The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-02
First Endure, then Pity, then Em-
brace.


We find in the Springfield Republican,
and have seen elsewhere, the suhjoned
paragraph, purportng to have been writ
ten by New York woman:
81 do not care whether BEEcHER is guilty OF
the thing he Is accused OF or not he has the
power of GOD he has saved me from worse
sin he has saved my husband from drunk
ards grave he Is saving hundreds every year
from perdition aud a man VINO can do such
things ought tn 20 on preaching, whether ne Is
perfect or not.
We should be sorry TO believe that this
New York woman is representative OF
many New York women, like her claim
ing consideration for responsibility II not
piety. Mi. BEEcnER's course, that Of
Plymouth Church toward him. the tone
OF some public journals of real or pre-
tended discrimination, and the silence of
the Congregational Church rs 10 his dis
graceful couduct-all these things con-
tribute to strike blow at morality, TO
lessen the repugnance with which lapscs
from sexual purity are regarded, and to
familiurize women with the offence and
the casuistiy by which it may be defended
OF denied
Any one who has opportunities Cor Oh
servation in what Is called par excellence
society, of me habits manners, speech and
cond..rt of the ladies and gentlemen NOV
ing IN its charmed circle, cannot have
failed to discover within the last year
growing laXity OF talk and action in re-
gard to the relations of the sexes. Things
which few years ago could not he spoken
of in any decent drawing room, are now
the theme of jest and repartee. The scam
dal which once was trivial backblting
grows now thorny with actual sins against
| tIe seventh commandment and the worst
OF II is, there Is Are under all this smoke.
We do not join those II ppnnt writers who
try 20 drag everybody down to their vile
level in casting reproach on our ladies.
They are rs body dhsnihcd matrons or
pure and innocent maidens, guileless ana
unsuspecting of evil; their beauty and
their truth of life grace our homes and
give charm to our drawing rooms. clad
i'm the cunningly fashioned garments foI
which il is mans privilege 10 pay they
now sweep the verandls OF Watering
place hotels, while the men take off thcil
coats and earn the money to pay the shop
keepcr, the mllincr, and the mnntua
maker. We celebrate their praises, an6
delight to gaze ON their toilets. They are
the bright flowers of a diugy eXpanse o
work-a-day life, the pictures of love an'
fidelity, grace and beauty, painted b,
Heaven to remind III of the true tn
good, and the beautiful, and 10 raise us on
> Of the sordid and selfish.
. Sull, they are not all just now as Lowell
2 in thought speech, and act rs their gar
ments or their faces are. These man
: exceptions talk n vicious slang, thum
nasty French novels, turn up an unblusl
ing face when impudent fellows of thel
set. skeptics as to morals and cheap imitG
lions OF Partisan pagans, talk OF things NJ
I. fit for women's ears, and not resonan
= with sounds that should be seductive
D, mems You cannot spend day with
y, society" man or woman without hearin
Il spoken of rs matter OF course, and wit
+ curiosity rather than Reproduction, Offence
IS against morals committed by matrons an
u unmarried girls, which once would hay
o sent them straight to the social Covcntr,
"a 1t is on such affairs that society delights
Il dwell and the entertainment mast of n
y cessity breed liberation, that must undo
1t mine moral character
u Many circumstances contribute To I'll
state Of things. The BEECHER scand
l. with its revelations is one. The fashion
W of dress are another We not surprise
- that priests and cunsistorlos cry out again
is the "pull-back" gown. They might ne
he take up the silk stockings at ten dollars
ID pair, designed 10 be shown. The dcmoIi
te ization which rag money always produc
to is another potent cause. The Frcn'
in novels of which we have spoken for
Tia another. The adapted French drama
liz still another. The low tone OF busn,
O. nlen i first contributing influence.
70 Ia London, the talk of social decline
re cleanness of morals is also prevalent. The
DO is weekly Journal satirical friy0lo'
lis both immoral and immoral, called Vdh,
Fair, which advertises itself rs the org
49, and pet of society. This Vanity Fair GO