But，besidethisthriftinclothing，Iamnotalone，Ibelieve，inwishingforsomethriftintheenergywhichproducesit。Labourmisapplied，youwillagree，islabourwasted；andasdress，I
presume，isintendedtoadornthepersonofthewearer，themakingadresswhichonlydisfigureshermaybeconsideredasaplaincaseofwaste。Itwouldbeimpertinentinmetogointoanydetails：butitisimpossibletowalkaboutthestreetsnowwithoutpassingyoungpeoplewhomustbeunderadeepdelusionastothesuccessoftheirowntoilette。Insteadofgracefulandnoblesimplicityofform，insteadofcombinationsofcolouratoncerichanddelicate，becauseinaccordancewiththechromaticlawsofnature，onemeetswithphenomenamoreandmorepainfultotheeye，andstartlingtocommonsense，tillonewouldbehardlymoreastonished，andcertainlyhardlymoreshocked，ifinayearortwo，oneshouldpasssomeonegoingaboutlikeaChineselady，withpinchedfeet，orlikeasavageoftheAmazons，withawoodenbungthroughherlowerlip。Itiseasytocomplainofthesemonstrosities：butimpossibletocurethem，itseemstome，withoutaneducationofthetaste，aneducationinthoselawsofnaturewhichproducebeautyinformandbeautyincolour。Forthatthecauseofthesefailuresliesinwantofeducationispatent。Theyaremostcommonin——Ihadalmostsaidtheyareconfinedto——thoseclassesofwell-to-dopersonswhoaretheleasteducated；whohavenostandardoftasteoftheirown；andwhodonotacquireanyfromcultivatedfriendsandrelations：who，inconsequence，dressthemselvesblindlyaccordingtowhattheyconceivetobetheParisfashions，conveyedatthird-handthroughanequallyuneducateddressmaker；ininnocentignoranceofthefact——forfactIbelieveittobe——thatParisfashionsareinventednownotintheleastforthesakeofbeauty，butforthesakeofproducing，throughvariety，increasedexpenditure，andtherebyincreasedemployment；accordingtothestrangesystemwhichnowprevailsinFranceofcompelling，ifnotprosperity，atleastthesignsofit；andlikeschoolboysbeforeaholiday，nailinguptheheadoftheweather-glasstoinsurefineweather。
LetBritishladieseducatethemselvesinthoselawsofbeautywhichareaseternalasanyotherofnature’slaws；whichmaybeseenfulfilled，asMr。Ruskintellsus，soeloquentlyineveryflowerandeveryleaf，ineverysweepingdownandripplingwave；
andtheywillbeabletoinventgracefulandeconomicaldressesforthemselves，withoutimportingtawdryandexpensiveuglinessfromFrance。
Letmenowgoastepfarther，andaskyoutoconsiderthis：ThereareinEnglandnowavastnumber，andanincreasingnumber，ofyoungwomenwho，fromvariouscircumstanceswhichweallknow，mustinafterlifebeeitherthemistressesoftheirownfortunes，ortheearnersoftheirownbread。And，todothatwiselyandwell，theymustbemoreorlesswomenofbusiness，andtobewomenofbusinesstheymustknowsomethingofthemeaningofthewordsCapital，Profit，Price，Value，Labour，Wages，andoftherelationbetweenthosetwolast。Inaword，theymustknowalittlepoliticaleconomy。Nay，Isometimesthinkthatthemistressofeveryhouseholdmightfind，notonlythriftofmoney，butthriftofbrain；freedomfrommistakes，anxieties，worriesofmanykinds，allofwhicheatoutthehealthaswellastheheart，byalittlesoundknowledgeoftheprinciplesofpoliticaleconomy。