The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1854-09-01
Iahifs' Drpurtmfnt@
Fashion at w atsfing ETA.

TIE Chinese do ko-tou in their faces in
the presence of their superior. and the be-
nighted Africans worship a fetish made OF
old rags but neither the Negroes nor the
Mongolian are bit more absurd than Amer
leans, when they PROSTATE themselves to the
thing called fashion. And Of all follies con-
nected with fashion that of fashionable wa
tering place. is the most superlatively ridicu,
lous. ...'s,.a a..Grs fs.,. . .... ,g..... .
Mrs. Nervous, for example, wants change
of air. But, unfortunately for the dear lady,
she cannot consent to be cured except at the
most tonnish watering place Il and according
" her husband, though he can iii afford any
extravagances. is compelled to take her to
such resort. What matters it that the
rooms are close, ,ythe table scantily provided.
and the proprietor extortionate in every way
This fashionable lady or that, boards there,
or has boarded there, leaving behind
her an odor of eentiIity to ali t;mew
1t is amazing what inconveniences, and
even insults, MIR. Nervous, and hundreds
like her, will put up with, in order to eat at
the same table as the "upper-ten," and be
bullied by the same landlord.
Nor is this all; for at fashionable watering
places one would think that health was the
last thing they sought. Mrs. Vancouver had
gone there to marry off her daughters. Mrs
Ephesian has come to catch second husband
Miss Nirt is there to coquet with the gentle
men. Miss Desh to raise a sensation BY her
oddities. In the little world of five hundred
boarders, temporarily inhabiting the hotel
there are as many oiiques, intrigues and rival.
ries as at the court of Louis XIV. Mrs
Tallowchandler turns up her nose at Mrs.
Soapfat, because the husband of the latter re-
tails his goods, will not speak to Mr. Use
full, because the latter works for his living
while the former spends. in idleness the for
tune acquired by his father. Even the "oen-
tlemen and ladies of color who, according tc
their own account, partly for recreation, and
partly to oblige the fashionable world con
sent to wait at table, make beds and black
boots, partake of this eXclusiveness and ont
professional gentleman" boasts to another
with pompous selEsatisfaction, of his tonnisl
mistress, and pronounces the employer of an
other of "no account" because he made his
money in saltpork instead of in sugar.
Thousands of dollars are annually sacrif
ced at these fashionable watering places by
families really unable to afford it. Will,
husbands are borrowing money in the ho
town at two per cent month, wives, arc
sporting lace capes that cost hundred dol
iars, at hotels where the family bill is anoth
er hundred per week. While fathers ar,
trembling with the fear of failure in fall
daughters are haunting at watering places il
the costliest jewelry, or sons arc sporting f,s
horses, giving champagne suppers, and per
haps gaming and drinking half the night
Deliver us from fashionable hotels at the Sc,
shore or the spriugs They would swallow
up the purse Of n millionaire, and destroy tn
health of Samson. They would teach air
to the girls of the best mother, and make tn
sons of the tIriftiest father improvident.
Ostensibly people go out of town for health
But how many are better for sojourn at .
fashionable watering place Instead of re
turning with blooming cheeks, ladies com,
back faded with late hours and gentlemen
instead of being more vigorous, are payin,
the penalty of wine suppers. A fortnight a
some quiet place, where the air is fresh ant
the hours early, is better than month a
one of these scenes of fashionable dissipation
In the one case, you get what You contrac
for, and a moderate price, too; in the other
you pay six dollars for board and six for fash
ion, and are cheated inboth.-P. Ledge,
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