Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1859-04-29
VOL. XIII.
ON DRESS.

This question was put to young man, n
half a year ago, in the course of free al
friendly conversation. He is an industriou
sensible young man, dresses decently, keel
to good society, of steady habits-withal goo
looking. After laying before us his fnane
and business prospects which were modera
and hopeful, the idea was suggested to him tn,
he was now at point in life when he ought I
marry; and as it was evident at a glance tha
he could if he would, there must be some ul
known difficulty in his way.
"Why don't you get married."
'The fact is, sir, would like to, but 1 can
afford it."
"Can't afford it +! and getting 81 800 yea
salary, with certainty of its increase, and, at n
far distant day, may rise to partner. Surely
that win do to begin on
A difficulty did appear, and that in fey
words. He was clerk in try-good store
where fashionable ladies most do congregate-
had seen across the counter, many young lad,
who fancied fine dresses and fine things and mad
| such bills, with a matter-ofcourse and easy air
that it scared him. ''Never could stand sucl
licks as that One days shopping would use ~
a months wages. Other things must be in pro
portion. And yet l have feeling on the sub
ject of this sort: would not like to marry q
young lady who had been used to luxury, and
not be able to keep her going at the same rate
And Isee they don't lose the taste even after.
ward.''
Somebody who visited the Springs last sea-
son-and he viii be apt, if he lives and goes, to
see the same things next season gives this des-
| printion of a fasbioDa hla Iadv.
'Indeed the fashionable lady at the Springs
comes to task of dressing which is not to be
envied. Most of her walking hours, even if
she has no balls or hops to dress for, are labor
ious hours. For dressing is her substantive
employment; it is for this she has come to the
Springs. So she must, ON her first waking in
the morning, dress for her walk to the Springs,
then she must come home and put on another
harness for breakfast. Then she must unhar-
| ness and harness up wholly anew for dinner;
then for tea, all the labor of changing her cum
brous harness must be repeated. This often
involves more than she can do alone. The hair
dresser must be called in, and there must be a
toll of curryiBg as well as Harvesting This is
an expensive as well as laborious work. Judge
of this from single case. A lady was here
told the Eand-lady, in all sobernes, as if it were
matter Of course, that she had been here
thirty days, and that she had only thirty chang
es of dress, and therefore she could stay here no
longer; for she could not wear the same dress
twice at the same place. She must now, as
matter of economy, go to Newport, where, with
the same dresses, she could spend thirty days
more. This is fair sample of the fashionables
here. Every summer brings thousands of just
this class of miserable creatures, slaves of alb
surd fashion,
We commend the reader to initiate the ex-
ample of lady in one of the leading circles at
Washington. A gentleman complimented her
upon the simplicity and taste of her apparel
She replied: Il am glad you like my dress; it
cost just seven dollars and l made every stitch
of it myself" 1t is very evident, from the fore
going, that dress is good or evil educator in
the family. As such it demands the attention
of parents, that it may not become snare and
curse to children. Perhaps the best rule to
regulate dress is that which Newton gave a
woman who asked his opinion: Madam, so
dress and so conduct yourself that persons who
have been in your company shall not recollect
what you had on
Most young men, who would make the best
husbands, viii be scared off, and that, alas by
the very means resorted to attract them. They
ought, they will count the cost. As the mar
riage form says, it sis not by any to be entered
upon or taken in hand unadvisedly,' but dis
creetly.p
Beyond extravagant dressing, there is an
inference equally damaging; namely, that those
who devote themselves to it know little of any
thing else. Men do not want dolls for wives.
4 little household knowledge in the wife is of
vast importance in setting out well in life.-
Georgia Scenes" by Judge Lengstreet, de-
serves to live, if for nothing else, for one "oer
true tale in it. The Beautiful Creature as q
Wife,
1t were worthy of consideration how much
the want of family discipline, domestic virtue,
and happiness, and home piety, is owing to the
previous want of domestic training in wives
and mothers. If some of the time spent in
the philosophy of churning, the hydrodynamics
of washing clothes, and the chemistry Of max
ing light-bread, it would be well.
But to return to our text, the young man
whose halfsorrowful words we wish to sound
in the ears of the daughters of this generation
he represents thousands. In a city of the
sunny South young couple were walking the
streets unmarried yet, perhaps unengaged !;
but initial friendship was proceeding very fair
ly in that direction. They passed stand
where the fowergirls stood. The air was red
olent of roses and violets, and faultless taste
had combined them in bouquets, fringed with
evergreens. '.Will you have one?" Lady Sc
lected bouquet, scented it, waved it, and was
! charmed. "How much?' The sharp-eyed
quadroon had taken lessons from Cupid as well
as Mercury. She saw that she had the young
man, and, instead of saying 'two bits,'' she said
''ive dollars!" He was long enough getting out
his change to give his fair companion op-
portunity of relieving him from such barefaced
extortion. But she made no signs of return
ing or refusing it, rather than have him impos-
ed on. What was five dollars He paid it.
A slang phrase would say, he sloped after that.
In the words of our young man, she could not
stand such icks." Lady lost beau, for bou-
quet.
CHURCH ETIQUETTE.
We think there is good sense in a suggestion
] made by an American who thus writes from
| r Topdo0