Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-07-24
THE BIRD ON THE HAT.
Women Are Opening their Eyes to the
Cruelty of this Fashion.

Women Are Opening their Eyes to the
Cruelty of this Fashion.
Volumes have been written on the sub
ject OF the bird on the hat, and it is some
times asserted that, in spite of 1t all, this
decoration is more worn than ever. But
this may be doubted. At any rate, any
woman who chooses-and great many
do chose--to wear hat unadorned with
the defunct body OF bird, can do SO
nowadays without appearing either sin
GUAR or addressed.
The hope OF the Audubon society and OF
various other organizations for the pro-
lection of birds is that the time may
come when hat trimmed with plumage
will be as curious an object as the feather
crown of an Ashanti chief. One thing is
certain, IL fashion ever does take de-
cided turn In this direction, 1t is unlike
ly that the old barbarous custom will
ever come back. 1t is SO essentially ugly
and unpleasant in its suggestiveness that
1t need only go out OF style for a few
years to be abhored in its true light.
But there are people who, " gloves and
belts made of tanned human skin from
the dissecting room happened to be the
fashion, would wear them without more
conjunction than an Iroquois warrior
felt In putting on his necklace OF cutoff
human fingers.
The custom of decorating women's hats
with the plumage OF birds is probably as
old as hesdgear itself, and may have
arisen in part from the notion common
to many savage tribes that the qualities
OF an animal slain become the property
OF the slayer. Moreover, before the In
vention of vevets, gauze and lace, the
feathers of birds were among the most
beautiful things available for the adorp-
ment of the human head. Tradition is
partly responsible for the persistence of
the custom in these later days.
But there is nothing pretty in Its later
developments, however appropriate the
wings or body OF o bird might have SEEM
ed on the head of the hunters wife. The
modern hat is constructed to fit the mod
ern face, and there is no beauty in the
juxtaposition of fair, intelligent, es-
sentially civilized countenance and the
body OF blackbird with its neck in a
suggestive twist. 1t hints at ugly posi-
biiities existing underneath the charm
and grace of the wearer. As for the face
which is not charming, or intelligent, or
kind, the bodies OF two or three humming
birds or the head of an owl, speared with
a hatpin and surrounded with bows Of,
ribbon, lend to such visage an aspect
positively sinister.
1t would be unjust, of course, to assume
that there is real cruelty under all this
passive obedience to the dictates Of
fas hion. But since hats and bonnets
quite as becoming and pretty can be
evolved without the bird decoration as
can be devised with it, 1t does seem that
women OF sense and feeling might be
conteuted without shocking the sensi-
bilities of the Audubon society and out
raging the fitness of things by demand
ing yearly sacrifice OF bird life to adorn
their heads.
There was much sense in the retort OF
the little boy who, when reproved by his
pretty Sunday school teacher for robbing
birds nests and asked in pathetic tones
where the poor mother was, replied: "She
amt sufferin' none, miss, she's on yer
hat"
There is no excuse OF ignorance to be
pleaded. The public has been told over
and over again that wearing ospreys
means the death OF muititudes of helpless
little birds, since the feathers are best at
the breeding season, and the parent bird
must be shot then. The fact that birds
of particular fine plumage are often
skinned alive has also been made known;
aud the silence OF woodlands and
meadows, where the milliner's agent has
been, speaks for itself.
1t is about time this senseless and cruel
fashion should go the way of nose rings
aud war paint.