The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-08-07
LIVING FOR SNOW.

! AA NAENU 7 OAs 7,AA0 w.
Some of the vices peculiar TO civ
/ ilized society is the polished hypocrisy
known as 'sliving for sheW.,'I IL per-
vades all ranks, from the humblest to
| the most exalted, and is found in every
country not absolutely in state of
.barbarism. The origin of 1T can be
clearly traced to the homage paid to
wealth, which is a deplorable feature
in modern civilization. When men
are not blessed with riches they make
every endeavor TO pretend to be so !;
and, as their neighbors. cannot look
into their purses TO count the coin in
them, they imagine that when they,
present the outward appearance Of
wealth they will be as much thought
of aso if they possessed the reality.
There is, unfortunately medicum of
| truth in this. 49, st,.fl.,,~.s.7 ..@.+ TO
Take two men-Smith, who lives
economically and invests his earnings
| ia property for the benefit of his chill
dreh, and Brown, who spends every
cent he earns, and money that he does
not earn, upon his own tailor's bills
and his wife's milliner's bills, and nine
cases cut of ten, the latter indlxiduah
will be the most respected i'm the
neighborhood. The fact that Browns
coat is broadcloth aud Smiths is
homespun that Browns spouse dress
es in silk, and Madam Smith is con-
tent ith cotton, effectually settles the
question of precedeney ia their little
circle, 1t is true the one is little bet-5
ter than a pauper, and the other is se-
curing a Competency day by day but
until the pauperism is made apparent
in condition or texture of Browns
habiliments, society will accept him
as desirable member.
Such being the law governing civ
ilized communities, laWsmofe rigOr-
ops and infexible than any recorded
on statute books, of course, indiYidu-
ais adapt their conduct to It. The de-
vices by which the semblance Of
wealth is maintained are sometimes
amHsingj bat more frequently they are
despicable. They vary, of course, ac-
cording to the condition in life of the
party perpetrating the social hypocri-1
sy. One individual hires a hack, puts
the driver in livery, and makes the
whole turnout pass as his own. AMI
other closes his house in town, fakes
1od gings himself and sends his wife
and children off to some country farm
and pretends that the family are at
some fashionable watering place. But
these are, after all, the most innocent
forms of the deception, and the world
only laughs when by accident or 9TH
erwise they are discovered.
There are others more criminal
less pardonable. In many instances |
comfort and happiness are deliberate
ly sacrificed to this passion for show.
Children are i'll clad, poorly fed and |
neglected in order that the father may |
present a respectable appearance" /
or that the mother may outshine cer-
tain rivals in gaudiness of apparel. I
The little ones are kept carefully Sc I
cluded and are treated worse than an
imals, in their own home. Frequently
the parents themselves are not exempt
from the starving process, and then
they have dual sort of existence
one for the outside world and one for
their househOld-th contrast between 1
the two is far more Instructive than
edifying. In a number of instances
debts are contracted as long as credit
will be given by confding butchers, (
bakers, grocers etc., hut this game of
the constable can never
last very long. 1t has been found I
that there is limit to the patience
and endurance of stofekeepers and
tradesmen. Action is taken in the
Courts, judgment is delivered, the
Sherif's deputies visit the establish Ii
ment and so ends the eventfuI history
Fhe sham is exposed, and the social
hypocrite has to pay the penalty off
his indiscretion. J,f6 ba1
Now, little honest moral courage Z
is all that is necessary to enable any
one to rise superior to this mischiev-
ous and contemplate hypocrisy. The
person, man or woman, who can say,
Il will not buy this for can not rea-
sonably afford il" and stick to it, is
not likely to make fool of himself
Or herself by extravaganza. Live
within your income, be it great or
small, is precept which cannot be
100 frequently incuIcated. For the
majority of people, however, this is
not enough, because the "rainy tdayp
hat the proveib speaks of should be
provided againat. People whose
means are so limited or so uncertain
as to expose them to the vicissitudes
If fortune, by accident or sickness,
iearth of employment, ETC., should
make economy Q study, and put by
,verys dime that can be spared. I, a4'oI
Americans of the last generation
we're remarkable for their frpgality
ind care fGr their resources, while
lever leaving themselves oaen to the
,harge of meanness and parsim0ny.
They understood admirably well the
GOLDEN mean. 1t is much to be de-
'lOred that their children have almost
completely lost the noble character -
site. Wealth has flowed in upon the
country at a rate the old folks never
lreamed of. Fortunesare now amassed
n a few years, often in q few months, :
which lifelong labors could hardly !
ret together fifty years ago. The pos /!
ession of money is held to be equiYa-
ent to the possession of happiness,
nd all struggle for that which the
Apostle called "the root of evil.', But 3
IL cannot have il, for the good reason
hat it is not in the world for all. So /
hose who have it not pretend to have
t, and take a hand in the great game IA
4 living for show. alAsIal -lall !
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