The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1855-12-04
FALSE PRIDE AND FEMALE MISERY.

With all our republicanism, there is an
aristocraiic, anti-dcmocratic feeling among
Ills about dress, which should not peryade an
intelligent comnion-sensc nation like ours.
Dress among us does not, rs ip other coun-
tries, give any idea of the pecuniary means of
the wearcr. Male or female, there is pre-
vailing habit Of dressing expensvely, inap-
propriately, with display altogether out Of
proportion to tho means of the wearer. This
fondness for undue showiness in apparel is
distinguishing characteristeric Of females in
every land, civilized, barbarous or savage, ms
all travellers knew. Among us it often leads
TO female vice and wretchcdness.
False pride is the bane Of the poor A
poor girl dependant, alas! upon the hard
unremitting toll of her hands, with natural
desire to look well, and appear less dependant
than she is, yields to the dictates Of a false
pride, and cndeavors to vie with the wealthy
as far as she can She makes fine display.
and if weakminded. praise alures her from
the labor which supports her, to the promen-
adc, the ballroom and expensive amusement.
She is courtcd, fattered and tempted, first
indolcnce, then To contempt for industry,
then 10 the indebtedness which is sure to
follow, and then to su Il means for keep
ing up mock pagcantry Of costume, cease
less round of exciting pleasures, and for the
maintainance of life itself.
Fondpess for unreasonable display--a false
prdc--las led her down those fatal steps,
sport Incidence, temptation, debt, dependan-
cy, calumny and--a dssipated life.
Perhaps there has never been season in
which examples Of this kind were SO mutitu-
dinous as now--hard times and high prices
having existed so long, while the Haunting
circles Of fashionable extravaganza have
shown no better example than before, and
their brilliant alluremcnts have only been the
more fascinating to the signing girl who finds
il hard to live.
The extremes of wealth and poverty haze
met and compared accounts. They have
looked at each other steadfastly as they never
did before in the United States and unprin-
cipled wealth ovcrcomcs pale faced poverty
10y swarms The legal calenders of vice give
daily sickening proofs of this, and so common
is the fact to the press that they pass it over
with but little comment. Yes, false pride is
fruitful source Of the misery of the fair
daughters of our land. But trial of the life
of glittering jeopardy which the fallen ones
have substituted for the less snowy but more
peaceful ones of old, dissatisfics whilo it de-
grades them. The treatment they receive Is
revolting to them, surrounded as they gradu-
ally become, with the vicious of every degree
aud kind, and of both sexes. The fallen girl
the runaway rife, and the recreant widow,
pass on from despair to despair, tearfully,
rcmorsefully, and honest industry, however
attended with trials, whethcr in or out of the
pale of matrimops, is at last preferrcd-pcr-
hapstoo late:
Too late! How dismally sounds those
heart-sickening words! Upon how many
hearts they fall heavily, like the knell to tho
bound victim, os tho coming tramp of the
soldier troop to the car Of the kneeling dcser-
ter. Who would not, if he could, regencrate
the fallen spirits! But confidence too often
refuses to be placed in those who are known
to have failed in chastity. Not the worst il
is treated in fallen woman as tho worst Of
crror,from which = jeering, unbelieving
world recognizes no redeemng path.
Alas for tho fall, the propensity, the
fate. Too late. How many, who, perchan-
CO, will attest their truth, while they breathe
the spirit Of hopcessness, sung by Bul%er,
in this little poem Of mournful beauty entitled
"Thc Pilgrim" The following is the closing
stanza, and for grace and pathos, and signi6-
cance, it is unsurpassed in or language:
..IIow oft have yearncd f,r the old hcppy valley
But the sands hnvs no truck:
lie VIII, scorncd whnt was must r;lvsnce 10 the
FAR,
who for.ahe,h,he landmark, must march by the
star,
Md tho steps t,as par, from the peace of the
valley,
Can ifrvcr come back