The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-12-06
FREEDOM.
Correspondent.

| M X. EDITOR :-st6V. y. ~. burO0ll Oe
livered alecture at the Congregations
Church Thursday evening. Subject
Fan, Fashion. Folly. The inclemenc
of the weather and bad condition o
the roads, prevented many from en-
joying discourse full of rich veins o
thought, and oyeTflowing with wi
and humor. To the female devotee
o. fashion, "he held up glass" whore
in they could see the innermost par
of them. The picture was true out
OF the ruinous extravaganza INDUCED
in by the ladies of our day, who tread
the boards of fashion. But while con
templating this sad truth, the thought
would intrudc itself upon my mind
Why is it that women of intelligence
of undoubted honor and refinement
become the slaves of this puppet, fash.
ion? Senators with their horde OF
liOnized attendants Judges with their
ermine robes and trappings of office
Clergymen with their delicate hands,
white chokers and steeI-pen coats.
All men who have earned or stolen q
sufficient competence to assume the
role of an aristOcrat can answer it. 1t
is for your alteration that they throw
aside all that is true and womanly, and
adorn themselves with rninous splen-
dor, to become your wives and daugh-
ters. Why complain when the weaker
vessel is shattered and broken? Man
with his boasted strength and noble-
ness Of character has made her what
she is. When fathers and husbands
look with stern displeasure upon their
wives and daughters arrayed in guild.
ed nonsense, Peg" has no doubt they
will heed their reproof and seek q
more lofty channel to win their love
and esteem. @
Mr.. Editor, as residents Of Portage
county, we are proud of our County
seat. We gaze with pleasure upon
that imposing structure, the Court
House, where we 60 to pay our taxes.
We inspect the solid masonry of our
County Jail, with its heavily barred
windows, and feel that our criminals
are safe within its walls, and say to
our money built these. We
look upon that long white liberty pole,
aud our bosom swells with patriotic
pride. We walk down Main street
and look cautiously in through the
plate glass fronts at the piles of rich
fabrics displayed to feast our eyes aud
our purses. We brush the
hayseed from our garments, and pass
on full of thought. We describe an
angle and we see the smoke rolling
from the stack of the Oat Mill. We
admire this mill, so much SO that we
wish you men of money would erect
but without a legislature to
enact law which requires thirty three
pounds of oats to make bushel, we
would have more oats and more
money. But the milking hour ap-
proaches. and we must leave the
County seat, with it's untold wonders,
to return to life that is "real and
Our return takes US over
the highway known as the diagonal.
We jog along by the Fair Grounds
ard over the railroad, when we halt
with amazement. A short distance in
front Of US we see something that re-
a modern gunboat with moth
ing but the turrct visible. A man is
on top ges,icnlating violently. Occa-
s;onally is heard wailing, dismal
sound, like that supposed to be wrung
from spirits doomed to eternal pun
and then suddenly emere es
ON an elevation, and we discover that
it is a wagon with pair of horses at
tached. Horses, wagon and man are
with mud, but the hero eits
quietly down and awaits my coming.
With prayer upon my lips I make
the plunge. l have rounded Cape
Hatteras ia tempest; have felt the
vessel roll and tumble, and its timbers
qniver and groan, but did not feel that
utter despair and loneliness with
which plowed through the mud and
mire for quarter of a mile, on the
highway that leads to the County. seat.
As I emerged from this bed Of slime,
nay waiting friend grasped my hand,
and with 4 voice trembling with sup
pressed passion, remarked: Did
you notice that splendid barn we are
building for the Sheriff? Iprsy to my
Maker that our County Commissioners
may be stabbed there until they repair
this road, And o>says - Peg.
Novnmher ~ 1877