“Home’s not merely four square walls
Though with pictures hung and gilded3,
Home is where affection calls,
Home’s a shrine4 the heart has builded.”
It has been argued by the over-fastidious, when these great questions relating to our being and well-being5 are discussed, that it is better for our daughters that they should not know what awaits them in marriage, “lest their heart fail them.” This cannot be best. Stepping into an unknown sphere with no definite knowledge of its demands and with no preparation to meet these demands, will only occasion disheartenment, if not downright discontent, when the difficulties and responsibilities are met.
As well might a raw recruit enter the army with no knowledge of warfare6 and without having been drilled for service, and expect at once to become a successful commander. As well might one accept any other position of high trust in life, without knowing what fitness was demanded, and hence all unprepared for it, the only qualification of the one accepting the trust being respect for and confidence in the employer, and expect to render excellent service, as for a wife to enter unprepared upon her high duties. In either case, by dint7 of hard and unremitting work, a few might succeed, but the many would fail.
A revised proverb says, “Home was not built in a day.” To insure a successful home the home-maker must be a success, and to accomplish this there are years of thoughtful preparation necessary.
Marguerite Lindley says, “We cannot overdo8 the matter of discreetly9 rearing our girls. They are to be the wives and mothers of the next generation, and on them rests the matter of the prosperity of the nation. The world is to be largely influenced by their abilities and strength, and it rests with the educators of to-day to prepare them for the great work that is before them. The keynote for harmony in mental and physical education has never yet been touched, and will not be until their physical well-being is made supreme10, and the mental is based on its power.”
Jules Michelet, in his admirable book, L’Amour—admirable for the time and for the people for whom it was written—says, “It would seem that French mothers were determined11 to educate their daughters in all the non-essentials to wifehood and motherhood, while the things that pertained12 to their own well-being, and the well-being of home and family, were utterly13 neglected.” Again, he says, “Every mother practices a kind of self-delusion. She will say, most emphatically, ‘Oh, how I love my daughter,’ and yet what does she do for her? She does not prepare her for marriage either mentally or physically14.”
When our daughters have had it burned in upon their inner consciousness that sensible dress and early hours, hygienic food and habitual15 outdoor exercise, will do for them and the succeeding generations what nothing else can do; and when our young men show their appreciation16 of these things, and commend them in the highest terms possible, then will a better day dawn for the race, and a real start be made for the true betterment of mankind. Is it not true, that the majority of our young women emulate17 the fancies and customs upon which our young men put a premium18? Here then is an opportunity for our wide-awake sons to set the pace in a reform that will tell more for the coming generations than they dream of. Says a late writer, “We may smile at but need not rebuke19 the instinct of the young girl to enhance by adornments her physical charms, which nature already has made more attractive than all things else to man. Woman’s innate20 solicitude21 is to please, but this is not best accomplished22 by artificial manners or external show.”
We see nothing wrong in adding to the first intent of dress—namely a covering—anything, yes everything which may make it attractive, so long as it does not detract from its healthfulness and comfort.
Is it not very strange that so many women of sense and wisdom, and breadth of culture far beyond the ordinary, will not hesitate to adopt and cling to customs of dress that are little less than barbarous. Does it not seem, that among the large majority of women in[41] civilized23 lands, the question is, when dress is considered, “Is it becoming?” or “Is it within the reach of my pocketbook?” while rarely is the consideration of healthfulness given any weight whatever. It is a lamentable24 truth, but we must acknowledge it if we are honest.
Dress is not alone a study in ?sthetics, not alone a study in tastefulness, not alone a study of fancy or fashion; but first, last and always it should be a question of healthfulness; and then all of the ?sthetic, all of the fashion and fancy you desire may be added to it, so long as they do not in any measure defeat its first purpose.
What do our young wives need to know concerning dress, that they may be better fitted for the responsibilities which await them? They need to know what is harmful in the present fashion, that they may in their larger wisdom, avoid it, and in its place adopt that which will insure health and happiness for themselves and their offspring.
To understand the dangers and institute the reforms necessary, they must know the anatomy25 and physiology26 of the female body, and what is necessary to keep each organ in perfect health. This in a general way they learn in their school life, as far as lungs,[42] heart and liver are concerned; but to go below the waist in knowledge, is considered indelicate in the extreme.
They must know that the corset, in their growing girlhood, prevents their proper development, and in their maturer years restricts them so that lungs, heart, and liver and abdominal27 organs can do but half their work, and that very poorly. They should be taught that allowing their clothes to hang from their hips28 is harmful in the extreme, and induces a multitude of ills that unfit them for maternity29.
Let them think for a moment, that the corset when worn tight enough to insure the form which is considered correct, so narrows their lung capacity that they can but half inflate30 them, and so a double duty is thrown upon the heart in its effort to purify the blood, while an insufficient31 quantity of oxygen is given it for the purpose. When the lungs are inflated32 to their fullest capacity, there is only sufficient oxygen furnished to burn the waste material of the system which is thrown off through the blood. What then must be the result when a half, or a third of the lung capacity is used?
One physician has said: “Woman by her injurious style of dress is doing as much[43] to destroy the race as is man by alcoholism.” Another physician, Dr. Ellis, says, “The practice of tight lacing has done more within the last century towards the physical deterioration33 of civilized man, than has war, pestilence34 and famine combined.” Frances Willard said, “But woman’s everlasting35 befrilled, bedizened, and bedraggled style of dress, is to-day doing more harm to children unborn, born and dying, than all other causes that compel public attention.”
