tomical Museum, and on a variety of other 
Ee we have dwelt forcibly on the 
246 
attention. England “ professes ” everything ; 
and ‘ does” next to nothing that is really 
good. 
“A day of reckoning ”’ will come for this. 

REFORM IN THE FEMALE FIGURE. 

“‘ Example is better than Precept !”’ 

NOTHING GIVES US more sincere pleasure 
than to know that we have been useful to 
society. The remarks we offered some 
months since, about tight-lacing, have carried 
such weight with them that there really does 
appear now to bea move in the right direction. 
Women have, for so many years, been the 
slaves of habit—the victims of fashion, that 
to get them to listen to reason has hitherto 
been a matter of impossibility. Some few 
kind husbands, however —determined that. 
their offspring shall not be born deformed, 
have seriously taken the matter up, and 
msisted on their wives adopting a more 
rational mode of attiring. This point gained, 
and “use becoming second nature,” women 
are now gradually learning to prefer ease: to 
torture—contenting themselves with simple 
and natural gentility, in lieu of making them- 
selves fashionably ridiculous. 
We do not take upon ourself to affirm 
that this change is by any means universal. 
It is not; but there are many converts to 
good sense daily coming forward, and they 
will, let us hope, by their example, win over 
- others. 
The first reformers of ladies’ ‘ bad-habits” 
were Mesdames Marion and Maitland, to 
whom we have accorded all due honor. 
Their example has since been followed, and 
with great spirit, by Mesdames KH. and E. H. 
Martin, of 504, Oxford Street (near the 
British Museum), who have invented a 
Bodice that will for ever render stays un- 
necessary. Cheap, light, durable, and a strict 
preserver of the symmetrical proportions of 
the female figure, it needs only to be tried 
to be universally adopted. We say this on 
the authority of one of our own household. 
In our recent notice of Dr. Kahn’s Ana- 
injustice done to the female figure by tight 
ligatures—producing disastrous consequences 
to themselves, and entailing on their families 
(to the last generation), evils the most de- 
plorable. 
The lungs must have fair play, if a woman 
would be well. It is really shocking to see 
into how small a space the fair sex squeeze 
their insides! And yet, though it gives 
them unceasing agony, they persevere with 
the resolution of martyrs. 
hou art a tyrant ! 

Oh, Fashion— | 
| happy at seeing him, after that lapse of time. 
KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 
shape of Mesdames Martin’s Bodice ; yet 
would we remark that it assimilates closely 
to a French-cut dress body. It is purely 
elastic, always retains its shape, and enlarges 
laterally, as the wearer moves hither and 
thither. J¢ fastens in front, by the simplest 
of all simple adjustment; and one minute 
sees it either on or off. 
After this, if Mesdames Martin lack 
patronage—at present we hear they are 
overwhelmed with business—we shall indeed 
think the world is turned upside down ! 
ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. 

More of the Domestic Cat.—At present, my 
dear Sir, you are but half converted. You can 
it is true, think with tolerable complacency on the 
feline race ; but I must secure (if possible) a small 
space in your heart for Puss, or I shall not be con- 
tented. The following will, I imagine, prove that 
some cats (I do not say all) are capable of real, 
disinterested affection; and that they do occa- 
sionally form and retain an attachment to persons, 
regardless of place. The animal I am about to 
bring before you, was the pet and associate of an 
old bachelor—(noét an old maid, despite Dr. Olla- 
ford’s classification). Many a spoilt child has 
fallen short of the care and attention that was 
lavished on that animal. Never did cat revel in 
such a home, and never was cat more grateful. 
No reverse of fortune ever befel her master; but 
had such been the case, I firmly believe that cat 
would have clung to his altered home and lot with 
a fidelity and constancy that man need not blush 
to follow, or “woman either.” Pussy’s parents 
resided at Bath; and when quite a kitten, Miss 
Pussy was sent as a present to her first and only 
master, who then resided near Evesham. His 
house was exactly opposite to that in which a 
friend of ours resided. Being on intimate terms, 
of course Pussy saw the different members of that 
family frequently ; and to one of the sons she took 
an especial liking. He was not a boy, as some 
might fancy, but yrown up, when Puss anived 
from Bath. It was from that gentleman, whilst 
paying us a long visit, we heard of the many 
virtues of this extraordinary cat; and, warming 
with the subject one evening, he said, a Although 
Mr. B. had left Evesham for more than four years, 
and he had never seen him since, or heard of poor 
Puss, he would go some day (during his stay with 
us) and see if the cat was still alive.” Mr. B. 
then lived about ten miles hence; and true to his 
word, in a few days our friend went. He returned 
late in the evening; and to our unutterable as- 
tonishment, brought the cat with him. Such an 
animal, I imagine, is rarely to be seen for size 
and beauty. He assured us we need fear no dis- 
agreement between her and a terrier that was 
lying on the rug, or with our own pets—nor 
was there any. He then told us, that on his 
arrival at Mr. B.’s, the cat’s delight to see him 
was so great that her master had consented to his 
bringing her back for four days, in order that she 
might be with our friend. She was so perfectly 
It is hardly needful for us to describe the | Nothing could exceed the docility, or amiability, 





