Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1872-02-09
Calico against Velvet.

day wear calico, and are content with it
But velvet, soft, lustrous, luxurious, excites
admiration in every female heart and she
who cannot afford to buy it is noble if she
does not envy her sister who can. There
is no natural antagonism between velvet
and calico In modest apartment, plain
~ curtaiDed and carpeted, with rush.bottom
chairs, and pleasing though not costly Pic
lures, how out of place would velvot robe
appear. But make the room spacious.
spread the floor with tapestry, shade the
windows With damask, illuminate the walls
with the painting of Corregio and Titan,
of Rembrandt and Landseer, and would not
calico feel itself out Of place in SO much
splendor /? Yet beneath shilling prints what
warm, womanly hearts are beating, what
lovely traits of character are developed,
what sterling virtues are illustrated, what
exquisite sensibilities respond to the touch
of nature There are thousands who hold
this paper with hands that are not very soft,
and fancy that if they could don hundred.
dollar velvet cloak, and the empress cloth
or gros-grain below it were the every day
dress and the hat and plume, the furs and
gems were all of a piece; if the carpet on
which they tread were as soft as the lamps
are bright, and the couch as luxurious as
the rooms are spacious-such life would
be all music. 81 was ever lover Of hap
Ply human faces, - says gentle Oliver Gold
smith. If that child of genius and ofpov-
erty were to walk Broadway, would he see
under the ostrich plumes and the point-lace
walls the faces that had power to make him
glad There are instances in the world,
thank God, there lives in this great me-
tropolis where the finest natural ability, the
highest culture, and evidences of the free
indulgence of exquisite taste blend in un.
ison as rare as it is delightful. There are
Maintenons who love satins and laces. yet
the heart below the gloss is warm with love
of virtue and pity for orphans. There are
Sevignes who scan the gay world from the
loopholes of literary leisure, and well-worn
copies Of Browning and of Tennyson lie
beside the caskct and the giove-box on their
dressing.tables But these are the rare
and bright exceptions. A thousand hearts
are stung with envy because their Thibet is
not satin, because the muff of Siberian fox
that protects their hands is not an ermine
or seal. In short, those who spend $500
year 10 dress look up with admiration to
those who spend 1000, and down with
disdain on those who are tastefully clad on
less than 500. Now the young woman
who earns the 500 on which she dresses
we'll for year is moe valuable member
of society than she who spends $500 in
silks, grenadines, lawns, laces and furs,
when that $500 comes from the fat bank
account Of an indulgent father. The enter
prise that an industriou girls discovers. the
self reliance. the patience of labor, the SUBJ
mission to fortune are jewels that outsparkle
garnets, or sapphires, or the onyx stone
AS rule, the velvet cloaks do nothing for
the advancement of the race they may
feebly push out one or two little white pawns
on the chessboard of life, but the dark
knight who plays against them pounces
do IN, and oblivion closes over mother and
child. The girls who are to be the mothers
of the able men of 1900, are to-day earning
their calicoes and poplins by wading through
snow-drifts to cold school-houses, and ex-
planning fractions to wooden headed boys
they dip their pens into ink that is icy >
they cburn when the butter is long aeon
ing they sweep when their fingers are
numb and red around the broom handle. -
They have the inspiring consciousness of be-
ing strong and competent in the labors Of
life they can carry one end of the log in
society they would bless and cheer rather
than shine, for
"'Tis only noble to be good
Kind heal Is are more than coronets,
And simple faith than Norman blood.'
N Y. Tribune.