Year: 1874




Women are born slaves. From


their very birth they are fettered


and till they are laid in their coffin


their limbs are never free. PetticOats


float around their forms in airy fetters


which prohibit any free movement,


which debar them from running


jumping, ascending hills or stairs,


riding, active walking-in fact, oi


any prolonged movement requiring


freedom of limb and uncOnstrained


action. The only species of mankind


that can be compared to her is the
Turk, who fetters his limbs i'm almost


an equal manner, but otherwise he is


free. So. "a ts..f--.f


Woman additionally, however, re-


strains, the use of her arms almost as


much us her lower eXtremities.


Often she envelOps them with flap
py covering, which is constantly in
the way, getting into ones soup
plate, catching on every hook, nail,
knot and projection. But IL by chance
Of fashion it be tight and less ObnOX-
iOus ut Il dinner party, the sleeve
commences SO low down upon the
arm that ii is impossible to elevate
the hand even up to the head, far less
TO be able tOreach TO turn on the gas,
( to put book on n shelf, to open Il
window, even to arrange stray lock
upon the head +; and all hair dressing
must be done before the garments are
put on, or devOlve upon IN assistant
maid.


AS If this were not sufficient re-
straint, the fabrics from which her
garments are made are of such fiimsy
material that they can i'll suffer the
slightest contact with the ordinary
objects that surround them-a thorn,
a splinter, or Il nail, brings dcSolatiOn
and incapacity; drop of rain or a
spark of fire are alike fearful and the
care and unnecessary to safely pass
a slash upon the pavement, is only
less than the. difficulty man eXper-
fences in getting around the vOlum-
inOus trains of the lady herself.


1t would be useless to inquire
"What shall women wear? if the
question had reference to the DEGREES
OF fashion; for, besides the fact stated
already, that woman SO dresses her.
self that she is rendered incapable of
any active employment, she is also
so completely under the thraldOm of
fashion, that it would be useless to
make any attempt to interfere with
or regulate the style of her external
apparel.


The question of cOrsets, as to the
physical prOpriety of their usage, is
as new now as il was half 4 century
ago.


There is no question but that the
corset of the past times was injurious,
and If used now, would be still more
nOxiOus. 1t was made with little
reference to the human frame, but ac-
cOrding to the dictates of fashion,
and the body was to be moulded to
the shape which the fashion indicated.
If this tickle goddess declared long
waists fashionable, the corset was
cOrrespondingly, and if
short rice ceTsd +; and the unyielding
instrument forced the form into the
required shape as relentlcssly as the
Chinese shoe.


The great injury from corsets is
seen upon the young. Mothers are
very apt to fancy that the dropping
school girls rounding shoulders are
to be kept up by this external brace,
not thinking that the muscles of the
girls frame, like the sinews of the
arm, are to be fortified
and strengthened, and magniiied by
use, and not by finding am
artificial substitute for them. No;
the girl wants air, exercise, and
exercise also.