the fashionable classes."

The facts of history may as well be stated here in regard to the
"Bloomer" costume. Mrs. Bloomer was among the first to wear the dress,
and stoutly advocated its adoption in her paper, _The Lily_, published
at Seneca Falls, N. Y. But it was introduced by Elizabeth Smith
Miller, the daughter of the great philanthropist, Gerrit Smith, in
1850. She wore it for many years, even in the most fashionable circles
of Washington during her father's term in Congress. Lucy Stone, Miss
Anthony, and Mrs. Stanton, also wore it a few years. But it invoked so
much ridicule, that they feared the odium attached to the dress might
injure the suffrage movement, of which they were prominent
representatives. Hence a stronger love for woman's political freedom,
than for their own personal comfort, compelled them to lay it aside.
The experiment, however, was not without its good results. The dress
was adopted for skating and gymnastic exercises, in seminaries and
sanitariums. At Dr. James C. Jackson's, in Dansville, N. Y., it is
still worn. Many farmers' wives, too, are enjoying its freedom in
their rural homes.

Mrs. Bloomer, editor of _The Lily_, at Seneca Falls, New York, was
introduced at the close of Mr. Blackwell's remarks, and read a
well-prepared digest of the laws for married women.

Reporting one of the sessions, the _Plain Dealer_ said:

Mrs. Gage, ever prompt in her place, called the Convention to
order at the usual hour. The Melodean at this time contained
1,500 people. We think the women may congratulate themselves on
having most emphatically "made a hit" in the forest city.

Of the _personnel_ of the Convention, it says:

Mrs. Mott is matronly-looking, wearing the Quaker dress, and
apparently a good-natured woman. Her face does not indicate her
character as a fiery and enthusiastic advocate of reform. Mrs.
Gage is not a handsome woman, but her appearance altogether is
prepossessing. You can see genius in her eye. She presided with
grace at all the sessions of the Convention. The house was
thronged with intelligent audiences. The President frequently
contrasted the order, decorum, and kindness of the Cleveland
audiences, with the noisy and tumultuous demonstrations which
recently disgraced the city of New York, at the Convention held
there.

Hon. JOSHUA R. GIDDINGS, on being called to the stand, remarked:

That he