The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-13
FAIR SEX.
Jenness Miller
Talks,
AND TO THE POINT.
The Science Of Dressing
Beautifully.

Mrs. Jenness Miller the author, lee
turer and apostle of aesthetics, has built
a handsome residence in Washington.
She is one Of the most interesting of
all the American women who have at
tracted public attention by their works.
The popular idea of Mrs. Miller among
those who are not familiar with her
work is that she is a dress reformer.
This is not at allswhat she is. Women
MILO ostentatiously depart eeE45m the
conventionsTof dress and many who lea
more delicacy are the ones who eese~as
''dress reformer.' ,ls
Mrs. Miller is an aesthetician-a adj
Nanced apostle of the beautiful. AS an
incident to this. one of the first steps
toward the application of the science
of the beautiful to everyday life. she
has devoted much attention to dress 1t
is the beautiful in the higher sense, not
the mere superficials of vanity toward
which she has directed her attention.
Beauty of form, of physical develop
ment, of surroundings and of inteilec-
tual comprehension and taste is what
her work aims at Those who admire
prehend the complete scheme of her
philosophy. To some the idea of beauty
has no association except with vanity
To such the practical common sense
view of her teachings appears Those
who are attracted only by the superb
cial of beauty and grace accept and
apply the common sense without real
1zing 1t. To some she appeals as an
artist; to others she is more of physi-
clan, for the first object of her i'm
provement of dress is the restoration
or preservation of health Healthful
exercise, comfortable attire attitude
and carriage which do not cramp and
distort, healthful thoughts and occupa-
ton of the mind and a recognition of
the qualities of all the senses and their
requirements in order to preserve per-
feet health, are things of which her
philosophy teaches She is really a
philosopher in art.
To call her dress reformer is to be-
little the work she is engaged in as
well as to give false idea of her to
those who associate dress reform
with mannish manners and boomers.
Mrs Miller is not making a crusade on
the corset nor on the skirt, but is OBJ
posed to making these articles of dress
instruments of torture and the means
of destroying health and amiability of
disposition.
Mrs. Miller has built a fine house in
Washington and furnished it in a most
artistic style In a way it is a monu-
ment to her school of philosophy. pre-
senting those qualities which she seeks
10 develop and preserve among people
in general. This does not mean that
there is anything startling or freakish
about IT. quite the contrary What Is
startling or freakish is most abhorred
and avoided by her. The house is al
most severe in its architectural purity
of outline. Built of light stone and
brick and of such dimensions as to ad,
mt OF the character of nlassiVeness il
presents first the idea Of being sub
stantfa1. The square lintels, graceful
columns and heavy stone balustrades
and balconies without more ornament
alton than the Greeks would approve
presentate the eyesan impression of ART
with statelinesss and grace On the in
terror the arrangement of the rooms
satisfies the ANTICIPATION of comfort he
large windows and space for freedom, OF
movement and for air fulfil the REQUIRE.
ments of health and the ornamentatiof
and furniture satisfy a taste already
possessed oi.eaysaKen a sense Of the art.
9stic and elegant that is dormant. Il
IS not that the house is 50 elaborately
furnished, but that. everything in 1t /:
rich and Possesses the real artisti,
parlor. for instance. is not so called be
cause OF one article of furniture stand
ing embarrassed in the presence a
mixed and rude company. but actual,
represents the high art of Vernis Mar
TN IN all its furniture and hanging
from moor 70 celhng. In no part of tn,
house is there any overcroWdine no,
are ornaments distributed around reck
lessly because they happen to be hand
some, without regard to their surround
1ngs; nor yet, on the other hand is III,
mistake made of striving for uniform
1ty. Suitableness' is the thing con
sidered
From this may be derived a fair ide.
OF the woman and her art, for abov
al Things she is an artist
When I called on her the other even
ing young man who is a great must
clan, yet to become famous, was ius
taking leave of her. This led hef. +
talk Of music, and at once she str1cl
upon the higher theme of music whicl
stills the senses and speaks to the i'm
aglnation and that inner consciousness
which is out Of the reach of mer
sound. She showed a knowledge an
an understanding Of music which, b
her own profession, placed her beyon
the claim Of herself being a musician
though she doubtless plays quite a
well as very many who play in publ
with perfect confidence in their title t
applause.
Passing to philosophy, she showed s
tendency toward ranscendentalisn
without losing sight of the practice
side of all things. She s.has ningle,
with pe9ple.zarld bad The Skiaest oppes
tunity for 9llFeFE tionss an d, stirerefore
with her Broadening observation o
actual life she has become less a read
er of books than a student of nature
Making no pretense of keeping up t
date in the current literature of tn
hour. she is a student of profoun,
works, although there is no trace o
pedantry in her conversation.
] asked her what class of people sh,
found least success with in her work
People." she replied, lin the lowe
grades Of society and reformers." PEG
ple who call themselves reformers ar,
apt to prejudice the thing they woulC
advocate and are often simply tryinl
10 induce the public to ride with then
on grotesque hobbies. Any one under
taking a new work is in danger at first
of being associated in the public MIND
with that class of reformers, and the
prejudice thus aroused has to be over
come. Again, ignorant people. ano
people with contracted surroundings
who by the very force of their circum-
stances are conventional and do not
dare to give any latitude to their
thoughts nor to depart i'll any way from
certain familiar customs lest they go
wrong. People IN the very highest
grades of society take more readily TO
the teachings which / seek to incul-
cate. The reason for this Is that they
are so situated as to give them greater
liberty Of action. The possession of
means induces freedom Of thought and
action. Even without wealth, the ad-
vantage Of and capacity for a liberal
education and opportunity for travel
free the mind from many prejudices