Year: 1869




lady in a milliner's shop, measurinl
all the bonnets with a little piece Q


tape TO make sure of one exactly tb
size OF that she had fifty years age
p oblecting 10 this one because the stray
: is too light, to that one because o


some innocent little bow of ribbon, /,


another because there is suspicion


modern air lurking aboutit-whoever


| say, has observed all this, will b,


convinced that the most fashionabl,


dressed people are not always the one


who think most about their clothes.


The immodesty of fashion is favor


ite theme with prudes of all ages anC


sexes. Old ladies, village editors, anC


nice young men in paper shirt-colars


contrive TO find something which


shocks their delicacy in every new


style that is introduced. When ther,


arc just grounds for such objections.


have not a word TO say against them


but the unreasonableness and incon


sistency Of some Of these prudish stric


lures upon dress and manners are SC


apparent as almost TO incline one 10 err


on the opposite extreme. Every gen.


GRAFTON seems TO have its own pet in.


decencies and pruderies-its gnats to


strain at and its camels 10 swallow.


lmmodesty and prudery change their


shape as often as hats and bonnets.


Our grandmothers did not hesitate to


expose their persons in short, scant,
and what we would consider INSULT
cient clothing. A few years ago, our
modern bellies displayed what ought
to have been hidden by the artful con
trivance Of "tilting" skirts, while the
established indecencies Of the present
season arc extreme low dressing and
tightly gored skirts stretched over
great protruding UeNtreS of gutta-per-
cha These things are all equally to
be condemned, but who shall cast the
first stone A Saturday Reviewer de-
clares that modern young ladies are
often tainted with the question,


what would your grandmother say
10 you !" but he significantly adds,
at would be well 10 look at the other
side Of the picture and see what these
young ladies would say TO their grand
mothers" Old people are very apt
to forget the fashionable indelicacies
Of their own day in denouncing what
they consider the gross monstrosities
OF ours. / confess l would as soon
think Of appearing on the streets in
my chemise as in the costume of my
grandmother's portrait; and yet, that
same old grandmother was all but
ready 10 faint with horror the first
time she beheld her degenerate off
spring in a looped up muslin skirt,
with several inches of embroidered
petticoat displayed below. No fash
ion that has appeared in the last ten
years seems TO have scandalized the
gossips of country towns so deeply as
that very pretty and convenient style
of looping up dress skirts, which i'm
mediately proceeded the introduction
Of our walking dresses. l once saw
two old women grow quite hysterical
over the very moderate display Of
white muslin made by young lady
who happened TO walk in front of
them--their offended modesty taking
no account of the two pair of stout
ankles which were visible beneath
their own short and narrow gowns of
modest gray. Why the display Of
little strip of embroidered muslin
should have been considered more
vulgar than an equal breadth of foot
and ankle, | am at a loss TO conceive
Neither seems open TO very serious
objections on the ground Of delicacy
but as 10 grace and beauty, the petit
in few exceptional cases
have the best Of it. Prudes Of all
ages seem to be peculiarly sensitive
on the subject of petticoats, though
these last really are the most harm
less and inoffensive Of garments, ex-
cept in dusty streets, where they have |
4 bad habit Of getting soiled. As to /
'tilting" hoops, extreme low dressing, /
false UeHtres, and all other actual in.
delicacies, | must confess myself
wholly on the side of the prudes; nor
DO | think such modes at all justifia-
bic on the ground that worse things
have been approved and practiced be-
lore. One excuse, perhaps, and that
d very lame one, might be urged in
palliation of the fashionable indelioa-
" Of any existing poriod-namoly
hat so long as It is generally practi-
,able, custom takes the edge of il
and the world looks upon
{ as matter Of course so that in
ollowing or submitting TO its whims
woman is not so conspiouously or
indecent as if she were TO
adopt some peculiar and unsanctioned
ndelicaoy. If the oensors Of fashion
would confne their structures TO what
S essentially immodest or indicate,
10 one would have just cause Of CON-
llaint against them; but most prudes
layo a way of confounding innocent
with indeoencies, for no
,etter reason than because both hap.
,en to be in vogue at the same time
When "tilting" hoops and mammoth
waterfall" were in their prime, mice
'oung men, Of n little town out West
net in solemn conolave and resolved
hat they would not bestow their val
liable attentions upon any young lady |
yho patronized the obnoxious modes
IN what grounds the waterfall" was
ilassed as an indelicacy, even the
most impure Imagination would be at
loss to conceive. If a lady should
hoOso 10 wear a cotton bale at the
,ack of her head, there would be no
in the act and though the
luge masses of false hair that some Of
is used TO fasten there might have
'een almost as burdensome as carry.
ng cotton bale, they were quite as
noffensive TO decenoy. When men
Undertake to meddle with the fashion ,
hey are very apt to do something ,
polish. Dress is as much out Of their /
,rovince as trade and politics arc out
4 ours, and we resent their interfcr.
nee as bitterly as they would resent
ur meddling with prices current or ,
D .naa.. ~. n