Year: 1869

A Woman Editors Opinions on


the Grecian Bend and Pan


nierS.


We behold with shame the gradual
approach and popularity of the
hideous protuberances and various
ungraceful attachments to woman's
garments. We had trusted to the
idea that, these things being abso-
lutte deformities, they could not be
adopted by women Of taste or COM
mon sense. But it is useless to
deny the fact that the hustle, which
causes tinge Of shame to rise t.
the cheek: the idiotic Grecian bend,
and the horrible wriggling walk, are
becoming SO common that they will
soon cease to shock our sensibili-
| ties and become universal, if we
make no effort to stay their en-
croachments These wretched mon
strosities are already on the streets
in considerable numbers, and the
fact that they are first adopted by
women OF doubtful reputation does
not deter others from greedily
adopting them. No wonder that
woman is standing object for rid
icule, If she has no higher object in
life than the questionable one Of
making herself conspicuous without
regard to propriety or decency. We
may surely know without question,
that if the first view of a new fash
ion in dress or manner shocks our
tastes or sensitiveness, that it is
wrong, that it is an outrage upon
delicacy, and should not be toler-
ated We have never heard an
| individual acknowledge that the
first sight of the new posturing did
not cause feeling ofcontempt, and
the wretched affected walk sense
of utter disgust. No wonder that
woman holds an inferior position.
She deserves to until she can show
that there is soul inside of her
decorated, be curled, be-furbelowed
body. Women are judged by their
actions and appearance, and the re-
suit is, that there are scarcely
enough with common sense left to
save Sodom, and destruction is
certainly ou1s if we can make no
change in this bondage of fashion.
We met an object on the street to
day with a skirt of various colors,
an enormous hump pushing out her
velvet cloak, a singular affair of
white and red floating above hair
enough for a mattress. This thing
was perched on stills, and wriggled
along like a poor Chinese with de-
formed extremities. 1t was not
woman. We stoutly deny that such
things can belong to our sex. They
are nondescripts and if they live
we will have new grammar to
correct gender To call them
women is libellous. Women are
the centers of home, and love and
respect They are modest, they are
graceful from natures hands, they
use little ornament, they have re-
fnements that shrink from publicity,
they have courteous demeanor, they
have the halo of motherhood, the
saintship of life's duties nobly filled,
they have deep religious faith
that guides them, they have an un-
selfish regards for the rights of
Others, they have a conscience that
shrinks from the faintest breath
that would sully the true glory and
power of womanhood. 1t is easy
to assume the garb of the sex, but
it is difficult to attain the spirit of
it. if by nature or education an in
dividual belongs to coarse mould,
but it is worth the striving for
There can be no higher honor than
is contained in the words, "A
noble woman" If women would
only lay aside this anxiety about a
variety for their bodies, and study
as earnestly to clothe their minds
with firm purposes. with noble as
pirations, with culture, with un-
selfish thoughts or aspirations, they
would find that the true secret of
life was at last within their grasp,
and that all before had been but the
outer sanctuary of temple filled
with beauty and holiness.-C Chicago
Sorosis.