Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1868-09-18
SpIendOrs and FOllies of Fashion at
Saratoga Liberal Displays Of Female
Raoufv
Correspondence of fine independent

| Correspondence of fhe Independent.
SARATOGA, Aug ga procession of
| splendors is moving through the Congress
Hail. parlors till midnight In the long
line marches lady from one of the inte-
rior towns of this state whose garniture of
diamonds and gold is reputed at 500, 900 !
Verify, ssher price is far above rubies i"
How happily doth Scripture describe these
bellies: ssIrhey toll not, neither do they spin,
yet Solomon in all his glory was not array
ed like one of these" L have never seen
so much of female beauty here in any pre-
vious season. Perhaps we ought to en-
phasise the word seen; for some of the fe-
male charms have been startlingly visible.
The theory ON which the fashionable
dresses are constructed is to expose the up
per portion of a lady's form, and to conceal
the carpet for several feet, or
even yards, behind her. The silk
or the satin garment extends Tor
two or three inches above the
waist; and the rest is enveloped IN sort
of gossamer ''illusion," or delusion, or
whatever else it may be called. Rumor has
it that father was permitted the exquisite
satisfaction of seeing his daughter Missed
when she entered q hotel drawing room !!
The story may be false, but it is certainly
true that many parent land husband tool
has richly deserved to be more than Missed
for permitting fair, beautiful girl to be-
come the indecent gazing stock of a crowd
of strangers, and the but for ribald Jokes of
rakes and roues. This is too serious a
matter for jests In these times there is
no little discussion about ''womans rights
her duties, dangers, etc. But let us tell
our countTywomen plalLly that one of their
chief dangers comes from Paris. Even now
the indolent, indicate, extravaganza devo-
Zoe ,f So ha,. W.,
kee sister in New York or Saratoga, "How
art thou become like one of u.s..
Dark-eyed Cubans abound here this
year. One family are reported to have a
retinue OF fifteen servants. The horse man.
ia, too, is increasing every year. Superb
four-horse turnouts, costing thousands, are
seen every day on Broadway and the drives
to the lake. Within proper limits this
growing rage for horses may be commend
able. 1t may mean the healthful recreation
of father with his family in the parks or
the suburbs of our city; but then, on the
other hand 1t often means a most reckless
ostentation, which ends in bankruptcy Of
purse and of morals. / would rather trust
young man who has sharp eye for books
than one who has sharp eye for horse
flesh. The Saratoga gambling houses are
said to have reaped large harvests. Their
victims are mostly among the weak, ex-
trayagant sons of rich fathers. The bait to
the ''club room is free sumptuous sup
per- with abundance OF ''choice wines"
What water power is to Lowell and Law
renee. that is wine power for the driving of
nearly all the devils machinery.
But there is another side to Saratoga
Ii the Evil One has been here in full force,
it is equally true the ''Lord hath not left
himself without witnesses" by the hundreds.
The daily prayer meetings have been full
in numbers and in illusions of the Spirit.
One of the best speakers at the meeting is
a negro bishop. Last Sabbath delivered
lin the Baptist church, my seventy-frst
sermon in Saratoga; and during ali my
twenty summer visits have never been per-
mitted to preach the precious gospel of
Jesus to such packed congregations. Our
temperance gathering, too, on Friday even
ing last, was thronged to the outer door
way So there is salt in Saratoga as well
as in her springs.