Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-04-27
Written for the Chronicle.
Nothing but Leaves,

Anyb body can see st glance that
this is to be a dissertation upon dress
We know, however that the best and
truest women will read it. Those who
take in the meaning of the opening
sentence, and say with a curled lip
30, another TRADE from dress re-
former" will crafty the author il they
will skipit; not because their assertion
is true, but because their opinion is
worthless.
Gentlemen, we are assured, VIII Pc
ruse it, and those who are so happy as
to be husbands may hencefOrth deliver
it twice a year, with profound COM
naeutaries, TO their wives. Well, 1t is
only just, meet and proper, and will
restore the equili brium, for didn't we
write an article a few days since that
every gentleman ignored and every
lady devOured?
But my dear friends and fellow
travellers, please read this paragraph
earthly. Have you ever thought of
the immense amount of emphasis be-
longing Tin these days. on the word
they" in tue text we have quoted
Notice, it is not, Eve made them
-Trons of fig leaves" but They made
them" Adam made his own apron.
Now only see how natur'
ally and easily we are gil
ding off into the woman CUES
ton. Don't we know that there was
no convenient distribution of labor
then as there is now; 80 alIotting OF
special work on account OF special fit
ness? Let Us return to our text, aprons
OF fig leaves.
Tall trees from little acOrns grow,
Great streams from little fountains flow"
What shall we eat and what shall
we drink, have indeed becOme minor
considerations. The all important
question il, where wiihal SHALL We be
clothed ?
Think of it a little. DON'T waive
the subject aside with sigh and a
yves, indeed, I'm afraid il is So" but
give il one good, strong half hours
thought. Review the history of dress
from its advent ia Eden to its present
position.
Wight couldn't have taken over
five or ten minutes to make an apron Of
ng-ie ayes. No, indeed ard so there
was the rest Of the day for Mrs. Eve to
do whatever che pleased. And, be-
tween yOu and me, If ever there was q
woman Justified in spending her time
over her clothes, it was Eve, for what
under the SUI was there besides for
her TO do Not thing unless it
night be 10 help Mr.. Adam some
about the garden.
Need we speak of the high consider
alton given to the fig leaves Of to-day
L l. to Ii fvff hng
spectsd adage, As well be out of the
world as out of the fashion, 1t is a
very serious thing to be in the world
and a still more serious, to be out of it.
All the pleasure We derive in look
ing pretty, and all the satisfaction we
feel in knowing that we do look as well
as any one; even the happiness we at.
tain through our love for the beautiful
in having rich and elegant things will
not c0unter-balance the sadnes and re-
morse that is sure to come when at
the close we take q view of oul
life, past then forever, and realize how
we have wasted our precious time, and
how important things have been
crowded out. When we see, as we
surely will, all the naked that we have
not clothed, ali the 'sick and in prison.
that we have not visited, and hear the
words, "Inasmuch as ye have not done
lit unto the least of these, ye have not
done it uutO me-"
You may say, "Why, l don't care
for dress. I'm not q bit vain, and when
once my clothes are arranged for the
season, I think no more about the sub
ject."
ing about il, study to make them sim.
pie and inexpensive?
It's not alone the influence upon
yourself. 1t tends to make you often
unjust and unfair, but it is still more
| the temptations to others. .-.
How many young husbands, with
heretofore clear characters, have been
tempted 20 take from their employers
that themselves and their wives may
dress styiishly and go in good society
How many girls have sold them
selves, body and soul, for rich apparel
How often do we judge of people by
the probable cost of their garments?
0, the pity of ii the pity of it
This world is full of fig leaves. There
are enough to clOthe comfortably ell thu
Inhabitants, if rightly used. They are
so ARA lged, however, that some car
easily pluck all they desire, while 9th
ers strive even for leaf and perchance
-by the hardest struggle succeed III
gaining only fragment. Let us take
our fresh leaves only when We need
them aud pluck q leaf, at the same
time, for those who can not reach, and
as sure as We live, we will be happier
while they will be more comfortable
and there will be plenty of leaves. We
are too apt to make the shame of oul
first parents, our pride. You remem-
Der, they made themselves aprons o.
fig leaves and hid from the face o.
their Lord. We array ourselves in oul
fig leaves and fiaunt them mockingly
even in His sanctuary.
Another thing,-Alphonso of Cas-
tile thought that if in the
creation. he had been al
the Creators elbow He could have
given valuable advice. Let US not fall
INTO the same error, nor try to undGl
any of the works of creation. Goo
made men and women in the form that
seemed best to Him, and we can moi
improve 1t. Therefore let US make ouI