in to disordinate scant-
nesse9" Among the superfuities
was the 'length of the foresaide
gounes, trailing in the myre, on
hors and exc on foot, as well of
man as of woman, that all thilke
trailing is verailv wasted, con-
sumed, threadbare and rotten,
rather than it is geven to the
poure."
The fashion OF short and tight
breeches (which rather exposed
the wearer's nakedness than hid
it," was baDished from France by
an edict of Charles v. The beaux
of Elizabeth's reign, however, dit
tered from those OF Chaucer's and
Charles's times. They stuffed
their breeches with feathers, rags,
and other light materials, until
they were swollen to a huge cir
conference; and at the same time
the ladies wore large hooped
iarthingales; something like mod
ern crinolines, sothat 1.-TWO lovers
aside could surely never have
taken one another by the hand"
In print by Vertue, Lady Hud-
son, a leader OF fashion, heads
Elizabeth's procession to Lord
Hudson's. Her Standing up
wire ruff rises above her head,
her stays reach to her knees, and
her farthingale encloses her "as in
a capacious tub" Disraeli says:
THE amorous Sir Walter Rail
eigh must have found some of the
Maids Of Honor the most impreg-
nable Qualifications his gallant spirit
ever assailed." Old Stowe says oil
the reign, Gin that time he was
held the greatest gallant that had
the deepest ruff and longest
rapier." We have seen an old
French print of Adam and Eve in
elaborate Eastern costumes, robed,
jewelled and turbanned, although
we are told our Biblical ancestors
commenced with fig leaves, and
did not advance beyond "coats Of
skins" The graceful and Greek
like dresses of Anglo-Saxon times
continued to linger long after the
Conqueror. The conquest Of
France by the English introduced
French fashions, and these and
other refinements continued to
come at intervals from Italy and