Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-06-17
For the Spirit of the Age

Mr. EDITOR: As one of the objects of
your trul y valua lie paper is the moral and
intellectual advancement of your readers,
and as have been an attentive observer
of the signs of the times and the errors and
tolies Of mankind, or more properly of
some Of these errors L r1afve1t dt,Rtso.Stapo Of
devote a chapter to the especial purpose Of
calling the attention of your fair readers to
some of the errors which they, in common
with the lords, have fallen into. And
though my criticisms may appear some
what illiberal and narrow minded to those
to whom they may apply, [ would appeal
from their own self-estoem, which we all
possess, to the sober reflection and serious
Judgment of those who have passed the
imaginative season of y 'u'hful aspirations
aud have learned to view things as they
are. And as | am a hache or, and not a
rich one at that, | think | can speak more
feelingly on the respect paid to wealth, or
more properly, mere display. gayety and
even dissipation, when arrayed in the trap
pings of the wealthy
"Clothe guilt in armor of gold,
And twill through every trial pass,
Clothe it in poverty an rags,
And straw will pierce it through"
O mammon thou stern god Of the world,
it is of thee and thy votaries that | have
to complain Gotd gold is the tombstone
to which all in these degenerate days have
to be brought, and this disposition has
grown and fasten d upon our people to such
an extent, that they will even turn from
the acknowledged worthy and respectable
and grasp at the shadow even Of wealth, i
they know that he upon whom 1t ha'
fallen is unworthy the name OF friend
much less Of husband. It's true there art
many honorable exceptions to this prlnci
pie among the ladies', but how lamentabl,
large is the number Of ladies' who are lie,
away by the phantom For instance, if
gentlemen of good character and economi
cal habits happens to become PARTICULAR
attached t. a young lady, Quo matter hoy
glaring her imperfeetious may oe) who ma
chance to have few hundred dollars NOR
than he, she will think herself jGsti6-d i
treating him with manf. st disrespect, yes
she will sometimes even refuse to speak t
him when spoken to, though he may al
ways have treated her in the most respect
ful manner. And why? Is it because
I is really unworthy of her? No! Just le
some fop with false heart, fast horse
+, fine buggy and fine suit of clothes intrud
his attentions on her, aud how soon she
= ready to die for this duck of a man. wh
: perhaps owes some honest mecl .anic {
tradesmau for everything th4t has excite
S her ideas of splendid equipagc and fo
q tune.
Letme not be understood as intmatir
5 that lady should marry the first man VII
Y may chance to ask her hand, or that son
) regard should not be paid to the ability
g gentleman to keep those dependent {
e him above want; | mean no such thin
# l would particularly complain at and r
e monstrate against the disposition of son
e ladies to tteat the mere semblance of veal
e with respect, when they treat the real
tel worthy with contempt. A naughty, d
y dainful spirit which has been encourag
y by public sentiment leads many youl
te lady to treat the most devoted admirer Wi
We contempt for no other reason than that
n will not make display of wealth at t