Democratic Sentinel, Volume 4, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 September 1880 — GOSSIP FOR WOMEN. [ARTICLE]

GOSSIP FOR WOMEN.

Police Women. When at the animal meeting of the National Women Suffrage Convention in Washington, three years since, Isabella Beecher Hooker called attention to the fact that in many of our police stations young girls and drunken men were often crowded into the same room, with no woman matron near, and suggested that the presence of a woman matron was needed, etc., the journalistic world smiled and ridiculed (with a few notable exceptions), but the Milwaukee Sentinel reports the following : “At a meeting of the Common Council, Aid. Kane reported the following resolution : “ Resolved , That His Honor the Mayor and £hiof of Police are hereby requested and authorized to appoint an additional member of the Eolice force, who shall be a woman ; who shall ave charge of all female prisoners in the several police stations, so far as properly comes within the sphere of woman ; and such other duties as His Honor the Mayor and Chief of Police may prescribe and direct. ‘ ‘ The resolution was referred. ”

4 Comical Story of a Mormon Wife. There is ft comic as well as a pathetic side to Mormon polygamy. Among the Mormon women at Utah was one who accepted in full faith . the polygamic revelation. She had found in polygamy an ample compensation in the supposed right of the ; first wife to choose her husband’s succeeding wives. This was her argument : “If the first wife selects the other wives, it has the effect of showing them that the husband thinks much of her judgment, and is willing to abide by it, and that they wiU have to do the same. This is, of course, as it should be. But if she lets her husband choose his own wife, he is almost certain to take a fancy to some one whom the first wife does not like at all, and, consequently, her authority is undermined. The first wife ought to keep all the power in her own hands.” The sequel of this lady’s story is extremely ludicrous. After she had chosen two other wives for her .husband, he was so perverse as to choose a fourth for himself, the fourth being not at all to her liking, as she he herself admitted. This is her own account of the matter : “‘ I tell you,’ ” said I, “ * I’m quite disgusted with you ; a man with three wives—and me one of them—to go talking twaddle to a chattering hussy like that, with her cat’s eyes and red hair.’ ‘ Golden hair, my dear,’ he said; ‘ Charlotte’s hair is golden.’ ‘ I say red ! It’s straight, staring red—as red as red can be,’ I told him ; and then we had a regular fight over it. I don’t mean that we came to blows, but we had some hot words, and he went out and left us two alone. Then that young hussy was impudent, and I don’t know how it was, but somehow when we left off our conversation, I found some of Charlotte’s red hair between my fingers, and there,” she said innocently, holding out quite a goodsized tuft of auburn hair,, “ there, I put it to you, Sister Stenhouse, is that red, or is it not ?”

Earning' Her Own Living;. Two large cities full of people are astonished at the statement that a wealthy and intelligent Brooklyn girl has left her home and old associations with tlie intention of earning her own living by hard work. This astonishment is so uncomplimentary to the spirit of young ladies in general that the particular lady in question may be regarded as a practical defender of her sex. Why a rich lady, more than a rich man, should devote life to doing nothing is more than any one can explain. Thousands of ladies already are devoting their time and means to worthy enterprises merely for the sake of having something definite to do, and if one of the sex chooses to adopt downright hard work and to live on the proceeds ot her industry, it is nobody’s business but her own. It' more women who need fear no wolf at the door were to do likewise they would be the wiser for it and the world be better. A great deal of the unnecessary injustice and suffering in the world comes of the ignorance of the well-to-do classes about the lives of those who are socially beneath them. The merchant, even he of well-trained muscles, who spends an hour or two in rolling barrels, or moving heavy packages, learns exactly how it is that his men do not sometimes move as lively as he would like to have them do; he may even learn why the same men sometimes slip around the corner and invest a part of their small earnings in whisky. If the Brooklyn girl referred to goes into shop, factory or domestic service, and with her earnings makes ends meet, she will never afterward make unnecessary trouble when shopping ; she will not wonder why girls look pale and dress badly ; and she will be unlikely to have trouble with servants when she has a household of her own to manage. After she has tired of her experiment, and returns to the enjoyment of her own or her father’s bank-book, her money will go twice as far as before, and whatever it buys will be thoroughly enjoyed. If, later, she marries, she will not be likely to complain if her husband does not earn as much as she may desire to spend, and she will not run the slightest risk of ruining the said husband by extravagance. Not even for the sake of learning so much, to devote months or years to common, steady labor; so the world has no immediate prospect of being regenerated by woman’s knowledge of how her sisters live. —New York Herald.

