The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-09-29
Sincerity and Sham. .


Shall one.who has neither the delights
Dor the cares of a home" who owns
neither the dignity nor suffers the ..tor-
nashts of housekeeper, venture to tell
lndlistrlous and tasteful women that
their lovely pillow-shams are not
aesthetic; not, in the words of another,
ITO be tolerated in the face of devotion
70 art;n or, even. in appreciation of the
IrSt principles of art, sincere love of the
beautiful and the expression of that
hch Is true as well as its adornmenti
And may she predict that both custom
and sincerity villas it SisozSld- -aboIish-
vet 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
TINES, but Jet me spare some possessors
of lovely eyes and pretty fingers, and
be .-furrivep with the confession that
nisfe by the writer, -pilioY-shans"
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 snowy
110thiilgS have caused volumes of misery
all told OF WEAKNESS, impatience, envy
and discriminating words. Only ask a
few women of good memories who have
boarded around By Fate's relentless
fiat only question Il few truthful ser-
vans, if You can find them; ask a few
heal wearied husbands who have i'm their
owl houses. in luckless haste, sought
pillows Supposed 10 be their own.
monentarilv forgetful of all shalns. and
testimony more than circumsiantial will
plant, aud lead you to join this cause
of abolition.
Ithas been said by good authority that
Pilow-shams are essentially Ameri-
can. Alasl and so are many other
shans; probably the. word Shanl itself. In
England and France the ..ladies'' of the
best households are satisfied with lace
trimmed and embroidered linen 'pillow-
cases to be satisfied with such delicate
SUGGESTIONS of ease aud provisions of
afiluence or plenty; is simply to be both
tasteful and honest. or in other words,
mot 0ly preferring sincerity. but eyinc-
ing /; not only being genuine but prov
ing minutely.
IL employ in plainest homes white
cottn covers for bed pillows, without
even an edging OF cheap. lace, carefully
iropd in orderly folds, changed oftener
THAI once n week if they become soiled
or IMPLIED too much, is. fashion aside.
farnicer and more comfortable than to
waite time with and often be vexed
aboIt ''shams, that. indeed, in many a
sleDing-room are daily laid, or ptpned
Hp,oYer sOiled eases that would scarcely
ofield cleanly eve more than do such
dustheavy. rarely-washed, often old and
splintered. abominable "Shdnsn - But,
ornament the cases, we say, rs much as
y0I please, by tucked or embroidered.
ruled or laced ends, and the edges Of
The open end, which should be buttoned.
Aen they win be tasteful-9sthetic and
IS, too; only have mercy on Your
kSnd's 5. fathers and brothers faces.
snbrOider the centers, nor starch
81 ss-sss eHasss44ll- If-sfss- -9ls reo,
55lis0wn face may bear the
Kind; no matter for that. Some
Edlists think that a peaceful disposi-
Wn. serenity of mind, or absence OF vio-
lent mental disturbance, with some GER
tainty ensures long life.
Reasonably adding To this among other
favoring conditions a sincerity of mo-
tive, thought and action which is hahitual,
IS il not plain. my gentle listeners. that
the end of the pillow-sham institution,
both to please art and fashion 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 viii encourage the
corset-maker. The least-loved woman.
while sane, does not prefer to hasten her
demise.
Then, rs 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 Ofcontest,
where right and wrong are so wofully
intermingled, dUdelusions.
Let us remember the homely but
Scrptural illustration of only making
:. 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 polite
ness is not to be initiated. even for the
sake of being excessively polite But,
aoain let it be remembered, that French
ladies are above employing Pillow
shams. EmiiY Fletcher Bennett, III
Rural NeaO- Yorker.