The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-13

which makes II impossible for truly
modest woman 10 deliberately and per-
sistently act immodcstly. Any woman
who willingly appears on the street
IN costume that is indecent is not n
decent woman; and if the respectful BILE
women OF Richmond can unblushingly
SKIRTS that loop as IL they had been
caught on, snaG and had II thread
arawn tight up one, side. II indicates
that they are less slavishly bound by
tne irrational prudcry that generally
characterizes our American civiliza-
tion than those who criticize them.
l have heard OF some costumes seen
on the streets OF this city which might
Justly be criticized az the limit" and
nave heard that such extremes are
more prevalent in other cities than
mere; but | am bound to confess that
though frequentiy pass up and down
ntroad street; | have seen no costume
mat ] should call indecent At the
same time any one but the widest rad
ic2i viii acknowledge that il is possible
10 reach an indecently objectiona bl e
extreme; though, even in the case Of
such costumes, the objection, 1t seems
20 me. is not so much that they attract
,he lasciyious gaze OF the low minded
sensihilit!cs of the refined
As for those pestiferous insects who
swarm about street corners with the
III concealed purpose OF satiating their
obscene imaginations. two things may
DC SAID: they are worthy OF little CON
sideration from self respecting men
ever tustitiable II is too lenient n
punish mcnt for them
1t is well-known fact that modesty
and conccalment are more suggestive
and stimulating to their evil passions
than greater freedom OF dress and
manner; and especially is this true
than real. AS the writer i'm Harper's
above referred to pcrtincntly remarks,
the most immoral countries in the
World are those where even woman s
race ~ yelled from the profanc gaze
Of the male Prudery nourishes i'm
purity OF thought and immortality Of
conduct. The surcst correctives OF this
cyl are The summary punishment Of
the offender and the popular cultiva
tion OF saner and more normal atti-
sex relations.
There is nothing inherently immod-
est In a slit skirt or tight skirt II
would see any improperly in them: and
even II they are perfectly awful" they
are no worse than many things that
have been worn for a long time with
out creating such "a Juror. Further
more, an abridgment of costume. il II
Is Objectionable at one time and place
on the score Of indecency, is equally
indecent at another 1t may be in bad
form for woman to appear on Broad
street in bathing suit or at church
IN decollctte gown. but they are
more likely to prove detrimental to
morals In the places where they are
usually seen-where the powers OF
moral resistance are more or less re-
laxed-than In places where men are
busy or where their minds are con-
ccrned with purcrc things.
Again. with reference to slit skirts.
! think that real. sure enough hon
est, unapologizing slit is vastly pre-
fcrablc to Il sham one. heard an
excellent lady the other day severely
censuring the indecency Of slit skirt
while she herself wore skirt with
a sham slit that would have been posi-
lively indecent If It had been real. Such
There Is only one reason that can be
given for it, and that is. Because
There is n sense. however. In which
our American women are mmodest-
or perhaps, since the word "immodcst"
has come to be so generally applied to
a. o p1rtcuiar r, kind Of immnodesty.
dress. They are like the. women OF
England in Queen Elizabeth's time,
who. historians tell us. made their
country ridiculous in the eyes OF other
nations. Fashions. waists. skirts. friils.
ombroideries. hats, jewelry play too
large a part in the feminine world.
some of the too economical" styles.
Paul recommends that woman 'adorn
themselves in modest apparel" and
then, when we look to see what he
names in contrast to modest apparel,
we find not TRADE against slit skirts
and masculine styles, but simply this.
not with braided hair and gold or
pearls or costly raimcnt."
Paul may have been an old bach l.
clor, but. like many another old bach
elor who has not learned to subordi-
nate his own judgment. and who does
not have to be careful how he may
please his wife, he knew what most
adorns woman. Anything that makes
a woman conspicuous. that Is obviously
designed to display and advertise her
animal charms, that cultivates in her,
and exhibits to others, her self-con-
seriousness. her vanity--like the detes-
table, slouchy. hang dog pose that is
affected by young things who arc not
tcrly silly it makes them appear--any
and all OF these things are immodcst
] remember when ! was very small.
seeing a. a. a Heer,looking woman MAJ o be :
ers, who tossed her head and twisted
her body in an odd sort OF way. and 1
was told that she was crazy. It made
mind, and have never been quite able