Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-11-14
AN IeNoMlnlous RETREAT.
The Determined Woman Met Her Match
in Her Dressmaker.


in Her DreSsmaker.
Most persons who attempt to emanci-
pate themselves from established Gus
tom have periods of falling back into
the old way again, baff1ed reformers.
The real reformers are those who per-
sist. The New York Tribune tells
story in which a woman who thought
she had conquered was, after all, de-
feated. She considered herself strong
minded woman, and had determined
that she would have no more trailing
skirts She told her dressmaker of her
decision in a tone which seemed to her
not to admit Of question or protest;
but she did not know that the dress
maker, too, was strong-minded wom-
an, though in different way.
"Oh!" said the dresSmaker, in tone
of mild preplexity. There was so much
behind that "Oh!' that the woman felt
moved to assert herself.
81 will not" she exclaimed. bring
home a choice assortment of microbes .
''But you needn't get long skirt
soiled," said the dressmaker. "Iou
hold 1t up, you know"
"It tires me to hold it up. l want to
step out freely"
"Ohv' said the dressmaker again. 1t
was her favorite argument, and it was
apt to make her opponent wilt without
knowing why. She had worked for
that particular woman for several
years. and had exercised over her a
mild but invincible depositism.
"They are all made long" ventured
the dressmaker, except the heavy
stitched walking-skirts."
81 don't care" said the woman. 81
will defy fashion"
This time the dressmaker's "Oh!' i'm
piled that to defy fashion was to In
woke death or disgrace. The woman
felt herself weakening before the mex
orable judgment of the zone who
knows"
you're very TALL" said the dressmak-
er, softly. "And slender" she added
after an effective pause. Her power
lay in the fact that she never became
excited and never gave way. A vision
rose before the woman of her long
, thin. lanky self, clad girlishly in skirt
that escaped the ground, with pain
| of very substantial feet peeping in and
out, like anything rather than ''little
| mice.' But pride came to her aid.
"Cut it shortr' she ordered, sternly
: st mean," she added, "cut it about hall
an inch above the ground"
"The edge will cut out and collect
dirt" said the dressmaker, sadly.
"Let it!'' said the desperate woman.
"It's light material, easily held up
The tone grew more melancholy, as if
the dressmaker were fighting with ad
verse fate.
The woman was at bay. "I'll have il
shortw she snapped, and the dressmak-
er relapsed into silence and depression
When the skirt was nearly finished she
tried it on with look of mute despair
s"The circular f1ounce is only basted on,
the dressmaker said, finally. ''It-it
! can be let down."
/ whats all this length of stuff undel
the fiounce?" aswed the owner Of the
skirt.
"Well, 1 didn't cut it off, you know
The fiounce can be let down. thought
YOU might change your mind"
sIt looks very straight up and down. ,
Eyes; If you have it long it will flare
out better. You're SO tall and slen
der"
"Let 1t DOWN. suddenly exclaimed
tho woman, in the tone Of a genera
who orders retreat.
"yery WELL" said the dressmaker, as
meekly as If she were asserting to al
act of self