Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-09

the keenest anguish OF spirit and body.
And yet, there they were. mincing fool
ishly along, in momentary mortal fear
Of pitching forward on their noses. suf-
fering tortures OF anxiety when they
came to automobile cluttered crossings,
and many Of them being literally picked
clear Of the ground by the disdainfui
traffic cops and carried across the motor
packed streets.
In that feminine parade In 9Th avenue
there was. I state it with the most SOL
emn averment of utter truthfulneSs. many
women whose steps could not have been
more than six or seven inches long at
the outside. Their skirts clasped them
close to the ankles in many cases with
such binding power that they couldn't
have taken longer steps without gong
fat on their faces. It would be absurd
to say that the women who walk In 9TH
avenue of sunny afternoons are not in
telligent persons; that they belong to the
defective class. And yet there they were,
taking those desperate chances of fall1ng
down and breaking themselves, as help
less. many of them, as lost infants or
paralyzed old persons. / noticed that
there was a sardonic expression on the
face of every man who watched this
sort of thing. But did the women SO
hobbled care? Not a nickefs worth.
They were out for the inspection of their
sex. That was the nub of it; and nothing
else mattered so long as they passed the
inspection OF their own sex successfully
Right at this point, however | discover,
not without dismay, sort OF weak spot
in my argument. the same being this: lis a
well known and indubitable fact that the
male person. no matter how much and
how volubly he may decry certain fea-
lures of feminine fashion, nevertheless is
DESTROYS nay. keen. to have the women
folk Of his own family to keep up with
those fashions. idiOtic though they be,
if they can; if. that is to say he has
the price to enable them so to do. And,
when the said male person takes the
spouse Of his bosom out, to dine at some
fashionable place, We'll say. he is the
very first cts hard to admit it, but it's
sadly trueD to notice it if she isn't up
to the minute of fashion as compared
with the other women present; and if
she be not So why. he says things in
malignant and peeved tones, as, for eX-
ample. why don't you get one O. those
junky things like that woman at that
alcove table?' or. Look a-lrere, all the
rest of the women here have got so-and-
SO on. What's the matter with you that
you don't keep in the game and look
like the rest of 'em?''
Yes, this is true indictment. The
male person wants his women folk to
stick along with the current fashion,
even though he knows that this or that
current fashion makes them look hideous
IT'S a matter of imbecile pride with him
that the women of his family land par
ticularly the wife of his bosom) shall
look Just precisely as kapoo. SO to speak,
and as much in line with the dicta of
the fashion makers as the wives Of his
friends. Therefore, in this respect the
male person forever is in an attitude of
He ridicules or loathes the
a bnormality of feminine fashion, yet he
is peevish and petulant If his own wife
weareth it not!
But cen SO, cen so. 1 have vet to
see the male person obsessed by even
this inconsistency who would willingly
permit his wife to wear a ding a-ling
hat, however he may view her wearing
Of q hobble skirt.
CLARENCE L. CULLEN