Chapter 18--Fashion and Physiology
"Please, sir, I guess you'd better step up right away, or it will be toolate, for I heard Miss Rose say she knew you wouldn't like it, and she'dnever dare to let you see her."
Phebe said this as she popped her head into the study, where Dr. Alecsat reading a new book.
"They are at it, are they?" he said, looking up quickly, and givinghimself a shake, as if ready for a battle of some sort.
"Yes, sir, as hard as they can talk, and Miss Rose don't seem to knowwhat to do, for the things are ever so stylish, and she looks elegant in'em; though I like her best in the old ones," answered Phebe.
"You are a girl of sense. I'll settle matters for Rosy, and you'll lenda hand. Is everything ready in her room, and are you sure you understandhow they go?"
"Oh, yes, sir; but they are so funny! I know Miss Rose will think it's ajoke," and Phebe laughed as if something tickled her immensely.
"Never mind what she thinks so long as she obeys. Tell her to do it formy sake, and she will find it the best joke she ever saw. I expect tohave a tough time of it, but we'll win yet," said the Doctor, as hemarched upstairs with the book in his hand, and an odd smile on hisface.
There was such a clatter of tongues in the sewing-room that no one heardhis tap at the door, so he pushed it open and took an observation. AuntPlenty, Aunt Clara, and Aunt Jessie were all absorbed in gazing at Rose,who slowly revolved between them and the great mirror, in a full wintercostume of the latest fashion.
"Bless my heart! worse even than I expected," thought the Doctor, withan inward groan, for, to his benighted eyes, the girl looked like atrussed fowl, and the fine new dress had neither grace, beauty, norfitness to recommend it.
The suit was of two peculiar shades of blue, so arranged that patches oflight and dark distracted the eye. The upper skirt was tied so lightlyback that it was impossible to take a long step, and the under onewas so loaded with plaited frills that it "wobbled" no other wordwill express it ungracefully, both fore and aft. A bunch of folds wasgathered up just below the waist behind, and a great bow rode a-top. Asmall jacket of the same material was adorned with a high ruff at theback, and laid well open over the breast, to display some lace and alocket. Heavy fringes, bows, puffs, ruffles, and revers finished off thedress, making one's head ache to think of the amount of work wasted,for not a single graceful line struck the eye, and the beauty of thematerial was quite lost in the profusion of ornament.
A high velvet hat, audaciously turned up in front, with a bunch of pinkroses and a sweeping plume, was cocked over one ear, and, with her curlsbraided into a club at the back of her neck, Rose's head looked morelike that of a dashing young cavalier than a modest little girl's.High-heeled boots tilted her well forward, a tiny muff pinioned herarms, and a spotted veil, tied so closely over her face that hereyelashes were rumpled by it, gave the last touch of absurdity to herappearance.
"Now she looks like other girls, and as I like to see her," Mrs. Clarawas saying, with an air of great satisfaction.
"She does look like a fashionable young lady, but somehow I miss mylittle Rose, for children dressed like children in my day," answeredAunt Plenty, peering through her glasses with a troubled look, forshe could not imagine the creature before her ever sitting in her lap,running to wait upon her, or making the house gay with a child's blithepresence.
"Things have changed since your day, Aunt, and it takes time to get usedto new ways. But you, Jessie, surely like this costume better than thedowdy things Rose has been wearing all summer. Now, be honest, and ownyou do," said Mrs. Clara, bent on being praised for her work.
"Well, dear to be quite honest, then, I think it is frightful," answeredMrs. Jessie, with a candour that caused revolving Rose to stop indismay.
"Hear, hear," cried a deep voice, and with a general start the ladiesbecame aware that the enemy was among them.
Rose blushed up to her hat brim, and stood, looking, as she felt, like afool, while Mrs. Clara hastened to explain.
"Of course, I don't expect you to like it, Alec, but I don't consideryou a judge of what is proper and becoming for a young lady. Therefore,I have taken the liberty of providing a pretty street suit for Rose.She need not wear it if you object, for I know we promised to let you dowhat you liked with the poor dear for a year."
"It is a street costume, is it?" asked the Doctor, mildly. "Do you know,I never should have guessed that it was meant for winter weather andbrisk locomotion. Take a turn, Rosy, and let me see all its beauties andadvantages."
Rose tried to walk off with her usual free tread, but the under-skirtgot in her way, the over-skirt was so tight she could not take a longstep, and her boots made it impossible to carry herself perfectly erect.
"I haven't got used to it yet," she said, petulantly, kicking at hertrain, as she turned to toddle back again.
"Suppose a mad dog or a runaway horse was after you, could you get outof the way without upsetting, Colonel," asked the Doctor, with a twinklein the eyes that were fixed on the rakish hat.
"Don't think I could, but I'll try," and Rose made a rush across theroom. Her boot-heels caught on a rug, several strings broke, her hattipped over her eyes, and she plunged promiscuously into a chair, whereshe sat laughing so infectiously that all but Mrs. Clara joined in hermirth.
"I should say that a walking suit in which one could not walk, and awinter suit which exposes the throat, head, and feet to cold and damp,was rather a failure, Clara, especially as it has no beauty to reconcileone to its utter unfitness," said Dr. Alec, as he helped Rose undo herveil, adding, in a low tone, "Nice thing for the eyes; you'll soon seespots when it's off as well as when it's on, and, by and by, be a casefor an oculist."
"No beauty!" cried Mrs. Clara, warmly, "Now, that is just a man'sblindness. This is the best of silk and camel's hair, real ostrichfeathers, and an expensive ermine muff. What could be in better taste,or more proper for a young girl?"
"I'll shew you, if Rose will go to her room and oblige me by putting onwhat she finds there," answered the Doctor, with unexpected readiness.
"Alec, if it is a Bloomer, I shall protest. I've been expecting it, butI know I cannot bear to see that pretty child sacrificed to your wildideas of health. Tell me it isn't a Bloomer!" and Mrs. Clara clasped herhands imploringly.
"It is not."
"Thank Heaven!" and she resigned herself with a sigh of relief, addingplaintively, "I did hope you'd accept my suit, for poor Rose has beenafflicted with frightful clothes long enough to spoil the taste of anygirl."
"You talk of my afflicting the child, and then make a helpless guy likethat of her!" answered the Doctor, pointing to the little fashion platethat was scuttling out of sight as fast as it could go.
He closed the door with a shrug, but before anyone could speak, hisquick eye fell upon an object which caused him to frown, and demand inan indignant tone,
"After all I have said, were you really going to tempt my girl withthose abominable things?"
"I thought we put them away when she wouldn't wear them," murmured Mrs.Clara, whisking a little pair of corsets out of sight with guilty haste."I only brought them to try, for Rose is growing stout, and will haveno figure if it is not attended to soon," she added, with an air of calmconviction that roused the Doctor still more, for this was one of hisespecial abominations.
"Growing stout! Yes, thank Heaven, she is, and shall continue to do it,for Nature knows how to mould a woman better than any corset-maker,and I won't have her interfered with. My dear Clara, have you lost yoursenses that you can for a moment dream of putting a growing girl into aninstrument of torture like this?" and with a sudden gesture he pluckedforth the offending corsets from under the sofa cushion, and held themout with the expression one would wear on beholding the thumbscrews orthe rack of ancient times.
"Don't be absurd, Alec. There is no torture about it, for tight lacingis out of fashion, and we have nice, sensible things nowadays. Everyonewears them; even babies have stiffened waists
to support their weaklittle backs," began Mrs. Clara, rushing to the defence of the petdelusion of most women.