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[23] that they think more of the country than of dress. I am old enough to have had a mother who was a young woman during the Revolutionary war; and I have heard her, many a time, describe how the women then took a pride in wearing dresses manufactured wholly by themselves or in their families, and how it was considered discreditable for any one to appear in a dress made of any foreign fabric. Let this spirit animate the women of the North as it does the women of the South, to their credit be it spoken, and I am very sure we shall regard them with ten-fold admiration, and our brave soldiers in the field will feel more like fighting, and will fight with more ardor. I know some silly, unpatriotic women, have sneered at this idea of dressing plainly, and have declared that they would dress just as much as they pleased, and wear just as costly silks as they could afford to buy, in spite of all such leagues. But; let it be once understood that respectable ladies are to be known by the plainness of their attire, and the work will be done. The women can do more to stop excessive and ruinous importations than all the tariffs Congress can manufacture.

Senex.

From the Washington Union.

A female, signing herself “Senex,” has a communication in this morning's Chronicle relative to the idea of ladies dressing plainly. She and all other ladies have a right to dress as they please; but she has no right to force their fashions down the throats of those who are not inclined to dress as they want. A linsey-woolsey gown would be no discredit to any one, and those who desire to wear quarter calicoes have a perfect right to do so; but if a lady dresses in two-dollar silk, her character must not be impugned. This lady, “Senex,” in winding up her effusion, says: “But let be once understood that respectable ladies are to be known by the plainness of their attire, and the work will be done.” She takes very broad ground relative to respectability, and we presume that if she gave out that females must wear breeches, they would not be considered respectable if they did not at once coincide with her. Her doctrines are like the abolitionist's — no one is loyal but a negro-worshipper.

From the New York Commercial Advertiser.

There is a movement on foot in this city among thoughtful and patriotic woman, to quietly but resolutely reduce the consumption of imported goods and other luxuries, and to check the extravagant and wasteful expenditure which is so rampant in these days, and which has overlaid that sweet simplicity supposed to be characteristic of the good old days, when Knickerbocker and New England kitchens were ordinary features in every-day life.

A meeting attended by ladies from the most influential circles in society, has already been held, and another will be called for an early day, when a liberal representation of the ladies of New York is expected. It is felt that in the midst of a calamitous war, the prevalent luxury and extravagance the idle round of pleasure and gaiety, are inconsistent with the claims of duty to the country, and that the sufferings and sacrifice of a million of armed men drawn from the homes of the people, demand something like a response from the general public. There is a patriotism, too, profound enough to be willing to imitate the example of our fathers, who under so great privations fought the war of the Revolution. The women of the land are to be commended for this effort to raise economy to the level of a practical virtue, and the men will most assuredly welcome any reform that they may thus initiate, if for no other reason than that they will have smaller bills to pay.

Washington Correspondence of the Detroit Tribune.

Washington ladies, as you will probably see by the papers, are making an effort at retrenchment in the way of dress, to prevent the ruinous importation of goods, which so enhances the price of gold and embarrasses the Government. It is very well that they have thought of it even at this late hour. All winter they have been dragging the price of the soldier's life along our pavements, till, weary with that disgusting process, they invented a system of pulleys to be worn under the dress, by which the skirt could be elevated at will; but, finding that this is too troublesome, they have recently resorted to hooking it up. Every day ladies, I suppose they are ladies, may be seen on the avenue with heavy silk skirts richly trimmed, made from a quarter to a half yard too long for the wearer, and the surplus hooked up at each seam, giving a most ridiculous, baggy appearance to the costume; and the heavy, unwieldy mass over the swaying hoops adds anything but grace to the motions of the walker. It is very appropriate that such ladies should begin to think of curtailing.

However, I must say, that from what I have heard of the splendor of former seasons here, the extravagance of the past winter has been very moderate in comparison. It has been sneeringly spoken of by some as due to the influx of Northern commonplace people, who did not understand the arts and elegances of dress as practiced by the aristocratic Southerners under democratic rule. Be that as it may, there is room for improvement in simplicity and economy even now. They are going to organize a Ladies' Union League, to bind themselves for three years or during the war, not to buy or use imported goods where it is possible to substitute those of domestic manufacture. I think the gentlemen ought to be bound over to good behavior in this matter, too. Their fine broadcloths and brandies certainly have some effect on importations.

From the Philadelphia Daily News.

Whilst every one is complaining of the high cost of living and the speculation in gold, the

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