The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-29
Arabella Foge on Clothes, Airy
People and Other Matters
BY KARL KAFFER

II
amt obliged to be a fool unless she
= wants to.-though some folks thinks
Different
They's plenty of women that will say
they don't RELY like the ugly and una
tractive new styles but they have to
wear EN- because it's the style, and you
can't get close made no other way; and
they have to go without petticoats, not
because they want to. but because the
skirts is too tight to allow of one, and
because nobody else don't wear none
Now, neither one of them things ain't
SO. I can get my skirts made jest as
wide as l want 'em. 1 amt found no
dressmaker to refuse to do it yet; and
my new black alapacker slSirt-three
yards round the bottom-and fresh
white linnin shirtwaist looks a sight gen.
teeler for church than the costoom wore
by Sally Snodgrasses niece, Corinne, last
shimmy at the top, and a umbrella case
at the bottom. And Sally setting in the
pew by her, looking red in the face and
mortifide to death.
And as to petticoats, there amt no
truth in clameing that nobody don't wear
EN-, for I'm somebody and 1 wear 'em,
and so does all the other women here In
Snagg Junction.
I've got 12 good petticoats, and they
amt packed away as reieks neither.
They are put where they does the most
good, and that's on me. On week days
| wear one plain one and one trimmed
at the bottom with serpenteen braid:
and on Sunday 1 wear two-one with a
embroidery flounce and one trimmed with
croshay.
And if I do say it. all right meaning
and proper-brought-up women will do the
same, style or no style.
Well, to get back to Corinne and her
new-style close. that day after church
they was scene at the Snodgrasses dim
ner table. Sally told me aboat 1t.
Corinne's a orphan, and has to stay
with Sally year while her other aunt
is off visiting Einfolks in the west. And
seeing a years considerable time, Sal
ly decided they had to be a understand
ing about Corinnes close, of which Sally
disaproved of.
Well, at the table Sally hadn't said
nothing but she was in reel snappish
humor over the way Corinne had looked
at church.
Corinne was chattering away about
school doings. and how the girls run a
little paper and had 1t printed every
month. So the Perfesser, seeing Sally
wouldn't say nothing, asst Cornne who
done the most writing on the paper.
Corinne, she giggled and said: "Reely
uncle. modesty pervents my saying
tmeaning she done IT'D There Sally
she spoke up reel dry, well, If that S
all that pervents, / don't see nothing
standing in the way of you telling
says she "Why Aunt Sally" said Co
rinne reel surprised. do you think |
amt modesto"
well, not so as you'd notice ii
much" said Sally quite sarcastick.
There the perfessor, man like commenst
to taking Corinnes side. The perfesser
never noticed women's close, nor noth-
ing else except cater pillows and so
fourth. If Corinne had of went to
church in a chatting dish apern and
a fur collar, he wouldn't of noticed
nothing missing.
Well says he, "it amt close that
matters so much; it's what you are,
and what you think" Sally answered
back quick: But it aint proper nor
moral to wear low neck and short
sleeve dresses, and no petticoats, on
the street-much less to church"
Then the perfesser he went on to say
that close warnt a matter of morality
they was matter of climate. He
says at the north pole 1t might be
considered indellicate to show so much
as the nap of your neck, and that
IL the women didn't wear fur pants they
was considered reel improper. While
at the equator it was perfecbly proper
and all right not to wear nothing at all
pretty near.
AT that Sally says, she shifted reel
scornful.
Then the perfesser went on to say
that If Corinne went to church in the
right frame of mind. her close didn
matter. If she listened reel earnest
and in the proper spirit to the preacher,
and felt charity in her heart, then she
was clothed in righteousness, and that
was all that was necessary. "Well, I'm
glad she was clothed in something"
Sally answered. For they certainly
warnt much else that give outward
and visible sign of being clothing"
And Sally expressed herself quite con-
siderable, but she could see 1t didn't
make no impression.
That evening l was setting on my
back porch hemming kitchen towels,
when Sally came in all het up both
with the sun, and with being mad at
Corlnne-she having went off to the
drug store with Polly and some other
girls for soda water without no petit
coat as usual. l mean Corinne.
Polly always wears one though her
skirts is nearrerer than | like.
Sally had brought her sewing with
her She was cutting one of her pet
ticoats in two and making two out
of it.
I'm making that girl some close
she says grimly, when I asst her tor
the land sake what was she doing.
You might not believe me Araballa
Toeg, but that girl amt got petticoat
to her name.' says Sally.