The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1873-08-21
A NEx
OR:Annearances.

to keep up appearances" We, in turn,
are kept up by them. 1t is simple reci-
procity. That's all. The trouble is we
Judge and are influenced too much by the
outward seeming. And are often de-
ceived. For appearances "hatter and de-
ceive." That Is their vocation. When 1
compile a dictionary the two words-Ap-
pearances and deception-shall appear as
synonymous. l am now referring to the
word as it applies to "society"-to man.
1t were s~uperAuous to add sonGn She
is such q gay deceiver," is so full of
charms, and, Withal, seems so true to her
instincts that we rather like her the bet
ter fer it. In spite of ourselves. And
what 1t costs Us. Nature has some Wise
end in view in making woman as she IL.
If she should relapse into a state ofPTInsi-
due nature and become careless of ap-
pearances what would result? Why, don't
you know that the cost of thing has
direct relation to its appreciation Wo-
man is not ignorant Of this fact. There
fore, infer. Then again don't you think
that if woman was plain and domestic,
economical and industrious, hp-nsGteish
and motherly, the tendency would be to
"blunt the edge of masculine h~usbandry,
be disastrous to commerce, and eventu-
ally relieve man of that very embarass-
msnt by which his mind and body are
spurred on to action. To be sure he might
sleep more plGcidly o'nights and labor
more hopefully o'days. He might not so
frequently get "cornsred" and fail. He
might not so often be temptedt to default,
or suicide. Or go mad. Or to the club.
Or Devil. Or drown his sorrow in the
flowing bowl" But do you not see that
these are but slight necessary evils at
tending the greater good2 Infer again.
Besides, in his old age he would have the
story of no stOrmy life to tell his grand.
children. No hair breadth escapes from
bankruptcy. No chance Of. showing his
recupeTntiUe powers. His life experiences
would be +GnSS-without excitement and
utterly devoid ofromance. Woman, there
fore, Is ia blessing --- TnLdiS-
guiSe." Not disguised as old when young
Or ugly when lovely. Or eharmless when
charming. No. no. Her DISCUSSES are
the opposites of all these. They are more
WomanlY. Nay. fair reader, do not think
I hatter. All this may be complimentary.
I rather think it IS q "comphmentary
benefit But it Is not fattery. For do
you not teach peVerty-to FOIL in wealth ?
And transform the inward winter into the
outward spring of hfe? Doyoh not give
teeth to the toothless5 color toathe color
less, form to the formlsss, and art to the
sr1lass2 Can you not makeZ9the desert
place blossom as the rosS, aEdthe bald
place flow with waterfalls and rinelets d?
Tell me, Q thou sWeetestaofobitter, and
bitterest of sweet, Is it not-Hatlrat for
you to be Artificial? You are what you
are to please the men, did you say That's
Wormla6ood. You do not claim al the
homer Of your present relation to man
kind2- That's gall. The men swear at
your old bonnets n rave at the bills for
the new ones, do they !? That's Suggestive.
You think,tAe men deserve some credit
for driving fast herses2 And living in
heavily m~ortgaged mansions 2 And i'm
portInginlaid furniture-at fabulous pri-
ees7. Why, you little darlings, don't YOU
know that the most of this Is done to
please you 2 Whoever heard of abaehe-
Tor getting above the substantial comforts
Of good home 3ndshving 2 Men IN their
"teens" may sometimes show such hber-
atty L myseHIonce saw a youth light
his cigar with FIVE dollar note, But
such evidences OF Ubsrality and thrift are
not cemmon anongmenS Il takesa Geo
PGtrG TO drEBkpeGrLs. Yet mar does not
entirely get over his ."teensfS until he has
passed say thirty hard Nfters.A. Thennteens"
of youth resemble the measels of infancy.
They are apt to hnger. when they are
gone / and "6trike I'M Nonsense, did you
say7 Not q bit of it. IhaYe heard en-
inent physlcians say SO. Or words to that
effect. The echo of = dying voice; the
football of q departing friend the wound
of & retreating fre-thsse all Iingsr. And
why not the Teens" Ripe old age often
liVes and dies in its teens. And 1 like, in
one sense, to see a young old man. It
never seemed natural TO me to hear the
cracked voice Of three score years and ten
singing-"Make me q child again" Sec
ond childhood Is dearer to me than the
first. But what has all tkist to do with
-Appearance1@
Let rs Eeappear on the stage Of ap-
pearapces: If / were asked whether
Christianity appearances, or Steam, had
been most potent in the world I should
be puzzled for an answer. As between
the two former, Appearances enter so large
ly into Christianity II mean professional
Christianity, only that It's hard to draw
the line dividing them. Ths'.PeErly 9ateS"
are apt to be predominant.
"AOa0 G0otIG u Loeke" Did you ever
hear that question before? I reckon it
sounds q LITTLE familiar. It is q household
word. It Is known and heard Of all men. I
81 don't care" Is exceptional and insincere
Chow would it look" comes right from the
heart. And opens q world of sad refec-
ton.
Readsr,-to crafty a within Of the win
ter, change your mind with the following
Whenever q proposition IS made TO be TG-
tiOnGk IN anything relating to appear
Gnces you lDolLd hear the inevitable Hoo
does u look? 2" If you doubt this PROPOSE
ton try the experiment IN your own fam
lily with this paper in your hand. Then
compare the result with the prediction.
It Is this question that stops our mouths
and makes us obedient parents and hus-
banda. It Is this that We swear by. This
that we live and die by. This that we
are even buried by. 1t is this that puts
material for four dresses into one. This that
crooks Che knee, IN a thousand ways, to
absurd and extraYagant fashions. 1t is
this that makes slaves and towards of us
all. 1t is the most potent poison thathas
worked into the blood and brains of socie-
ty. 1t dethrones the public reason. It
blights the public morals. It undsrmines
the very foundation on which genuine
happiness must rest. It makes of woman
q heartless automaton, and of man the
soul of selfiShness. 1t makes religion a
rhapsody of words and show. II substi-
tutes the gilded walls of q house for the
Incompatible pleasures of q home. It Is
at war with Nature, and God, and reason.
1t Is born of jealousy and, in turn, begets
it. 1t originates in the pride Of barbarian
and eliminates In the follies of foppery.
1t is twice curst. 1t curseth him that sees
and him that's seen. 1t deforms the body
and mind. 1t penstraits and taints the
channels of business, 1t makes life which
should be real and earnest, but a force.
II deprives us of in~dependence and makes
US ssrVile imitators. It is sired by luxury
and brings forth -Iicentiousness. It was
the ruin OF Rome and ancient Greece.
And would be the ruin Of the great Amer
ican-No, no, IWon't say that yet-Setah.
1 desire to cover my literary pills with
sugar. 1 am perhaps getting too serious.
But 1 hope no one is wounded. I I'm
"only in fun" But it Is so hard to Be
funny, seriously. P. s.
No communication will be received by
the writer Of the above from any LADY,