Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-05-22
The Country Home
Frances wi1Iard,s Wise words
BY MRS. w. I'll. FELTON,


Among my newspaper clippings
I find some wise words written in
the year 1887 by Miss Frances Will
lard concerning 'Dress and Vice"
"In our day the present costly
and insane style of dress is, per-
haps, the worst temptation to vice
among the poor.
1.-THE style of dress among hired
girls is often pitiful to see. But it
usually puts to shame the mistress
more than the maid by reason of
tawdry limitations of tawdry fash
ions, set in the parlor, which in
this democratic land the kitchen will
be sure to follow. It also indicates
a lack of sympathy between these
two parts of the house. The true
Christian lady will make common
cause with her helpers, especially
and setting an example of modera-
ton IN regard to personal expendi-
ture. If women realized the I'M
speakable degradation of exposure
Of the person, if they reflected upon
the consequences to the world in
they should do, if they could be
made to know the results that will
inevitably flow and swiftly follow
such immoral exhibitions of what
and inmost privacy of the home,
they would need no tinge of arti-
fetal color to the cheeks which
would be carmined with shame If
these young women could hear the
remarks of the young men as they
again in such horrid styles styles appear
And yet it is quite likely that
these absurd looking young women
are not nearly so bad as they seem.
She will say: "She might as we'll be
out of the world as out of the fash
ion" 1t is the legitimate part
of our social purity and temperance
work to take away the reproach that
justly falls upon women nowadays
because of their ignorance, concern
ing their own health, and their
thoughtless addition to the tempta-
tions of men, by their manner of
dress. The theater and the houses
must cease to crack the whip of
fashion over the heads of virtuous
womanhood. Our duty in the case
is immediate: We must assert our
Independent dignity. We must con-
slider manhood's points of view as
This article, written by Miss Will
lard, went to the press thirty-three
years ago. Every word of it is as
true today. We have gone on, from
bad to worse. 1t is far from my de-
sire to unduly criticize the young
women.
Alas! and the elder women too,
WIG GO out into public company with
ss<ssEGY clothes enough upon their
nEtSis@s TO hide tbs parts that sho2ld
ner~s eee1 seen nude outside of thy
inr'ormoss privacy g the hnns "
t.NEsN Ik@f eel<z~n 81 age aa& *
%%rienaA cannot put aside the call of
duty, to COUNSEL tlaS youn@ss women
of their own community.
Paris has, for a long sine. set
the pace for outre fashions. 1t is
the outre and daring styles that ar
rest attention on the streets, in the
bathrooms, and on theater boards, and
in public dance halls.
The nearer naked a young woman
can present herself in such places,
the more those places are frequent
ed by men of loose and idle habits
1t pays the proprietors of such places
to hire these brazen young women
to- dance and coquette with idle
rich young men. (Alas! and older
men, too) because the coin is handed
over the counter, but these midway
orgies" eventuate in the fatal ruin
of character and virtue.
American women, young and old,
should call halt on this immodest
exposure of their persons. Naked
backs and bosoms are exactly in line
with Paris styles, and it is getting
to be question whether or not that
public safety will not demand some
legislation as to modest dress, etc
The motherhood Of our land should
call a halt on everything that per-
verts the morals, and tempts the
unwary child, male or female. 1t
is hard to give clear expression to
these dangers, without plain words,
and these plain words are obliged
to be startling, when set down in
cold type.