Reform in Dress
431
have taken the extreme meaning of that which I have written in regard
to the length of the dress, and have evidently had a very hard time over
the matter. With their distorted views of the matter they have discussed
the question of shortening the dress until their spiritual vision has
become so confused that they can only see men as trees walking. They
have thought they could see a contradiction in my article on dress,
recently published in How to Live, and that article on the same subject
contained in Testimony for the Church, No. 10. I must contend that
I am the best judge of the things which have been presented before
me in vision; and none need fear that I shall by my life contradict my
own testimony, or that I shall fail to notice any real contradiction in
the views given me.
“In my article on dress in How to Live I tried to present a healthful,
convenient, economical, yet modest and becoming style of dress for
Christian women to wear, if they should choose so to do. I tried,
perhaps imperfectly, to describe such a dress. ‘The dress should reach
somewhat below the top of the boot, but should be short enough to
clear the filth of the sidewalk and street, without being raised by the
hand.’ Some have contended that by the top of the boot, I meant the
[463]
top of such boots as men usually wear. But by ‘the top of the boot,’
I designed to be understood the top of a boot, or gaiter shoe, usually
worn by women. Had I thought I should be misunderstood, I would
have written more definitely. If it were the custom for women to
wear high-topped boots like men, I could see sufficient excuse for this
misunderstanding. I think the language is very plain as it now reads,
and no one needs to be thrown into confusion. Please read again: ‘The
dress should reach somewhat below the top of the boot.’ Now look at
the qualification: ‘But should be short enough to clear the filth of the
sidewalk and street, without being raised by the hand. A still shorter
dress than this would be proper, convenient, and healthful for women
when doing their housework, and especially for those who are obliged
to perform more or less out-of-door labor.’
“I can see no excuse for reasonable persons misunderstanding and
perverting my meaning. In speaking of the length of the dress, had I
referred to high-topped boots reaching nearly to the knee, why should
I have added, ‘but [the dress] should be short enough to clear the
filth of the sidewalk and street, without being raised by the hand’? If
high-topped boots were meant, the dress would most certainly be short