TIGHT-LACING. On this subject, we have received a letter from the “YOUNG LADY HERSELF” whose experience brought about this discussion. She says – “In last month’s number of your valuable Magazine, you were kind enough to publish a letter from my mamma on the subject of tight-lacing, and as your correspondent ‘STAYLACE’ says she is inclined to think the whole story made up for a purpose, mamma has requested me to write and confirm what she stated in her letter. It seems wonderful to me how your correspondent can lace so tightly and never feel any inconvenience. It may be, very likely, owing to her having begun very young. In my case I can only say that I suffered sometimes perfect torture from my stays, especially after dinner, not that I ate heartily, for that I found impossible, even if we had been allowed to do so by our school mistress, who considered it unladylike. The great difference between your correspondent ‘STAYLACE’ and myself seems to be, that she was incased in corsets at an early age, and thus became gradually accustomed to tight-lacing, while I did not wear them till I went to school, at fourteen, and I did not wear them voluntarily. Of course, it is impossible to say whether I underwent greater pressure than she has; I think I must have done so, for my waist had grown large before it was subjected to the lacing, and had to be reduced to its present tenuity, whereas, if she began stays earlier, that would have prevented her figure from growing so large. Perhaps, STAYLACE will be so kind as to say whether she began stays early, or, at any rate, before fourteen, and what is the size of her waist and her height? One reason why she does not feel any inconvenience from tight corsets may be that, when she feels disposed, she may loosen them, and thus prevent any pain from coming on. But when I was at school, I was not allowed to lose them in the least, however much they distressed me, so that what was in the morning merely a feeling of irksome pressure, became towards the end of the day a regular torture. I quite admit that slender waists are beautiful – in fact, my own waist is so much admired, that I sometimes forget the pain I underwent in attaining it. I am also quite ready to confess that I am not ill in health, though I often feel languid and disinclined for walking out, nor do I think a girl whose constitution is sound would suffer any injury to her health from moderate lacing; but I must beg that you will allow me to declare that when stays are not worn till fourteen years of age, very tight lacing causes absolute torture for the first few months, and it was principally to deter ladies from subjecting their daughters to this pain, in smaller cases, that mamma wrote to you. I am sure any young lady who has (like myself) begun tight-lacing rather late will corroborate what I have said, and I hope some will come forward and do so, now you so kindly give the opportunity.”