Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1839-02-14
FASHIONABLE AND EXPENSIVE PooR.--The

FASHIONABLE AND EXPENSIVE POoR.--The
following is an extract from the excellent
leading article of late number of the Knick-
erbocker. The truths contained in the .ex-
tract, must appear palpable to the experience
of all who have mingled in society, and es.
pecially the society Of large villages aud
cities.
BY fashionable and expensive poor, is in
tended oil those, whether merchants, farmers,
mechanics, day laborers, etc. who live IN the
imitation of expensive fashions, without any
proper regard to their wages or fortunes.-
This class, in the United States, embraces a
larger proportion OF the people than In any
other country whatever. In other words,
travellers and strangers agree, that the peo-
pie of the United States are, in many par
ticulars, the most wasteful Of any civilized
people on earth.
Ut the fashionable and expensive poor, a
large ..Lmber, even Of those that belong to
the higher classes, are among the poorest
people Of the United States. If there were
weights and scales to weigh human misery
by the ounces and pounds, 1t would be found
that these unhappy people suffer more in
mind from embarrassments, duns, mortitica-
tions, offended pride, and conscious meanness
and wickedness, at the thought that they are
spending the property Of their friends, and OF
honest hard working mechanics and others,
than many poor people do in body, for the
want of sufficient clothing, fuel and wood
Striving to be something which their property
will not allow, they are in perpetual conflict,
in the worst war in the word-a war with
themselves. They do not live by any rule
OF their own, according to what God has
given them, and what is therefore only al
lowable for them to spend, but they live after
a rule set by the fashion of the rich people,
and thus they see with other peoples eyes,
whose eyes are their ruin. Instead Of hav-
ing their clothes made in the most economi-
cal way, in their own houses by their wives,
daughters and servants, they run to the fash
ionable milliner's and tailor's, at the same
time that they are suffering for good sub.
stantial, seasonable garments. ** Their
parors and dining rooms are filed with what
they call splendor, that is, finery. If they
have valuable pictures, it is ten to one these
D.. are put into the shade, in order to show their
fine curtains to better advantage.
Ifyou 60 out Of this region of spendor and
magnifcence, the real barrenness of the ter /
ritory in good and usefnl things appears. In 1
the kitchen and other apartments, there is not |
decent sufficicncy of proper cooking uten-
sils, tubs, kettles, carpets, dishes, and other
conveniences for health, comfort and cleanli. II
ness. Nothing is SO mean as the real pow
erty of these people, except their pride.
But this class of erpensiue poor are ridicu-
lous only by carrying to a greater extreme
than Others the practice of buying vain and
worthless things, IN preference to useful ones. |
The same practice caused the poverty of all
other classes of people yes all classes with
out exception. There is not, perhaps, an in
Cividual in ten thousand, who is not too poor
~ purchase many useful and truly beautiful,
aud therefore truly valuable things; things
fitted to promote the happiness, to enlighten,
exalt, and purify the minds Of men, in the
present and future generations, to make their
nbodes shrine for the pilgrims of genius, and
their country honored and beloved through
out the world.