The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-05-22
Value of Dress.

The mere devotees OF fashion have been
I defined as a class of would be-retined peo-
pie, perpetually struggling in a race TO es-
cape from tancied vulgar. Neatness IN our
| costume i needful To our self-respect; .
person thinks better of himself when neatly
/ clad. aud others form a similar estimate OF
I him. 1t has been quantity said that 'a-coat
! is "a letter of credit written with a needle
/ upon hroadcloth-" Character Is lndeXed
! by costume. First impressions are thus
/ formed which are not easily Obliberated.
/ Taste and neatueSs i'm dress distinguish the
refined from the vulgar Persons OF rude
! feelings are usually roughly attired; they
! eyiuCe none of the grace and delicacy of
/ the cultivated in intellect morals and man.
! ners. Girard, the famous French painter.
/ when very Young, was the bearer OF let
4 ter of Introduction 10 Lanjuinais, then of
I the council of Napoleon. The Young pain
/ TER was Sh3bbily attired, and his reception
/ was extremely cold: but Lanjunais dis
covered in him such striking proofs of tai
eur. good sense and amiabilIty. that on
G.Tard's rising to take leave. he arose too.
and accompanied his visitor 10 the ante
chamber. The change was so striking that
GirtTd could not avoid an an expression OF
surprise. My Young fri1ud.' said Ian
juinais, anticipating the inquiry. I've re-
cCive an unknown person according to his
dress-we take leave Of him according to
his merit" Ben ,Jonson, in one of his plays,
expresses the same opinions
Believe it. sir,
That clothes do much upon the wit. us
weather
Does on the brain; and thence. sir, comes
your proyerb.
The tailor makes the man.
One of our greatest historians says, ''dress
is characteristic Of manners, and manners
are the mirror OF ideas Old coats are eS-
sentiai to the ease Of body and mind; and
some of the greatest achievements of men
have been executed when she owners were in
rags. Napoleon wore an old seedy coat dur
ing the whole Russian campaign; yelling
ton wore enc out at the elbow at Waterloo
Poets are proverbial for their pe3chant for
Seedy garments \ hat is the symbol and
characteristic of its wearer. IG is sign
and token OF his vocation, habits and opin-
ions. Extravaganza, pride, cold-hearted-
ness and vulgaTity, with many other OF the
ruling passions. may be detected by its
form ana fashion. One may ascertain
whether man is whimsical, grotesque or
veniallv flexible in his taste, by this test.
Much may be deduced from the style in
which it Is worn. The celebrated poet
and professor, Buschin. who was very
careless in his dress, went out one day in
his dressing gown, and met IN the street
citizen with whom he was acquainted. The
gentleman. however. passed him without
even raising his hat. Divining the cause.
the poet FASTENED home. and put on cloak
Of velvet and ermine in which he again
went out. and contrived once more to meet
the same citizen, who this time raised mis-
hat and bowed profoundly. This made
the poet still more angry. when he saw
that his velvet coat claimed more respect
than his professorship and poetical fame.
He fastened home. threw his cloak on the
floor, and stamped on it, saying. Art
thou Buschn. or am l - 1t is weIl-knOwn
fact that ladies seldom become gray, while
the heads of the chords of creation are
often early in life either bald or gray
sometimes both. Douglass Jerrold tells
piqIant joke as follows: At a private
party in London, a lady who. though in
in the autumn of life. had not lost all dreams
of ITS spring. said to Jerrold, Il cannot i'm
agine what makes my hair turn gray:
sometimes fancy If must he the essence of
rosemary. with my maid is in the habit of
brushing it," l should rather be afraid, !
madam" replied the dramatist, "that it is
the essence of Time, Thyme, )"-Home
journal.