Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1854-12-23
Vagaries of Fashion.

If an inhabitant of the MOON or traveller from
another SYSTEM could visit the EARTH he would find
some difficulty in believing that the people whom
he met in different continents, were beings Of a
common race. He would see, in one country, the
men wearing tails, and in another, the women
wearing trowsers; in one, the men sporting tur-
bans and in another the women figuring in caps
He would see the beard cut off by one nation, and
religously preserved by another; the hair cropped
close in Northern Europe, but suffered to grow long
in Southern. He would see the North American
Indian, sunk in savagery daubing himself with
ochre, and the civilized duchess, proud of her here
ditary refinement, painting herself with rouge. He
would see an Empress weaving yard or two of
useless gilt at the tail of her gown; grave Judges
burying their heads in horse-hair wigs, till they
looked like puppies solemnly caricatured; soldiers
with bearskin caps, big enough to hold their pro-
visions for fortnight; and thousand other
ridiculous varieties Of costume, travestying the
human animal, and making it look like cross be-
tween monkey and parrot, or at least, like any
thing but what it was
In China he would see mothers bandaging the
feet of their female children, to make them little
In New iceland he would observe men tattooing
their faces In the Orient he would discover ladies
dying their nails black. He would see the Esqui-
maux with bits of bone stuffed through hole in
each cheek; the Flat Head Indian, with his fore
head compressed till it looked like that of an idiot
and the African negro, with his bushy hair full of
butter, and stick out on every side, so that it re-
sembled huge mop. He would find the ladies' in
Constantinope muffled up to the eyes, and in Paris
wearing dresses beginning too late" as Talley-
rand wittily said, "and ending to early"
In one country he would learn that fairness was
considered female cham and in another, an un-
naturally pinched waist; here beauty would con-
sist in fraglty; there in the opposite; in one lat
itude dark hair would carry the day, and in another
faxen tresses. On the promenade of Madrid he
would see the ankles coquettishly displayed; in
Chestnut street they would be shut from sight by
the amplitude of skirt that swept the muddy pave
ment. In Persia he would meet the magnifcently
dressed Mahomedan; in London he would see a
thing in round hat and tight trousers, calling itself
man.
He would find the customs Of various nations as
diverse as their dress and we may add as much
opposed to the standard Of nature and common
sense. In the countries pretending to be the most
cultivated, among the very classes enjoying the
highest degree of education, he would discover the
majority of the people going to bed at daybreak,
rising at noon, taking what they call morning rides
towards evening, and dining after sunset. He
would learn that in the wealthiest society of New
York weddings were celebrated by gas lights, on
bright, sunshiny morning He would see some
Americans making themselves temporarily crazy
with drink, the taste Of which they protested toll
dislike; and others, quite as refined chewing con-
tinually on dirty weed, which, they would tell him,
had made them sick the first time they used it. He
we would meet lady, one evening, and be privil-
edged to take her in his arms and spin around
with her, before room full of people, till she |
fairly sank on his bosom; but if he attempted to
press even her hand too warmly, the morning after,
he would be struck from the list Of her acquaint-
ance, for having, as she would say, insulted her.
It is instructive, occasionally, to think Of these |
The absurdity Of fashion, whether in |
iress in social customs, never plain as when
We thus contrast one vagary with another, and all
,uch with common sense We then realize what /
ools too many Of US are. For we sacrifice peace |
money, and health, it then convincingN appears
or what is Of no more worth than a child's banble
philadelphia Ledger.