The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1884-01-17
The American Dandy,
Written for The BaltImoroan. |

Written for The Baltimoroan.
Young man, you are the vertable swell
who has brought our poor knight OF the
goose into disropute, and his innocent kins.
men of the last and hat. block have also had
their full measure of reprehension dealt
out to thom by your amateur yagaries OF
fitness and proprioty.
We recognize In you a stirring existence,
and accord 10 you thinking principle
that belongs TO man, but are afraid that In
your negotiations with your tailor yon
compromised the last trace OF your man.
hood in an ctfcminacy, that forhids muscu.
lar development, ns the absurd back
does free locomotion.
IL cannot be the stringcnt times that
hayc frightened and Strengthened you 80
that you cannot stoop TO button your cost
ly gaiter or pick up your jewellcd cane. II
must be your martyr devotion to the "Di.
vine ldea of Cloth,' ns Carlyle Expresses IL,
for wo know You would die for love of the
Fibre and your faith ia everlasting Fabric.
Through excessive and morbid fastidious.
ness, you have deducted from your best
friends reputation eight-ninths Of its ma.
tive value Of manhood, for as far back as
the reign OF old Queen Bess, the guild suf.
ferod under this imputation, and we are in.
formed that when doputation Of eighteen
Of these worthless once waited upon her
gracious majesty, she thus accosted them
Good morning, gentlemen both," from
wh.th II seems that IN her estimation Il re-
quired nine tailors 10 make one man.
This same red-locked calumniator Of the
order Siscu boasted that she had regiment
OF cavalry IN which, however fierce might
be the conflict, no man or horse could pos
sibly be wounded. II was composed OF
fdiIors and mdrea
Carlyle speaks Of disease oalled s'tai-
lor'e melancholy" which Ia more dreadful
than leprosy, and is supposed TO have It's
| origin in the too free use Of cabbage.
Nor all this opprobrium has been heaped
upon this much maligned craft, because the
whimsies Of the young hero Of society, the
adorable Critchon, must DO pandered 10,
and fashion must be outraged by his outre
views Of the conspicuous and ridiculous.
Society has mrge need Of and heavy
claim upon true nobility and magnanimity
Of character, and laments that she cannot
draw upon this silly butterfly ilptter TO sat.
isfy her for all his distinction.
| We shall hive some hope Of reform when
we see in the background q salutary and
judicious training, y something exalted and
ntile 10 fall back upon when weary of tho
tinsel and triviaIties Of fashion. This may
at last be potent enough 10 redeem the
waste and pronigacy Of these idle years
that were not consecrated TO ennobling
p irpose.
Our strong-minded feminines are not
wholly guiltless in this pitiable deteriora-
tion Of mnsculinity. A culpable inconsis-
tency and absurdity Of dress and vocation
drives weak man into the opposite extremes
Of effeminacy.
The ulsters, sailor has, slang phrases,
phaeton races, and even speculations in
Wall street, Aartle our imbeciles, and in q
little while they will be ready to yield tho
| initiative In all matters and, remove the
most delicate, social and domestic disabili.
ties even in the question and right Of mar
riage.
We heartily denounce this Elasticity OF
nature and acqnieseence Of will though
woman's code be as severe as Draco's. The
effect Of fashionable society upon men is
never purifying save in such an age OF
chivalry as produced a Raleigh, whose vel.
vet cloak was not assumed simply through
the pride of personal adornment, but TO
subserye higher end when the dainty foot
Of bis queen had 10 be preserved from un-
avoidable taint and sail,
Again TO our dandy. He Is self-assured,
self-satisfed, and self-endowed, at least as
far as the rich frogged broadcloth and his
capacity Of aspiration go; and he demands
nothing Of US, save one approving glance,
so we pay our devoirs 10 the dummy and
care not what appropriates the courtesy.
| Edrebrook, Va, Dec, 1888.