New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-05
~ PVPPLF EVERY DAY.

What if some OF the good OLD ministers under
whose homilics our grandiathers grew gray ana
godlv-Francis ASbury, for example or John
Woolman. or Bishop Meadc-could come sud-
denly into the streets of New ork thls Sunday
morning, and each set ont to lind church oil
his own denomination The doctrines
preached i'll them, the services, the orgdhza-
ton, would all. probably, be familiar to them;
but what would they think of the outward cX-
preston, the luxurious splcnd0r OF the build
ingS, and the lavish expenditure OF money ON
them and ON the garh OF those who wOISiHppta
in thcmg Father Asbury would look IN vain
fer the regulation dull gown, and black Scuttle
bonn?ts in which the dcyOut Methodist matron
of hi, day thought it necessary to testify that
She had forsworn the world, the flesh and the
devil. How would honest john Woolman, who
took passage to England in the filthy Steerage
Of a sailing vessel. ia Their than encourage the
pomp and vanity shown by a line OF gliding IN
.he cabin, regard the luxurious appointments OF
the mansion Of modern Friend How would
good Bishop Meade, who would have only pine
furniture in his carpctlcsS house, that more oi
ni> salary might 20 to the Lord service, enjoy
,hc high decorative art OF to-day
Nothing but the shock Of horror which these
yhostly yisitants would feel, did they stand
anon. Us could make palpablc to Us the start
ling change in the modes Of living, of thought,
and even Of religious faith, which has taken
place in this couutry during the last two gem
cration,. Ii is not only that the amount Of
outlay ha, increased with the increasing pos
pclity of the time; it is not only THAI there Is Il
rapid and unmistakabc improvement in TASTE
and a growing love Of art these arc not in
themselves things which even those stern old
Judges Of human fallngS would probably con-
denim Men who count their gains by millions
now are NOT more cxtlavagaut iii their manner
of life proportionatciy than were the capitalists
of by-gone days who could only accumulate
thousands Nor do the quiet drpcmcS and
simple furnishing with which any woman of
small means can now make beautiful her home
cost one dollar more than the glazing Brussels
carpets wax-worl aHd hair-cloth cnormtics
with which her mother vindicated her claim 10
eentilty. The moral difference j. NOT in lhc
artistic beauty OF the luXurice OF the present
day, nor in the price We pay Tor tuvm, but that
We are not able TO do without them. The whole
Nation hrs plunged INTO a habit of sclt-indPl-
gcacc. The idea OF Sei-dcGidl which forty
years ago was held to be the very backbone al
religious, or even OF IL manly character, Is ut
teri, eliminated from oar training to-day.
Thc education which our grandiathcrs gave
their sons Gf they were faithful TO the highest
idea of their time WAS how to do without eX-
pensyc indulgence, how to restrain their appe-
tiles, their tastes, even their Imagination, IN
order to accomplish certain end in life. The
end may have been sordid or paltry one; most
frequently it was only the accumulation of
money. But the ability to hold themselves III
check for that or any other end was not sordid
or patry. The man who gives his son incxpen-
sivc tastes has already given him fortune
Better than any money is the ability to make
| life full and cheerful without money Nova
days the education which father gives to his
children tends to refine their appetites and cul-
tivate their tastes he accustoms them to dress,
society, music and art of "a certain degree of cx-
cellence, and then strains every nerve to give
them fortune that they may always enjoy
these things; or TO put them in the way OF earn
| ing the fortune as easily as possible.
Now, pictures dress and society of the
highest order are good things-as far as they
90 even the blue china and peacocks' feathers,
at which the vulgar laugh, have doubtless their
uses in life. We have by 80 much the advan-
tage OF our fathers that we have these helps
! aas;lv within reach and can them. Rnt ara