New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-07
WOMAN AND "THE BETTER PART"
Well Dressed Women Not Necessarily Ex-
travagant-Truth the First Duty.

There is pungent truth as well as good common
sense in the following concentrated recently by
a prominent New England woman-upon fanaticsm
in general and that uncompromsIns attitude Of
criticism resulting from fast rooted opinions
garding women under which many men labor.
If women are ever caught doing foolish thing.
SAYS this defender OF her men evidently fancy
that they must always keep doing it. Many
wears ago women compressed themselves sui
cdalIy in steel and whalebone. and, though the
custom is practically obsolete IN these enlightened
days there men not few who will go down
10 their graves in the firm belief that women are
I killing themselves off by thousands with tight
lacing Here and there a foolish girl is said to
have been found damp pavements with thin
shoes And forthwith come no end OF homes on
the folly and wickedness OF sacrificing health to
beauty.
A handful OF women have occasionally amused
themselves by thrusting long stick into the I'M
savorinesses of society. What hubbub OF OPPOSE
ton Is aroused7 Do really believe that the
masses women are possessed with an insane and
Unsuitable desire 10 distinguish themselves before
the world? Nothing is further from the truth A
decade Of years may perhaps produce many women
who fairer pictures than In the household fire:
childhood. but such cases VIII be rare, IN. On the
pressed They are far too apt be content with
small attachments and ignoble ends; can far
" and blunderlneIy it may be- but honestly. en-
deavorng to right the wrong than with those who
Newspaper readers VIII perhaps remember a
sacbagets b copied by our enlightened free
press broadcast. / cannot quote the paragraph
exactly but the writer seemed 10 nave bounced
suddenly against the fact that there are not so
many marriages In the country as there usea 20 De.
and ought to be- Being greatly exercised therepy.
he casts about for cause and remedy l0T TINS
deplora BILE state of things. And as ne coulu not
walk up and down the streets Of his nauye city
without seeing troops of handsomely crossed
women he decides forthwith that woman eAttaVa-
eance Is the cause 1T costs so much 10 Sui,poTt
vvife-that is the why young men 40 not
marry They feel that they must Ndit III thetr
income is enough to maintain a WIRE III Ihe Style
to which she has been accustomed ITlIIs tnlnk
thev must begin where their mothers 1--we on
- sir,jIar failaces The mother. TOO receives her
sbara Of the blame and generally the non snare;
fnr n somehow ha opens in ALMOST wi THESE eA-
nlanntons that the father comes OH SCOT iIee Ihen
asfafiStics are uuly produced 10 sho" 1Le fuahtt!'
~ es lnces velvets and feat theirs yearly imported.
and the whole ends with dismal sroah over the
degeneracy of the age Lod with n eth, H.
on the one hand and husband on the otner: ana
viii dress on next to nothing you, Slai nave the
husband The chances are you VIII i9se Doth nus
ha1S and dress! 1t is your duty 10 dress as well
and look as pretty as you can COhsis'e"uy with
yqEr t az matter of fact. women are. If anything
:, but: as than men They dress up. not
SoTn To their fathers and brothers and hus-
Son5s, Wishes. There is not one woman In five
p11ndTsd who II frankly informed or the sources
an5 amount of her husbands income, would not
AZ undoiibtedly spend a great deal or money: but
~ their fathers husbands give, II 70 them to
snsnd why should they be blamedl Many failures
are Ia,S on the shoulders OF women. But 1t would
he Interesting 10 know in how many cases the hus-
band had been In the habit OF making his wife