The Washington herald., 1912-06-02
WOMEN FOLLOW FASHION
At THE COST OF HEALTH

| turns to fashions, wherever that may
lead, doubtless you will think her attire
| quite BETTING years Of discretion, but
not in the least suited to youth, and
not at all pretty at best.
If you have passed earlier turning
| points, possibly reached the meridian Of
| life, what then? Does she strike you as
| sensible, a practical disciple Of health
and good pattern TO follow? Or do you
look, admire her evident health and
| common sense, then decided that II is
all right for her, but as for you-weIl,
1t is just a bit too oldfashioned?
Her ImpreEsiOn of Us.
May ten you how it strikes met
When a day or so ago chance
brought me in touch with just such
q sweetly wholesome woman, the dom
inant impression was not directly con-
cerning her. but I wondered most of
all just what she thought of the dress
policy OF the average woman.
That policy possibly may include ev-
cry canon of what we call good taste,
yet may eliminate or disregard the
very cautions that have contributed
to her own aristocracy Of health. And
what are her impressions?
1t is dangerous to attempt to read
what is passing through another mind,
but in this particular instance 1t
seemed SO easy to determine that one
is not afraid to venture an opinion OF
her Judgment.
Several women had been discussing
the rare beauty OF perfect health, the
many lines leading to or away from II
and the few who had not something
Of which to complain.
In that group of women, there was
Just one who wore shoes properly built
for walking. The rest of US were on
stills OF varying heights; yet there
were sorry tales of headaches, weari-
ness. inability to take long walks and
sundry other woes Of unknown origin.
But the one woman, with her broad
toed and broader-soled shoes, had not
a word to say. Just once she looked at
a pair Of particularly trim patent
leather pumps, and 1 am sure, as she
noted the high heels and all, the
thought occurred to her that women
paid quite a price for the fashion
standards they followed.
Pay with Our Health.
wondered, too. II she did not think It
a bit foolish, even inexcusable, for any
but the very young to subscribe to q
style that exacted one ounce Of payment
in the way OF health. And as we saw
her glance at her own rather ugly but
very sensible shoes, then TO the kind we
had adopted, some Of US did not feel so
very wen satisfied with the impression
we knew had been made
It all depends upon the angle of OBJ
servation.
And that same clear-headed, sweetly
sensible woman-what does she think of
the extreme in entertainment that makes
folks search and search for something
new when they would extend hospitality
to friends?
OId-faHhioned Hospitality.
To her, hospitality has a big, beauti-
full meaning. but its boundaries have not
grown to keep pace with the later styles
in which there Is desperate mingling
of ceremony, novelty, and splendor. And
when she sees all the elaborate prepara-
tions, the strange striving for spectacular
effects, one does not know what she
thinks, but one easily guesses that she
pleasurably recalls her simple gatherings
where the feast Of reason and the flow
Of soul" the 'delicacy Of exquisite napery
and the splendor Of a few flowers and
well-chosen food constitute her all in ,
the way OF entertainment. And one be-
lieves she cannot understand Just what
purpose the novelties serve, or just why
the beautifully simple fails to satisfy.
The two ways Of defining hospitality
are far apart, but In the old-fashioned
way much is taken for granted, and not
the least OF II Is the stimulus Of person
slity, the pleasure and inspiration Of
friend to friend. Indeed, the old-fash-
ioned way carries with It q delicate trib- |
crate entertainment" OF to-day.
i