The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-11-25
LADIES COLUMN.
HARoLEEN HAROLD, EDITOR.
Discretion in Dress.

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have renounced the use of silk
dresses and every other kind of ex-
pensiye ATTIRE in order to employ the
money so saved in the education of
poor orphans. If such a movement
should become universal, it might
not be inappropriate to devote the
first money of the society to the or
phans of the poor silk -weavers who
would thus starye to death for lack
of employment.
This little paragraph from the
Cottage Hearth, comes in so well
Just here for the readers ofthe Citi-
zen, especially the Ladies, that l
am prone to use it as a text to ser
monize on a little. The question
of plain dress has been considerably
agitated during the past week-with
what result is yet to be seen. Plain,
neat attire is certainly more appro
pirate for church than gaudy appar-
ell. 1t not only is an evidence OF
good sense and taste, but it shows
that the wearer has some better OBJ
ject in going to church than merely
to exhibit her finery. Besides, as
has been said, the want of such
clothes by those who are not able to
to afford them, often keeps persons
from church who are not willing to
appear dressed inferior to thei-
more fortunate sisters. With this
class of women, l believe this to be
fault without palliation; for every
woman's conscious merit and pure
ness of purpose should make her feel
as good in the plainest dress as the
one beside her arrayed in the finest
apparel. 1t does seem to me that
any woman who cringes and shrinks
within herself before a superorly
dressed one, shows her want of self
respect; yet for all this, no christian
woman should be a stumbling block
in the way of such persons, but
should rather pity their weakness
and exhibit by dressing plainly, the
moral courage they lack in not
being content with what they can
afford. This much for church dress.
Now, while l advocate economy
every where and by all persons,
there are some who can afford to
dress we'll at such times and places
as good sense would dictate, and l
believe a judicious and generous
woman can do good even in this
way; for the paragraph quoted above
goes to prove that, many poor labor
ers would suffer if all fine dress ma
terial was abolished. Every depart
ment of labor is crowded it seems,
and those thrown out of their regu-
lar employment would not readily
find places elsewhere. This is way
in which the wealthy can help the
poor. 1t would not do to giUe the
same amount of money to these la
borers, for there are some, however
poor and needy, who would not will
lIngly accept such favors without
some return; and there are others
who would drain the last cent from
your pocket and still think you had
not done enough for them
1t is evident, that on the one
hand it wonld cause feeling of
dependence and mortified pride;
while on the other, it would en-
courage beggars and spOngers.-
Then let the rich enjoy their means;
let "them scatter it broadcast
over the hand" Let them buy the
poor mans fabrics and encourage
his laborby paying him a good price,
double or treble if they will, then
while they enjoy their money, Others
will be benefited too. This is much
better than boarding it up where it
is ofno use to any one.