Smyrna times., 1867-06-05

deal more abuse in the present age in respect
to vanity among those who are considered to
be IN positions of wealth and opuence. 1t is
dlfhcult subject to treat in the pulpit and
that IS why preachers seldom touch upon it.
AL 0rnamentatlOn is not contrary to the letter
or spirit OF the Gospel, but the excessive use
OF ornaments is prevailing vice among the
female sex. The fashions are extravagant and
immodest. God sanctioned the use of orna-
meats IN the decoration Of the temple and al
tar Ia order to make them more attractive to
the Jews. That which would be proper in
SOME cases would be improper in others. The
conditions OF woman in life should regulate
her dress. A woman whose husband was liv-
ing persisted in wearing widows weeds, and
this drew out letter from st. Austin, in which
he laid down three rules for the guidance of
women. First, married woman should fol-
low the will of her husband. 1t was very
good rule, and the husbands present would no
doubt be very much obliged to me if [ could
| induce women to follow the will Of their hus-
bands. The second rule for those who are not
married, but may be engaged or seeking an
| engagement is equally salutary; it is to follow
| the will OF their fathers and mothers.
The speaker said it young lady nowadays
was to come and see me and make confession
| OF the fact that she was going to be married
and should tell her to go and consult her pa
| rents, she would think | ought to have been
born hundred years ago. There is nothing
| more absurd, they think, than for young ladies
to consult their parents, but theo follow the gu-
dance OF their own PASSIONS and the results
are divorces, wretched lives, and still more
wretched deaths. The third rule of St. Aus
tin related to those who had renounced the
world, and they should follow the will of Him
whom they had chosen to follow The first
rule allowed considerable indulgence in dress,
which should be regulated by the age and sea-
son. A little straw hat, exceeding short skirts
very short cropped hair (which a short time
ago was the fashion among ladies considerably
| advanced IN years, are proper in girls from
| eight to ten years Of age, but border on the
| ridiculous and indecent in ladies Of fifty sum
merS. Marriage Is the normal state of men
and women, but when it is not sought for by
| those who are free to enter that state, it shows
that there is 4 cause, and that cause is not IA
vOrable to virtue, religion or the good of sOce-
ty. Only seven marriages were solemnized in
| the church OF st. BrldEes last year. The cause
Is apparent. L broached the subject to young
man-nOt SO very young elther-remarking
heard he was going to get married. lie turn
ed and, with the simplicity OF child ten years
OF age, said = Eather Payne, [ am surprised
that you should even think [ was going to be
married. Bless your life (his own words,)
could not keep my wife one year Ill dry goods
llaughter.) When L become u rich man, then
will marry, but not before, because | want to
do the thing properly" You smile, said the
reverend speaker, but am in earnest. lie
had certain amount OF reason for what he
said, and that reason is not credtable to young
women. Extravaganza i'll dress makes it diff
cult for men in the married state to fulfil their
| Obligations, and this is the reason why young
men do not want to get married. The young
women have become SO fond of dress that the
young men are frightened and this not for the
good OF society or religion. Let me give the
ladies this advice: BE less anxious about your
appearance; spend less Of your earnings in
au0rnlng your persons; and think Of your souls,
Remember that the moment will torce itself
upon you when you will be stretched out life
less In the coffin. When that time comes there
Will be simple winllng-sheet, that NAV be
bought for a few dollars to wrap you in. The
ornaments that remain will be ornaments OF
virtue which have accompanied you through
lie, and Will remain throughout an endles.
eternity. Though the great vice among Wo.
men ut the present day Is u want of economy
stu there Is something of an immodest nature
There never was a time when women studied
more sedulously the art of dressing than at the
present time. 1t has been reduced to u regu
lar system, and the dressing OF the BODY i
Just as much an art Us sculpture or painting.
Ii the women had spent half as much time il
adornlng the soul as the body they would hav,
been saints long since leaving the sterner sex !,
the background. Woman has Il special mis-
sion to remove the rough spots and smooth th,
uneven surface OF man, and make him low,
purity by presenting it to him every day in he
person. When woman fOrgets her mission
and habits excite only illicit love, the result
ladies, is social and moral degradation
young woman who dresses in the fashion ofth
present day does not dress as becometh wo
men protesting golliness and good works. -
A few days since Was in the business part O
| Rochester, settling the accounts of the church
and after leaving the banking house wher
these things are done, | stopped on the from
step to look over the church bank-book to Sc
that everything was right. Whilst [ stoo
there | overheard two persons whom took t
be gentlemen, from their clothes-certainly nc
otherwise. raised my eyes to see what shoul
cause such remarks, and saw three young Ia
dies, two OF whom were ten or twelve years ol
and the third about seventeen. They stoo
with their backs to me, looking through a mal
nlhcent store window, where jewery and fame
articles were exposed to public gaze. The el
der one stood In the middle, and when lookin
closely through the window she leaned forward
LOU can understand what l mean by this, an
/ VIM ASouib Wdo Nlidb uCdFu Sdlu. lnO9e ger
tlemen were standing in front of Power BanI
ing House, and they saw something more tina
was becoming; something not in accordanc
- with strict rules OF female modesty and prC
priety. That young lady would have resente
any lmputatlon against her modesty, either i
" act or intention; but the question is, why di
i, she thus dress herself? She was dressed in
Id hoop-sklrt of very extravagant dimensions, an
VS. the result was the remarks that greeted IN
er ears. That young lady would have been shocL
to ed, and blushed, had she heard them. b.
7: she is just as responsible before God rs
! drunken man who has destroyed his reason
- responsible for his actions. Now, there can [
: but one motive in this fashion, and that IS
. attract the opposite SEX / don't know th;
o. this thing, strictly speaking, is absolute
v wrong but young ladies commit an error wbe
they suppose by attracting attention the
IN command the esteem of the sterner sex. The
y is sufficient virtue left in man to force him
Id respect and love woman SO long as she respec
Of herself and loves modesty and purity but a,
he a single moment beyond that. The "Duplc
" Elliptic exposes more Of the person tina