The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-04-28
SHAMS.

the best, we are content with the cheapest
imitation Of it. We have abandoned re.
ai,ics, and are grasp;ng after their shadows.
We say, what is the use Of paying grea,
price for n sterling article, when wo can
get something that looks just like II for a
little one? So we take the sham and re-.
ect the genuine, and then pat ourselves ON
:he back for our shrcwdness and economy.
We have got the glitter, who cares for the
gold The old Iroverb is mustv and be
:'inL the age. We have run SO sar ahead Of
is togyism i'll our fast way Of doing things.
rs to have discovered that it is the glitter
which makes the value of the metal, and
not the soidity and purity Of the .ro!d
within. No have become wise lis scrpcu,s
according to the improved theory of wis
dom-ge,tng the mos, for our money
rather than the best and it is to be fea,cI
we are not always quite as harmless as
doves i'll our way Of gettiug it, for our
wisdom savors little of the quality Of
that which WAS brought to bear upon our
mother Eve. There is terrible twany Of
deception about il.
We build houses with tho brown stone
fronts made of brick, and covered with
painted and sandcd plaster, marked oil
into chain blocks we enter then lhrounl.
open or walnut doors made OF grained
pine, and pass through vcsltu,es hoored
with marble mosaic made Of baked clay,
and sit down on vcnccrcd sofas before scae-
hoa marble chimney pieces and mantlrs
made of cnameed iron. Over such man.
ties We place mirrors in gilt frames, en-.
liched with elaborate carving made Of
composition pressed i'll moulds and stuck
Oh with 6 ue. In one recess we hang one
hundred dollar water colour drawings, thai
Is to say, painted limitations which cos, FIVE
and in another, handsome took cases
with mahogany faces and pine bodies, fill
ing the lower shelves with books al,l the
upper with richly bound blocks OF wood Of
assorted sizes.
Just now, pictures are fashionable SO
we go to auction and buy "va:uaL!e oil
paintings" which are made Il, short notice,
by the quantity, and "car~tu''y >cl.c,c1,''
and sold at prices varying from ten to
twenty five dollars. "incluJi:.s " in ci,..,a"t
gilt frame" We have them sent home.
without any compuncli"us visiiings Of con.
science about tho smallncss of The prc.
for that is the artists business, not ours:
and we call in our friends to admire them.
{preserving Il discreet silence as to their
cost,) which they do with such ar,,or,
that we begin 10 feel little uncertain
whether they are not poI;iug fun at us.
The next time we get into an omnibus
tho uncertainty is rcmoved-for as We
glance at lie small gallery Of at ranged
above the windows, we experience Slight
feeling of surprise, of not the most agrcea-
ble kind, Of recognizing the hand Of the
artist, Tor one one Of the same schoolO
who executed the remarkable specimens
which decorate our wall. We iiud that
our bargains have introduced to us an ex-
tensive circle Of the very Indifferent ac-
quaintances Of their own class, which ".
feel indisposed - cl!;iva'" .i, sc 1"sin to
suspect that if any boz, ..;s uacu cic:i.,!,
it is not the painter
painted iron along or garden walks. w.
drink our coffee Oh grca; oc, ",:.ni,, cnf o.
imitation Sevres china Guns filed from. $,
yer coffee pots, aanked 10y silver cream jugs
and silver bowls, all made # pi:..a,; Al
bata, sitting i'll dining rooms covered with
cheap carpets Of Brussels pattern, and
lined with rich oak paneling made by the
paper hanger. We wear sham cravats on
our necks, buttoned surreptitiously under
spurious trout ties, around false collars
made of white paper, and on our feet self
COMPRISING Congress gaitcrs, with rows OF
deluslve buttons in front, to convey :he idea
that they are fastened in the legitimate
way. We display massive seal rings and
fob chains, and carry ponderous looking
pencils, which arc marvellous for the space
the small quantity OF gold in .l,c:r TO-. "
bulk is made to fill.
Our daughters wea. expensive point :.c,,
adornments, 1--WE do noi know their n:..ucs,
nor do We know much about point lace, tx
cept that it is somo sort of net wv.k of
fabulous COST made Of some more econ.
omical material, and washed in some wav
which is great secret, so as to give them
the yelowish tint supposed to mark the
genuine article. They wear Canton Grape
shawls which John Chinaman never SAW,
and Cashmere shawls manufactured at Pals.
ley, and India silks that never passed the
Equator, and furs that would astonish the
animals whose names they bear, if they
could. see them. Wien they, (he daugl.-
tcrs, that is) are married, we give grand
weddings, displaying tables filled with OK.