The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-08-25

to the end of his stay the temperature
in the vicinity of the shocked ladies'
began TO rise. He gave interviews to
the papers. He secured the co-opera-
tion of q clergyman who had been q
classmate in college. The text of the
sermons and the interviews was the
"net-wast." Being mere men, that
was the generic term applied to the
transparent fabrics in which appeared,
(and this last phrase was deemed abb
solutely literaD many of the fashion
able representatives of society. 1t IN
cluded the "all-over' embroidered
bodces. the lace yokes and sleeves and
the waists made Of lace and insertion
and of true net or chiffon.
The shirt waist man denounced these
garments as Indecent and vulgar. No
woman, he declared, who possessed
real modesty would wear a net-waist
in the street which must reveal the
skin as if nothing was worn over it,
He believed this attire might be per-
missible in the evening or for the
house, but not for day wear in pub
lic He affected to be horribly shocked
when he met any one in the street
thus "undresscd" as he called It. He
consulted conservative old ladies who
by no possible stretch of the imagina-
tion could have been permitted to go
round with transparent yokes and
sleeves. They allowed him to have
printed the results of these interviews
which strongly deprecated such i'm
proper attire The man had his re-
vengc. All the papers took up the
matter, 1t was discussed in the pull
pit, and the club. Some of the women
who had bcen going about nice and
cool-particularly, cool--with large
sized apcrtures set in pretty patterns
over their necks and arms, as a mat
tor of self defence, began to wear more
Opaque waists. Like Kipling's Ran
garoo they chad to-" one prim old
lady in a newspaper interview had
definitely stated that she would not
speak to a woman who wore a net
waist. and added complacently that
none of her friends would be seen so
disgracefully dressed. The wearers of
the Objectionable garments did not
mind the disapproval of the lady In
qucstion--"old Tabby" they called her
but IT did grow embarrassing to find
themselves so conspicuous as they were
whenever they appeared on the street
clad in their thin airy waists. MY
very arms blushed this afternoon" de-
clared one of the injured fair ones"
The idea! as if it were not perfectly
correct to wear lace yoke and sleeves.
I always have nice white corset
cover beautifully trimmed and with a
black net lining just cut out low in the
Oh .,
goodness we had let him come into the
| dining room wearing anything on earth
he chose I'll never say a word again
If the whole outfit of men appear
three times day clad only in the sim
| plicity of their patamas." And then
the ladies in question packed up their
pretty net waists in many trunks and
hied themselves homeward, where they
| found their troubles had preceded
them for the net-waist crusade had
extended rather completely over the
nation.
The last place to contract the habit
is Philadelphia, which is just now
having spasms of propriety over the
| Quaker maidens who insist upon ap-
| pearng on the streets and in other
puDllC places IN transparent gowns.
! Probably the only way the matter will
| be settled is by the forces of nature
| in the shape Of approaching cool
weather. The truth of the case is that
| it is not at all likely a protest would
| have been made against net waists
| had not the circumstances in COnnec-
| tiOn with the shirt-waist man melted
| the Out-crY. 1t is expected that Wo-
| men will dress as comfortably as pos
sible during the hot days and while
! transparent fabrics made up in elab-
crate fashion cannot be said to be in
| the best taste when worn in the morn
| ing the mere fact Of having sheer ma
| terials, lace-liIe in effect, over the neck
and arms should not really be the Sig
| nal for a riot.
Magistrates in many cities are eX-
pressing surprise at what they con-
slider is the increase of crime and vice
among children. Juvenile depravity
seems to have had a special outbreak
during the past few months, and the
reason thereof and the remedy to b.
applied constitute serious problems
That wickedness is on the increase
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