Year: 1874

Faith Rochester IN the w oman Journal


heard the door below me shut, and
merry strain whistled by some one out
side. Looking from my chamber window
l saw young girl setting forth briskly
on walk to the nearest neighbors, hall
a mile distant.


Her face was fair and rosy, her figure
well rounded and. strong, and never in
the least formed by corsets or outside
bones. To day her wavy auburn hair
was flowing down her shoulders, her step
was light and free But dress makes
the man and the woman also, in the
opinion of many; but it was the dress of
this maiden that noticed especially, as
| mentally explained, 1t is graceful
II is tasteful 1t is becoming to the time
and scene of the wearer. Let me de-
scribe it. My heroine had no idea of
sitting or standing for portrait; but
cnly this morning she was telling me,
with an honesty and earnestness that
made her very dear to me, how the read
ing of Herbert Spencer book on Eduea
tiou made her feel that she ought to be
doing something more useful than her
present life, (which is far from useless
or ignoble,) and made her long to be
helping the race along in some way, or
fitting herself to help. 1t seems to me
that God has her in his school, like all
the rest of us, and that her progress
under his tuition is much better than
she fears.


Yet, since she longs to help her race,
and sees and feels woman present need,
| think | need not fear her frown when
she reads what | have written for the
Woman's Journal about her, since this
too is meant to "help along Her dress
vas made much ike the gymnasium
suits-not quite. trousers are less
full, and the band ~ ind the leg fits
inside the top of the high laced boot
The skirt, cut gored and untrimmed, a
black broadcloth falls about eight inches
below the knee. The skirt and trousers,
in rather different shape, were present
to her six years ago from lady, who.
being convinced that the American cos
tune was the most healthful and con
venient dress for women, had made her
self black broadcloth suit from her old
riding skirt; had worn it just once, and
then laid it aside forever" | asked her
why she abandoned it, and her answer
has often required to me, 81 couldn't
feel like lady with it on. |, for one,
appreciate that reason for not wearing
a short skirt and trousers contrary to the
public sentiment And so does the girl
| am telling about. | cannot think what
would induce her to walk through the
streets OF city in the costume she has
on to day; and yet she hopes and prays
for, and believes in, the approaching day
when every woman may walk abroad in
open day comfortably and conveniently
clothed in short skirt and trousers, with
no one to modest or make her afraid.
There comes my maiden back through
the woods, accompanied by two children.
AS she comes toward me, her unbuttoned
short gray cloth basque, with its black
velvet collar, reveals blue navy sailor
collar and cuffs with lighter shade of
blue opera flannel, extremely becoming
to its wearer This is a spring home suit
Of a young woman in the backwoods of
Minnesota, and not at all what might be
gotten up for any special occasion. |
cannot see why have not as good a
right to pronounce it beautiful as the |
editor of the Golden Age has to declare
absolutely that good taste require the
wearing of drapery falling a long way
belOw the knee