Kissing 1 . The Cincinnati Times, in answering the question, “ Is it wrong for a lady to kiss a gentleman when parting, after he has escorted her home in the evening ? ” says this is a question not devoid of difficulties, and we therefore approach it with some degree of hesitancy. Kissing was originally a mode of salutation only, and in some countries, we believe, it is now restricted to that use. As such it expresses reverence or worship. It is common, also, in this country and elsewhere to kiss the hand in salutation. To express adoration, various parts 0 f the body were and are kissed to distinguish the character of the adoration paid. Thus, to kiss the lips is to adore the living breath of the person saluted ; to kiss the feet or ground, is to humble oneself in adoration; to kiss the garments, is to express veneration to whatever belongs to or touches the person who wears them. There are, nowadays, various kin is of kisses, having various meanings: “The kiss snatched hasty from the sidelong maid ” (Thompson) ; kisses “like grains of gold or silver found upon the ground, of no value themselves, but precious as showing tlfat a mine is near” (Villiers); “the kiss of welcome and of parting—the long, lingering, loving present one—the stolen or the mutual one—the kiss of love, of joy and of sorrow' —the seal of promise and tlie receipt of fulfillment ”

(Haliburton); the “ long, long kiss, a kiss of youth and love ” (Byron). The kiss “of parting,” spoken of by Haliburton, is the one under consideration. Is it proper for a young lady to indulge in it ? On general principles we should say that, if you have reason to admire the gentlemanjwho escorts you home, and really feel like kissing him, do so; if not, refrain. If you love another, refrain. It might be advisable, also, to refrain if the old folks are in hearing distance.

Feminine Fashions. Hooks and eyes are to be largely used for the outside of dresses, in place of buttons. The hooks are about an inch in length, and are made either of cut steel, enameled metal, steel and jet, or steel inlaid with mother of pearl. Princess sacque dresses for little people are made with loose fronts covered with tucks and insertion, while the backs are half-fitted to the figure and finished with a Spanish flounce also trimmed on the edge. * Transparent French mull is generally used for the newest styles in handkerchiefs, and these are trimmed with fine lace. The monogram continues to be very small, and worked in floss silk. Handkerchiefs will be embroidered and trimmed on as part of the dress, this fall, or a round collar will take their places. The latter will extend down upon the front. Handkerchief costumes are to be continued in thicker material, such as momie plaids of extraordinary size, camel’s hah, raw silk snd crepe cloth. Elaborate coiffures are still very fashionable, though the close, classic style of hairdressing, which admits of but little decoration, is growing in favor. The plana skirt, with full, uialooped back drapery, which is Amei’ican in origin, is reported as gaining in favor on the other side of the Atlantic. Polonaises, pointed basques, skirted basques, round waists, and coat basques, with very long tails, will be fashionable this winter. Flannels are now made with two kinds of materials ; for instance, half the plaits are plain, half in figui-ed goods. A silk waistband, with buckle of silver, mother of pearl, or burnished steel, or with a strap, is the fashion. Ostrich feathers, long, medium and tips, will be used on winter millinery, to the exclusion of flowei’s. Sunflowers and crysanthemums continue to be in favor with fashionable women. Short dresses are to be the rule for at least another six months. Wide Directoire collars are worn with nearly every costume. Polka-dotted stockings are among the new styles. Black and gold is the coming combination in color. The new red is vividly brilliant in hue.