The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-10-19
Sincerity and 'tSham.'

Sincerity and "Sham.,
Shall one who has neither the delight
nor the cares of '.home;' who owns
neither the dignity nor suffers the ''tor
ments" of housekeeper, venture to tel
| industrious and tasteful women tina
their lovely pillow-shams are no
aesthetic; not, in the words of another
''to be tolerated in the face of devotion
to art" or, even in appreciation of tn,
first principles OF art, sincere love of tn,
beautiful and the expires sion of tina
| which is true as well as its adornment
And may she predict that both custom
and sincerity villas it should-abolish
veto and lay them away for future ex
plorers OF garrets, chests or secret draw.
ers, to find as trophies of antiquity
relics, not of genuine elegance in earlier
times, but-let me spare some possessors
OF lovely eyes and pretty fingers, and
be forgiven with the confession thai
made by the writer, "pillow-shams'
were never fully appreciated. Is it a
wonder then that she now glories in GER
tain indications that they are to be
affixed no longer by sovereign Fashion
Indeed, these fluted and often snow v
n0ttings have caused volumes of misery
all told of WEAKNESS, impatience, envy
and accriminating words. Only ask /,
few women of good memories who have
boarded around by Fate's relentless
fiat; only question a few truthful SER
wants, if you can find them; ask few
head-wearied husbands who have in their
own houses, in luckless haste, sought
pillows supposed to be their own,
momentarily forgetful of all shanas, and
testimony more than circumstantial will
hasten your verdict and vindicate com
plant, and lead you to join this cause
of abolition.
1t has been said by good authority that
"Pillowshams are essentially Ameri-
can" Alas! and SO are many other
shams; probably the word sham itself. In
England and France the ''ladies'' of the
best households are satisfied with lace
trimmed and embroidered linen s'pillow-
cases." to be satisfied with such delicate
suggestions of ease and provisions of
affluence or plenty; is simply to be both
tasteful and honest, or in other words,
not only preferring sincerity, but evinc-
ing it, not only being genuine but PROV
ing it infinitely.
To employ in plainest homes white
cotton covers for bed pillows, without
even an edging of cheap lace, carefully
ironed in orderly folds, changed oftener
than once week if they become soiled
or rumpled too much, is, fashion aside,
far nicer and more comfortable than to
waste time with and often be vexed
about ''shamS," that, indeed, in many a
sleeping-roem are daily laid, orJinnea
up, over soiled cases that would scarcely
offend cleanly eye more than do such
dust-heavy, rarely-Washed, often old and
splintered, abominable "shanlsr' But,
ornament the cases, we say, as much rs
you please, by tucked or embroidered,
ruffied or laced ends, and the edges of
the open end, which should be buttoned.
Then they will be tasteful-asthetic and
honest, too; only have mercy on Your
husbands, father and brothers faces,
and not embroider the centers, nor starch
them if rutlied all around! If so YOU do,
OF course your own face may bear the
same kind; no matter for that. Some
moralists think that peaceful DISPOSE
ton, serenity of mind, or absence of vio-
lent mental disturbance. with some GER
talnty ensures long life. w. -
e Reasonably adding to this among other
favoring conditions a sincerity of md
tive,t bought and action which is habitual,
IS 1t not plain, my gentle listeners, that
the end of the pillow-sham Institution,
both to please art. and fashon-al-
though the census-taker may never know
it-possibly may add five years to the
lives OF some feminine organizations?'
Few of us really intend to become sui
cides, if so many. will encourage the
The least-loved woman,
while sane, does not prefer to hasten her
demise.
Then, as disciple of the sincerely
natural, the genuine in spirit, as well as
the truly beautiful, urge you to avoid,
so far as possible in this world of contest,
where right and wrong are SO wofully
intermingled, all decisions.
Let us remember the homelv but
Scrip tural illustration of only making
50 clean the outside of the platter and
endeavor, by Divine aid, to have pure
hearts and minds; then shall we be less
tempted to any affectation of deceit,
however harmless it may seem, or how
ever small it may be. The Frenchman's
policy of mingled hypocrisy and politc-
ness is not to be initiated. even for the
sake of being excessively polite But,
again let it be remembered, that French
ladies are above employing .'Pillow-
shams. '-Emity Fletcher Bennett, in
Rural Ne,U- Yorker.
Some Industrial Statistics,