membered that no custom or conventionality which sanctions the
distorting of nature, or which interferes with the free exercise of any
member of the body, can ever be called beautiful. It has always been a
great wonder to me that American and European ladies who are by no
means slow to help forward any movement for reform, have taken no
active steps to improve the uncouth and injurious style of their own
clothes. How can they expect to be granted the privileges of men until
they show their superiority by freeing themselves from the enthrallment
of the conventionalities of fashion?

Men's dress is by no means superior to the women's. It is so tight
that it causes the wearer to suffer from the heat much more than is
necessary, and I am certain that many cases of sunstroke have been
chiefly due to tight clothing. I must admire the courage of Dr. Mary
Walker, an American lady, who has adopted man's costume, but I wonder
that, with her singular independence and ingenuity she has not
introduced a better form of dress, instead of slavishly adopting the
garb of the men. I speak from experience. When I was a law student in
England, in deference to the opinion of my English friends, I discarded
Chinese clothes in favor of the European dress, but I soon found it
very uncomfortable. In the winter it was not warm enough, but in
summer it was too warm because it was so tight. Then I had trouble
with the shoes. They gave me the most distressing corns. When, on
returning to China, I resumed my own national costume my corns
disappeared, and I had no more colds. I do not contend that the
Chinese dress is perfect, but I have no hesitation in affirming that it
is more comfortable and, according to my views, very much prettier than
the American fashions. It is superior to any other kind of dress that
I have known. To appreciate the benefits to be derived from
comfortable clothing, you have to wear it for a while. Dress should
not restrain the free movement of every part of the body, neither
should it be so tight as to hinder in any way the free circulation of
the blood, or to interfere with the process of evaporation through the
skin. I cannot understand why Americans, who are correct and cautious
about most things, are so very careless of their own personal comfort
in the matter of clothing. Is anything more important than that which
concerns their health and comfort? Why should they continue wearing
clothes which retard t