Year: 1869


Hts Decencies mud Indccencies Consid-


ered-Hints for Young Women to


Ponder.


From Packard's Monthly for Sept.
Young girls and riper matrons need
not 90 about robed like religious fanat-
les; but let those to whom long sleeved
and high-necked party dress would be a
grevious affiiction csntent themselves
with showing a modest rim of shoulders
above their bodies. And let them not
forget that well-turued white arms can
be seen and appreciated without of ne
cessity being exposed up to the, armpit.
No fair young girl ever lost nything in
the estimation of men, whose opinion is
worth having, by appearing with neck,
shoulders, aud arms chastely vailed in
delicate lace or muslin, instead ofexpos-
ing them to the promiscueus gaze of a
public assembly.


We hoard away the jewel that we
prize the most, we draw curtain before
that picture that we dote upon; we hide
our most sacred feelings in our hearts;
we veil the shrine of the temple; we
hedge the lily about lest its whiteuess
should be soiled, we want to cover up
from other eyes the things that are the
fairest, the dearest aud the most sacred
to us.


Oh, woman. the most sacred thing,
the falTest and dearest that man has in
the world, is yourself. And hold that
?. mans instructive protest Is the best
guide in this matter.


And the feeling Of the father, the
brother the lover and the husband when
his nature is unperverted, the arms that
caresS and enfold him, the bosom which
is the dearest home his head can have
on earth, should be as sacred as was the
holy Of holles in the days of the Jewish
rites.


A woman's body is the temple of her
soul, aud her souls outward symbol.
What we want to keep pure, holy aud
undefiled, We do not expose it to the
common eyes Of the world, pure and i'm
pure, to glOat upon.


The way in which men act, as body,
and express themselves, when brought
face to face with this dress reform ques
tion, IsinCOnslstent, unjust and ungener-
ous toward women, aud unworthy OF
themselves as gentlemen; they think be-
cause a woman Ia not their sister, or
wife or sweetheart, that it is no concern
of theirs how she demeans herself in
this matter of dress. On the contrary
they seem eager to push her into a false
position by hypocritical compliments.
aud phrases of hollow admiration, which
are as fase aud bitter as Dead Sea fruit,
if she Will but stop TO analyze the feel
ings from which they sprung the mo-
tives which prompt them. Too much
familiarity breeds contempt. No one
knows this better than the man who
watches over the dress and department
of his wife or sister with the stern jeal
ousy of an Oriental, while at the same
time he blandly encourages the wives
and daughters and sisters of other men
in every species of license.


Women do not know-the very young
ones especially-thata certain dash and
freedom in the style of dress encourages
familiarity on the part of men toward
them. They too often follow blindly
after the reigning mode, without Ques-
tiouiug its meaning, or the effect it
would have upon the mems opinion OF
them. They feel strong because they 20
in droves, and in dgoycs they dare to in
dulgc in style Of dress for which any
woman would be booted ont Of society,
if she dared appear in it alone, and on
any occasion ioy which tits not sanction
ed by fashion.


Ii men would but give up their abom-
Unable two sided policy on this question,
and act toward every reputable woman
whom they find masQuerading in dis
reputable attire, just as they would
under like circumstances toward their
own wives, sisters or daughters, as far
as is consistent with surroundings and
circumstances, this mode of dress would
soon be driven to its rightful home
the haunts of the proflgate and lost
| wOmaC.


For my own dear country women |
have one wish which has moved me to
speak as have spoken. Plain words
and hard words to say, but words which
must be spoken nevertheless, and which
are better spoken sooner or later. 1t Is
that they should be known all over the
world as the most modest of women In
dress and department, even as they are
now distinguished for wit, elegance,
patriotism and innate purity of charac-
ter. Let the women in other countries
belle themselves if they will by mode
of attire which isin direct opposition to
tie dictates of their natural modesty,
but let ours set bright example in this
respect to the world, and then, indeed,
the nations shall rise mp aud proclaim
the American women blessed.