Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1841-11-18
MISC e / L A NE 0 Us
THE ALTAR OF FASHION.

! q
ONCE upon a time, the Godness O
Fashion becoming tired of the cares O
her fantastic and hayward empire, re
solved TO choose Vice-Queen to govern
IN her name, and preside over the capri
ces of her widespread dominion. Ac
cordngIy, arraying her person in all IN,
coIors OF The rainbow, She seated herseI
on a throne, before which was erected al
altar, where all her votares were accus
toned to come and offer up their sacri
fees.
The Goddess, at first slht, was fair tc
look on; but the true connoisure in female
charms, one and all, denied that she wa.
beautiful; for when they came to examine
I her critically, it was found that her face
had a jaded, harrassed, and sickly appear.
ance; that her colour was not natural; her
vlvacity assumed her smile all artifce
and thoughher actions seemed graceful
at first, yet a little close observation be-
trayed The secret of study and art At
iectation, they said, always runs into ex-
| tremes-grace never.
! The attire Of The Goddess was gor-
geousIy tantastlcal, and instead of set
ting off the beauties which nature had
once prodigalIy bestowed upon her, was
only calculated to dstort them into de-
tormties. Her waist was compressed in
TO span; her bosom, flattened by artif-
cial pressure, until that lovIiest of all the
attributes OF womanhood seemed to be
transferred to her shoulders, which proiec
ted behind in a most unseemy manner,
calling forth none of those touching as.
sociatlons, which one sex may awaken
without blush, the other cherish with
out offence. Her sleeves were wider
than her body and had they been made to
resemble wings, might have given the be-
holder the idea OF an angel; but they
were shaped ike balloons, and created no
other impression but that of disproportlon,
which, whatever the canons of fashion
may say, is always allied to delormity. In
deed all her arts seemed TO have been de-
voted toreprcss the ordinary functions of
nature; and Nature, who never permits
these violations width impunitv, had re-
venged herself by branching out into va
rious unseemty exuberances, which pro-
duce the effect Of caricature on the eve
OF the beholder. AL the harmonious and
graceful out times of the female form were
lest in the chaos of misp placed ornaments,
and the tyranny ofcompressing lgaments,
destroying all freedom of graceful action,
and scornng al the rules of proportion,
without which nothing can be really beau
tifuI'
The throne of the Goddess, though
gorgeously decked with fantastic fnery,
and gIitterng with giIded ornaments, daz-
zIed rather than pleased at first sight. |
But when it became more familiar to the |
eye it seemed union of discords rather
than of harmonies. There were neither
taste nor congruity in the disposition of
the parts, and the effect of the whole was
and unsatisfactory. 1t tired BY
is glare, rather than pleased by its splen-
lour; and it was observed by those whose
aste had been refined by the habtual
of the beauties of a grace
al simplicity, that the longer they looked
he more tiresome it became. The alter
vas placed at the foot of the throne, and
covered with profuSion Of bonnets, capes,
hawls, cuffs, frllls, flowers, corsets, worked
and other paraphernaIIa,
most as high as a steepIe.
Having seated herself on the throne, a. ,
ound which was crowd of attendants, {
thousands of artificial perfumes
hat overpowered the baImy fragrance of ,
bright May morning, the Goddess com :
handed that proclamation should be made r
v sound of a trumpet, that she was about r
0 choose Vce-Queen from among her :
diaries. The notes of the brazen ins,ru- f
lent penetrated the recesses of drawing v
ooms, dressing rooms, and boudoirs, rous- a
ne all their occupants; and what was spe- b
tally remarkable, they echoed in the ri. A
al wales, and quiet Tecesses of the coun- |
ry, where the peaceful inhabitants heard a
he sonorous brawing. |
At the sound of the trumpet the whole a
World of Fashion was in motion; the mil n
ner's shops we're ransacked for the new 0
st fnery, to enable the devotees to APP /,
ear to advantage in the presence Of s,
leir Goddess; and full sorely did the b
ockets of many worthy citizen rue the b
vanging of that brazcn instrument. In 81
little while might be seen vast crowd p
females, of alt ages, fastening from r
very part Of the habitabIe world, dressed d.
their gayest attire, and making their h,
ay to the throne OF the Goddess. White, oil
ack, tawny, and unprecedented, all OF
by the hope of becoming the
representative of the Goddess, and sway d.
g the sceptre other universal empire te
A little Indian maid, from the forest of C,
10 Far West, outran all the others, and hi
rived first at the foot of the throne. ST
er face was painted of a variety Of col nc
RS; her head covered with coronet of ny
athers; her nose and ears oruamented he
th copper-washcd rings; her dIess con- pa