FEINBERG/WHITMAN Box 32 Folder 11 LITERARY FILE Prose "Meaning in Costume" (1850s). A.MS.draft. Meaning in Costume: prose. A.MS. (1p. 17 1/2 x 16 1/2 cm.) 992 Written in ink on a pale green piece of paper (cut from a notebook or from a larger sheet?), cut into three strips, 129 words: How [beautiful and robust are the natural costumes] perfect [are] is the dress of [the] the [western] Missouri riflemen, [the] the California miner[s], [the] the boatm[e]an on the St. Lawrence! How costume beautiful and robust are the New York and Brooklyn mechanics in their own dress -- or of the firemen in thier [na] free [costumes] strong [dress] native costumes -- the trowsers, the black-legged [bot] boots, the [red] blue red, or white road-collared shirts! There is [much is] an infinite meaning in costume. -- Did you suppose there was much in the style of [a] any [individual] particular writer, [or an artist], musician, architect? There is just as much in any [individual's] man's or woman's costume?! There is just as much in the costume of cities, [trades], nations, ages. -- How [beautiful and robust are] perfect is the [the nature costumes] dress of [the] the [western] Missouri rifleman, the [the] Californian miner[s], [the] the boatman on the St. Laurense! How costume beautiful and robust are the New York and Brooklyn mechanics in their own dress - or of the firemen in their [own] free [costumes] strong [dress] native constumes - the trowsers, the black-legged [bot] boots, the [red] blue, red, or white road-collared shirts! There is [much] is an infinite meanig in costume. - Did you suppose there was much in the style of [a] any [individual] particular writer [or an artist] musician, architect? - There is just as much in any [individual's] man's or woman's costume. There is just as much in the costume of cities, [trades], nations, ages. 1 2 3 Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.