The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1820-02-08
FOR THE PORTLAND GAZETTE.
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he extended

fasl1ioa is How giddy he turns about all the
hot bloods between fourteen and five and thirty !?
Sometime, fashioning them like Pharaoh's SOL
diers in the recchy painting; sometime, like god
Bells priests in the old Church window; some
time, like the shayen Hercules IN the smirched,
worm. eaten tapestry"
{" like the new tire excellently well, If the
hair were thought browner and your gown IS
most rare fashion i faith saw the Du hess of
Milan's gown that they praise so, and by my
troth, its but night gown IN respect Of yours
cleth gold, and cuts and lacc1 with silver: set
with pearls, down sleeves, side sleeves and
skirts rouni, underborne with buesh tinsel !:
but for fine, quaint, graceful and excellent
fashion, yours il worth ten on't.'
You were good enough. Mr.. Printer, TO give
room in your last paper to few remarks J.
made on the subject of dress: | am embold
eued, therefore. 10 ask a continuance Of yeur
favor. We cannot expect, Sir, in any thing
we do TO give Satisfaction TO the various de
sires and feelings of those who are situated
around us bui If we aci honorabiy, and with
intention 10 please and amend, rather than
irritaie and corrupt, we ought to be. al least.
satisfied with ourselves add our motives. and
he content with the qualification and esteem
Of those, In whose favor we build orr hopes.
1t is an unprinciplcd. although believe, no,
q very uncommon remark, that there are some
evils in the world too inveterate for corrcc
lion. and that by attempting 70 eradicate. them,
The sum of unhappiness is increased rather
than diminished. | hope This is not obsii-
naiely believed. for II is surely founded IN
error One opinion, however, is currently
circulated and assumed wiihou. much relec
ton. which is thought TO have a destructive
tendency upon the manners of our age, by
promoting extravaganza. dissipation and foil. !;
and This j.. that the community does moi suffer
by The luxurious and expensive living Of any
OF It's members. however extrsvagsni. This
doctrine is supported by the argument, that
what goes out OF one hand. goes into another !;
that the emptying OF one mans purse, fi'ls his
neighbor's. and hat he who is rich, cannot do
more good, than by lavishing his wealth in
those articles the purchase OF which eariehes
traders, manufacturers and mechanics. The
sophstry OF this argument hardly needs refu
tstion, and is used by those who deIgh, more
in replenishing their Golfers, than enrichng
their hearts. Does not the happiness Of the
community depend upon The happiness of its
constituent parts And when the rich man has
wasted his property by extravagsnce, and his
constitution by luxury, where is he happiness
of bis pos!erty Heirs indeed TO the debility
of dissipated life, but to none of the wealth
by which it vas supported. But does The
mischief end here Oh no; example is not
imiisble; the follies of the palace find their
way too rapidly 10 the cottage Of the peasant;
nd Tho co,,t zion nf v,ravauan.a ani I,,v,,r,,
Of fashion and folly, spreads with an influence
hardly 10 be controlled. 10 the ,Deanest Of the
community Beside the waste of health and
property arising to the unweared votarles OF
fashion, from a too constant rfhip al her
shrine. there . something extremely ridcu-
lous in the sudden vibration from one extreme
10 another. and the inconsistency of some Of
her changes. doubt not we shall make, some
ages hence. as gro'esqne figures in The repre-.
sensations Of the pencil as do now the beaux
aud brlles Of Eifzabeib's age or of the gay
court Of Charles II. Nature has given US one
form. and we make ourselves another, or rath-
er man'ua makers and tailors make another
tor u.s.. We are now hitched up with short
waist, and anon extended with long one. and
a new gown. a new bonnet, ora new suit of
clothes, are scarcely made, but they must be
laid aside. not indeed because they are worn
out, but because The fashion is This fashion
too IS most capricious being. she will some
times 10 winter put upon the head bare apol-
ogy for covering, leaving all the face and
ears and forehead entirely exposed TO the livd.
painting gale, while in s. gentle summer" she
will envelope the whole head in straw and
ribbons, as IL jealous that the otorous breeze
should WOO such giowing beauty. II the evil,
attendant upon these continual and whimsical
changes, was confined to him solely who can
afford to caparison himself anew, and alter his
very form evey two or three months.w we should
at least say nothing about it. but who has ever
seen the time, when he did not feel desire
and the less the ability, the greater the desire
10 dress as well as his richer neighbor, to
have as many capes 10 bis coat, or as many
feathers IN her cap, or as many irinke's strung.
Ike an Indians ornaments, about her person
None---t is not in the constitution OF our so.
cie'y; society. where personal appearance
is almost the only arisiocrsey, and 10 which
external decoration, by some unaccounisbe
ias,idiousoess. seems better passport than
the bomely qualities of an honest heart. And
this notion has obtained so strong bold upon
ihe minds of some. that it influences The whole
business Of their lives. know some ladies',