Year: 1876

There is so much said at the present
day on this old and hackneyed subject
'fashion" -"woman's dress" &C., that
decided to write q few thoughts bearing
upon it, not however supposing them to be
entirely new to any one.


! have read somewhere that the Bible
and Euclid are the only new books. Read.
ing, and listening to the thoughts OF others,
will often bring to our mind train of
thoughts that we have had almost similar.
How often have | read we'll known
writer when the thoughts seemed like my
own; and l have wondered then why I
could not have written it.


By the fashion do not mean entirely
the prevailing style of dress. 1t may
mean the popular opinion, the habit
we all have of walking and thinking even
in the same way. in the same well worn
channel. We are hardly conscious of this,
yet when some one steps out of the track,
we call them eccentric, crazy, or perhaps
strong minded. For instance, q strong
minded woman is degenerate phrase.
1t brings before us picture altogether
repulsive; such as q masculine female In
black alpaca skirt, little too short for
the prevailing style. light jacket, and
short hair perhaps. A woman who lee
lures on temperance, advocates female
suffrage, and other things equally distaste-
ful. This is a harsh judgment and the
time will come when the woman who
dares express an original idea. or step out
Of the beaten track society has assigned
her to walk in, will not be ridiculed. That
the so called strong minded exists, is
proof positive that she Is one of the me-
cessities of the age. II is true that she de-
mands more of the women than they will
ever comply with, but what OF that? 1t
is better for US that she should ask too
much than not enough.


think the term 'strong minded" is Of
ten misnomer. 1t is frequently applied
to disappointed woman. By this | do
not mean disappointed In some love affair,
though that may have been the case. She
was young once, and it may be fair, her
ambition then extended as far as yours
has.


She is a sad-faced, sorrowful woman
now; we may not know her history; her
life secret she will not reveal to US; but
this we do know, she sought her happiness
in the paths that other women have trod-
den and beaten bare before her not find
ing it she turned in an. opposite directions.
After wandering until past the meridian
of her life over rough and thorny paths,
from which she could not escape, what
wonder that she has become hardened and
saddened, even her features have gown
sharp and angular. Though she may
preach against it, she looks upon your
mothers in your cozy little homes, sur
rounded by group of happy faced child
ren with envy. To me the sO-called strong
minded woman is but poor weak-minded
one, an object of pity rather than con-
tempt. l have written more upon this
subject than intended, therefore will
touch but lightly upon the fashion Of dress.


From time immemorial men and some
women have ridiculed the style of dress.
Some poor simpleton, thinking to do some-
thing smart and praiseworthy. stands
aloof, in fact dresses as much unlike the
style as possible, and exclaims as did the
Pharsee of old: 80 Lord thank Thee
l am not as other men-or women are"
How she does pity US while she deserves
our pity ia. more than we hers. / believe
we should be temperate in all things. EI-
cess is what ruins us.


1t ist rue that we do have TO expend some
thought and time on our wardrobe. We
do have to take thought of our raiment.
for we are not lilies of the field. nor do
we try to array ourselves in like spiendor.
What thoughtful person has not wished,
when perhaps turning an old dress to
make it wearaLle. that she too might be
clothed like the lilies of the field, or the
birds of the air without effort of her own ?
We know this is vain wish; but this We
can do, let the care and vexation OF our
dress end with the making. Let US wear
it unconsciously be it silk or calico. and
not make the style OF dress the topic OF
conversation when We meet our friends.
This is what dwarfs a woman, in fact ruins
her. /. Nj. X.