The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-05-07
VT - : = II -
Writing In the Sand.

To the reflective mind the streets Of
a great city are always a good school in
which to study and solve some of the
curious problems in fashion, sociology,
and political economy. Strolling down
one Of the fashionable avenues after a
comfortable dinner today, not "chew-
ing the cud of sweet and bitter fancies,"
but simply Eliminating, with a most be
nevolent disposition toward everything
human, we witnessed a sight that led
to the inditing Of this most proftless
paragraph. It was the operations OF a
most curious and costly machine that
fairly walked US out Of an editorial rev.
erie, and made Ms fully conscious for
the moment Of surrounding circum-
stances.
A few yards in advance was a mag
niticent drag-net, composed Of the finest
silk, partially extended and supported
by whalebOne springs, which swept
nearly the whole breadth Of tho tr0tt0ir,
gathering in its onward progress small
chips, sticks, scraps of paper and bits
Of mud-in fact, every specie of filthy
abomination that finds q temporary
Judgement upon the sidewalks or street
crossings. We were at first delighted
with the operations of the street-cleaner
How the loose sand and p bibles and
sticks and straws leaped and bounded
along under the impulse Of the ma
chine; and how the mud and filth that
could not fly stuck to it, and so was
carried along, whether II would or not
We had witnessed the operations of a
patent streetsweeping machine on
Pennsylvania avenue, but it only gath
cred the leaves and dust into windows,
to be again scattered by the wind;
this machine carried off most of the
filth with it; "a for the crossing-sWeep-
ers, the dirty little fellows that charge
a penny apiece for interrupting your
progress, they should not be mentioned
in comparison with the new-fashioned-
drag-net Being little curious, as all
editors should be respecting improve
ments in mechanism, we advanced
rather briskly upon the curb-stone to
come abreast of the machine and get a
better idea Of It's operations, when, 10
as its propelling power, there turned
upon Us a vision Of female beauty that
struck US dumb with amazement. A
bow and blush Of shame on our part FOR
the ridiculous mistake, a smiling rec
ignition from the lady, and we hurried
on 70 the sanctum, q wiser and q sad
der man.
And this is fashion And contend
ing against its wicked or ridiculous fol
lies IS what We call writing in the
sand, where the first rain or wind will
scatter our thoughts in the limitless air
or wash them into the fathomless depths
OF ocean.
There is one point, however, from
which an assault may be ventured The
ladies Of this city, hundreds, nay thou
sands Of them, have been working night
and day for months past, to raise funds
for the benefit Of the sick and wounded
soldiers. Many Of them have been
! 'ministering angels" from the first out
break of the war, watching, working,
praying for the triumph Of the right,
for honor and victory to our flag, and
confusion and defeat to the rebels To
accomplish these things We must have
great armies, and they must be support
ed IN the field and their families cared
for at home. To accomplish this, the
credit OF the Government must be sus-
tained-its currency must be preserved
from depreciation, so that when the
soldier receives thirteen dollars for
months fighting, u may be thirteen
dollars, and not thirteen rags How il
this to be done? Gold, AZ well as con-
fdence, is the proper and necessary ba-
SIS Of a paper currency. If all the gold
IS Withdrawn from the country, the pa
per money viii become worthless Why
should the gold be sent out Of the cOun-
try2 A large portion Of il is sent TO
Europe 70 purchase these silk street
cleaners.
Does every lady know that the extra
yard Of silk she puts in the trail Of her
dress, to dFRggle through mud and
dust, and make her feel like a street l
scaYenger when she returns 70 her own I
parlo-, 20 directly 70 raise the price Of
gold and depreciate the value Of the
money paid 70 the soldiers, for whom 4
she feels so warm sympathy Doy0u |
ever think, fair lady, that those uncon- /
scionable trails are stained with blood 4
as well as mud Il is not worth while 1
TO pish or pooh az the matter as trlhing 1
and ridiculous IL Is true, and Of the /
greatest Importance. Suppose there are I
a million OF ladies Ia the United States, /
each Of whom spends ten dollars Tor 4
an unnecessary and ridiculous append I
age 70 a dress, this vii require TIE ex.
portation OF six or eight millions In /
gold, which viii seriously decrease the
value Of the paper dollar and thus les
sen the comforts % the soldier and I
family that should be derived directly
from bis pay. Oar grandmothers Ebau-
donsd the usa Of tea % save their
country Cannot their grsnddaaghtsrs
silken trails for q similar CD
Ioetf J.