Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-01-06
TO MRS. ROYAL PURPLE JONES,
Concerning her Absorbing Devotion TO her own
Person.
gr TIMOTHY TITooNB.

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& As a piece of vitalized mechanism 1t is the
81 most admirable thing in the world As the
81 dwelling-place and associate and minister OF
s# the human soul-the possessor of those e1-
" auisite senses through which the soul feeds
IA and breathes and receives knowledge and in
81 spiration-its first home-the vestibue of
s. its Immortality give ii honor. 1t is a
0 thing of dignity--a sacred tning-sacred to
. its possessor, and sacred to those to whom in
sd sacred love it may be given. When ever the
81 soul rises to a true appreciation o. its own
s worth, it pays honor TO the body which bears
d it, Barbarism wanders in negligent naked
g ness, but civilization, of whatever type, hon
q ors the body-covers it from sight-drapes
d and protects it with reference to ideas Of
!. comfort ana taste. Innocence, like that pos
Z sessed by infancy, may feel no shame with
y out drapery, but virtue. a very different
3 thing, grows crimson when uncovered
The human body is thing OF beauty as
well as of dignity All civilized nations have
Ss recognized this fact, and all have striyen,
more or less effectually, 10 reveal or enhance
thar beauty by dress. 1t costs almost as much
to cIothe civilization as to feed it and hui
gian ingenuity Is taxed 10 its utmost, and all
departments Of nature are laid unJer tribute
e to produce the fabrics with which civilization
"a eurobes itself.
This domain Of dress is one which Fashion
81 has conquered and made peculiarly her own,
-
madam, as | doubt not it viii be to people
generally, to note how far that power has
q sophisticated the idea of personal dignity on
s which dress IS based. Up TO a certain point
j. Of beauty Of fabric and elaborateness Of or
Z uameu tatiOn- dress can be carried legitInatcly
and with no violence TO personal dignity; but
beyond that point, there must always come a
resort 10 the barbaric idea, which must neces-
sarily bring personal degradation. Barbarism,
without any thought of personal dignity-of
bodily sacreduess-hasg ratitied its vanity and
desire for distinction by means of marks and
gaudy ornaments. It has tattooed its skin,
hung rings in its nose, worn beads en- its neck
lat its g.rdle, at its l1nees-stuck feathers IN
its hair and daubed paintUpO its face. This
kind of ornamentation-an exhibition Of per
sonal vauity-is the highest expression of the
highest idea which barbarism has ever enter
tanned concerning the human body. The pea
cock, the turkev-cock and the horse all appar-
emily have this same vanity in degree. This
/ vanity that touches the person, that feels
Qualification in ornaments and trappings, has
not the slightest natural connection with that
better idea which finds in graceful drapery
the refuge and shield of the dignity belonging
TO the liking tenement of the human soul.
Eou viii see, therefore, that whenever fashion
carries dress to extremes, or beyond the point
Of giving the body graceful and becoming
covering il always resorts To barbarism to
and precious stones and trlukets and ribbons
and iaces and all possible sorts of ornaments
The fashionable belle of Newport and Sara
to-a enters the assembly room Of the dining
Lall Onie 50 show that she IS sister of the
South Sea Islander and that the same idea
controls them both
The curse Of Eden seems TO have been the
subsection 0f the soul to the service the body
When l reflect upon the relative dignity and
81.
Immortality of the one aud the mortality Of
the other, the heavenly alliances of the one
and the earthly alliances Of the other, the
Godllke capacities Of tee one and the brutal
appeties 81 tae otAar-it ast4uishes me to
realize taar the Soals work In this world is
in tine majority of eases, simply that of pro
curing food and rIimout ana shelter for the
body. 1t astoaishes me to realize that under
every form If civilization tue body is the
sous tyytut aud leads If by the nose Nat
uraIlE the bo3v Is uppamo-t in the general
thought Men must have food ana clothing
ana Helter, or die they must win all these
for their ehildren or loose them. SO, under
the circumstances of our iitc, and the Usage- of
oaE civilization, the body is necessarily a con
slant topic of thought To is not strange
therefore, chat tine soul often tor-ets that it is
master, and loses sight of its owu dignity and
destiny III It~ AaaJtaN devotion Us Jha salts
faction Of bodily wants.
Hlt this Mrs ROYAL Purple Jones is not
vuar trouble. GA are not obliged TO work
taa a living. our money has been earned
4sr Won Isl other hands, and vour devotion to
F0ur b5de is voluntarily and not compulsory.
Eour soul with all fits fine capacities, and its
possibility of culture and Of goodness, is the
willing and devoted slave of the body In which
itlEve-. lour person is the central motive
Of your life Now thIt / call your attention
ID the fact viii you tell me, or attempt to
realize 70 Yourself bow much time and how
much thought YOU devote 70 the uair that
aiorn- your headg How much Of both do
you give 60 the little matter of eyebrows -
how much To your tectE-h0W much 20 YOUR
face as a whole. with all the considerations of
cutieular texture and complexion how
much Is your hands how much to your
arras how much 20 your neck how much
to your feet s-how much to youJ general
CONFORMATION Madam YOU are in love with
your OWE body, and the keeuest delight of
yuur whole life consists IN having that body
admired and praised The sense of personal
modest1 and dignity which flies to dress Tor
refuge, has really no place In YOU. / DO not
mean that y0u arr an immodest women, but
that this sense of personal saCredness has
been overcome boy personal vanity so far that
YOU dress rather to show than 20 hide YOUR
body-to attract attention TO Your person
than to make Ii the modest and incOn-pic-
uoa- tenement Of your soul What is il that
most aasarbs your timcg What /, it chat
most ahzorbs your money Is il not dress
Think of Ihe silks that yoU bay. and the study
that YOU hestow upon their selection and man
utaetUre into garments Think Of the hats
ANA che gloves and the iewelrv, and of the in
tense and absorbing interest which attend
their purchase and first wearing Thinks of
EoHr constant observation and criticism of
lae arosslof your friends I believe YOU will
admit e Yourself il not TO me, thar / have