Comrades: A Story of Social Adventure in CaliforniaDixon, Thomas, Jr.
General
Comrades: A Story of Social Adventure in California
Dixon, Thomas, Jr.
California -- Fiction; Socialism -- Fiction
A sailor had brought a monkey whose manners were not appreciated by
any one except his master. The monkey had to go. Cats were arraigned
for trial and a fierce battle raged over the question of allowing them
in the building. The question was finally put to the popular vote in
the assembly and the cats won by a good majority. But strict laws
regulating the kind of cats, their number, and their care, were put
into force.
Dogs won by a large majority when they were finally put on trial.
The commission on nuisances had finally to make a code of laws
regulating table manners and the conduct of all social gatherings.
The one question which all but precipitated a civil war was the
problem of dress. Inequality of wages meant, of necessity, inequality
of dress.
A desperate effort was made by a large number to force the community
to adopt a uniform for both men and women. It was fiercely opposed.
Every woman who believed herself good looking refused to listen to any
argument on the subject.
It was necessary at once, however, to formulate some sort of code. A
number of men had been coming into the dining-room in their shirt
sleeves. Some of them apparently never combed their hair or changed
their linen. A number of women had gotten into the habit of coming
into the dining-room in loose wrappers of variegated colors and
without corsets.
The Bard of Ramcat was particularly severe in his public criticism of
these women in the general assembly of the Brotherhood.
"In the name of beauty, I protest!" he cried. "Beauty is an attribute
of God. It is woman's first duty to be beautiful, and if she isn't, at
least to make man think she is. I insist that she shall have the
widest liberty in the choice of dress. Only let her be careful that
she is beautiful!"
The poet was heartily applauded, and a resolution was passed which
embodied his ideas, approving the widest freedom of choice in dress,
approving especially unconventional forms of dress, provided always
the ideal of beauty was held inviolate.
In his speech advocating the immediate passage of the resolution the
Bard urged every woman to outdo herself in the struggle for supreme
beauty of appearance at the weekly ball on Friday evening.
His resolutions and speech bore surprising fruit.
When the festivities were at their height a crowd of fifteen pretty
girls suddenly swept into the brilliantly lighted ball-room in tights!
The sensation was so instantaneous and overwhelming the music stopped
with a crash. The orchestra thought somebody had yelled fire.
The girls in their beautiful but unconventional dress tried to appear
unconcerned. But even the Bard was appalled at the results.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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