Again the corset when worn closely, or worn at all, we feel compelled to say,—because no woman who has worn a corset for years seems to be conscious that she is wearing it closely,—crowds the contents of the abdomen36 downward until these organs encroach upon the pelvic contents, and the uterus is displaced, and the long train of ills which inevitably37 follows such displacement38 comes as the penalty. Not always does the punishment come at once, but sooner or later it overtakes its victim, if not before the climacteric, surely, then, at the period of middle life.
Among the many ailments which come from displacements39 of the womb are constipation, imperfect circulation, stomach difficulties, broken down nerves, headaches, and a generally weakened condition which totally unfits the sufferer for motherhood or for any other responsibility of life.
Another evil in dress, which seems hard to overcome, is the heavy weight imposed upon the hips. This is, to-day, in a measure obviated40 by those who are able to wear the silk petticoats, and silk-lined skirts; for those who are not able to do this, the burden is a heavy one, unless great care is taken to lighten the dress as much as possible.
The well-made, corded and boneless waist, with shoulder straps41, and supports for all the skirts, is the only reasonable thing; and this must be loose enough to allow the waist ample room for development. Think of sixty millions of corsets sold in a year in America,—one for nearly every man, woman and child in the land! Is it strange that our women are invalids42, and the American race fast dying out? It is said that a French artist represented the devil in the dress and corset of a fashionable woman! A terrible commentary upon feminine folly43.
Mrs. Ecob, in her book, The Well-dressed Woman, which every young wife should read, says: “The corset curse among women is more insidious44 than the drink curse among men. Total abstinence from both sins is the[45] only safe ground. A woman can no more be trusted with a corset, than a drunkard with a glass of whiskey.”
To sum up the evils of dress and suggest lines of study, is all we have room for in our short space.
1. Insufficient underwear.
2. The corset—which compresses the vital organs, overheats the region it covers, displaces the pelvic contents, serves as an excuse for hanging the clothes upon the hips, impedes46 the circulation of the blood in the extremities47, lungs and brain, and robs the wearer of freedom and grace of movement; while it brings in the long line of ills which have doomed48 our American women to invalidism49, and robbed their children, if they have any, of their lawful50 inheritance, good health.
3. Heavy and trailing skirts, which burden the wearers, and impede45 their motion.
4. Inequality of clothing, which covers the waist and abdomen, which should not be overheated, with from ten to fifteen thicknesses, while the shoulders and limbs are often covered with but one thickness, and that of cotton.
5. The high-heeled shoes which throw the body out of the natural poise51, and so displace the womb.
6. The general lack of thought of what dress should be in order to give health and comfort to its wearers.
“Evil is wrought52 by want of thought
As well as by want of heart.”
Our young wives should know these evils, and institute a crusade against them, so strong and forcible, that intelligent common sense shall govern in dress, and health and happiness be the blessed results, in the home.
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1
ailments
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| 疾病（尤指慢性病），不适( ailment的名词复数 ) | |
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dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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gilded
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| a.镀金的，富有的 | |
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shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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well-being
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| n.安康，安乐，幸福 | |
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warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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dint
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| n.由于，靠；凹坑 | |
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overdo
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| vt.把...做得过头，演得过火 | |
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discreetly
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| ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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pertained
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| 关于( pertain的过去式和过去分词 )； 有关； 存在； 适用 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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17
emulate
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| v.努力赶上或超越，与…竞争；效仿 | |
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premium
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| n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的 | |
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19
rebuke
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| v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise | |
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20
innate
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| adj.天生的，固有的，天赋的 | |
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solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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22
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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24
lamentable
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| adj.令人惋惜的，悔恨的 | |
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25
anatomy
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| n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织 | |
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physiology
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| n.生理学，生理机能 | |
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abdominal
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| adj.腹（部）的，下腹的；n.腹肌 | |
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28
hips
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| abbr.high impact polystyrene 高冲击强度聚苯乙烯，耐冲性聚苯乙烯n.臀部( hip的名词复数 )；[建筑学]屋脊；臀围（尺寸）；臀部…的 | |
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29
maternity
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| n.母性，母道，妇产科病房；adj.孕妇的，母性的 | |
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30
inflate
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| vt.使膨胀，使骄傲，抬高（物价） | |
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31
insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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32
inflated
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| adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨 | |
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33
deterioration
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| n.退化；恶化；变坏 | |
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34
pestilence
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| n.瘟疫 | |
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35
everlasting
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| adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的 | |
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36
abdomen
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| n.腹，下腹(胸部到腿部的部分) | |
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inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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38
displacement
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| n.移置，取代，位移，排水量 | |
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39
displacements
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| n.取代( displacement的名词复数 )；替代；移位；免职 | |
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40
obviated
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| v.避免，消除（贫困、不方便等）( obviate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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41
straps
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| n.带子( strap的名词复数 )；挎带；肩带；背带v.用皮带捆扎( strap的第三人称单数 )；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带 | |
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42
invalids
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| 病人，残疾者( invalid的名词复数 ) | |
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43
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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44
insidious
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| adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧 | |
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45
impede
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| v.妨碍，阻碍，阻止 | |
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46
impedes
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| 阻碍，妨碍，阻止( impede的第三人称单数 ) | |
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47
extremities
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| n.端点( extremity的名词复数 )；尽头；手和足；极窘迫的境地 | |
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48
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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49
invalidism
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| 病弱，病身； 伤残 | |
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50
lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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51
poise
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| vt./vi. 平衡，保持平衡；n.泰然自若，自信 | |
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52
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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