Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-15

/ dollars each are not rare on Broadway.
/ II Is estimated that there are 3 900 women
/ IN these two cities who have expended ON
their personal array 81, 900 year.
what are the men to do in order to keep
1 up such home wardrobesP Steal--that is
| the only respectable thing they can dol
| During the last fifteen years there have
been innumerable fine business men ship
| wrecked on the wardrobe. The tempta-
| tion comes in this way: a man thinks
more OF his family than all the world out
side, and II they spend the evening in de-
scribing 10 him the superior wardrobe Of
the family across the street that they can
not bear the sight OF, the man isthrown
| on his gallantry and his pride of family,
and without translating his feelings into
! plain language he goes into eXtortion and
| issuing false stock and skilltul penman-
| ship In writing somebody else's name at
/ the foot of pTomissOry note; and they all
/ 90 down together-the husband to the
\ prison, the wife to the sewing machine,
the children to be taken care of by those
/ who were called poor relations. Oh, for
some new Shakespeare to arise and write
the tragedy Of human clothesl
| Act the first Of the tragedy: A plain but
/ beautiful home. Enter the newly mar
ried pair. Enter simplicity of manner
and behavior. Enter as much happiness
as Is ever found in one home.
Act the second: Discomfort with the
| humble home. Enter envy. Enter jeal-
ousy. Enter desire OF display.
Act the third: Enlargement OF ex-
| penses. Enter all the queenly dress
makers. Enter the French milliners.
Act the fourth: The tip-top of society.
Enter princes and processes OF New York
life. Enter magnificent plate and equip
age. Enter everything splendid.
Act the fifth and last, winding up the
scene. Enter the assignee. Enter the
Sheriff. Enter the creditors. Eater hui
initiation. Enter the wrath Of Godk&nteT
the contempt OF society. Entetsdeath.
Now let the silk curtain drop on the stage.
The farce is ended and the lights are out.
Win you forgive me if l say, in tersest
shape possible, that some Of the men in
this country have to forge, and to perjure,
and to swlndle TO pay for their wives
dressesS l will say 1t, whether you for
give me or not.
Again: extravagant costume is the foe
OF all Christian alms-giving. Men and
women put so much In personal display
that they often have nothing for God and
the cause of suffering humanity. A
Christian man cracking his Palais Royal
gloves across the back by shutting up his
hand 10 hide the one cent he puts into the
poor box! A Christian woman at the
story of the Hottentots crying copiOus
tears into a twenty-five dollar handker-
chief aud then giving a two cent piece to
the collection, -thrusting it down under
the bills SO people Will not know but it
was a ten dollar gold piece. One hun
dred dollars for incense to fashiOn-two
cents for God! God gives US ninety cents
out Of every dollar. The other ten cents,
by command of his Bible. belong TO Him.
Is not God liberal according to this tith-
ing system laid down in the Old Testa-
ment--is not God liberal in giving us
ninetyIcents out OF dollar when he takes
but ten? We do not like that, We want
to have ninety-nine cents for ourselves
and one for God.
Now, would a great deal rather steal
ten cents from you than God. think one
reason why great many people do not
get along in worldly accum9lation faster
is because they do not ObserYs this divine
rule God says: "Well, II that maU is not
satisfied with ninety cents out OF a dollar,
then | will take the whole dollar, and |
viii give it to the man OF woman who is
honest with Me-" The greatest obstacle
to charity in the Christian church to-day
is the fact that men eXpend so much on
their table and women 50 much on their
dress they have got nothing left for the
work OF God and the worlds betterment.
Again: extraVagant costume is distrac-
tion to public worship. You know very
well there are a good many people who 70
to church just as they 20 TO the races, to
see who will come out first. Men and
women with souls TO be saved passing the
hour in wondering where that man got
his cravat, or what store that woman pat
ronizes. In many of our churches the
preliminary exercises are taken up with
the discussion OF wardrobes. IL is pitla-
bic. IL it not wonderful that the Lord
does not strike the meeting houses with
lightning? What distraction of public
worship Dying men and women, whose
bodies are soon 10 be turned into dust,
yet before three worlds strutting like pea
cocks. People sitting down in a pew or
taking up hymn book, all absorbed at
the same time in personal array, TO sing;
"Rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings,
Thy better portion trace;
Rise from transitOry things,
Toward Heaven, thy native placeW
adopt the Episcopalian pray or and
say: "GOod Lord, deliver usW
Extrayagant costume bsllttles the in
tellecs. Our minds are enlarged or they
dwindle just in proportion to the import
ance OF the subject on which we con-
stantly dwell. Can you imagine any
thing more dwaffing TO the human intel
lect than the study OF dress? I see men
on the street who, Judging from their
elaboration, / think must have taken two
hours to arrange their apparel. After a
few years Of that kind of absorption
which one OF McAllister's magnlfying
glasses will be powerful enough TO make
the mans character visibley What will be
left Of wOmHf's intellect after giving
years and years 20 the discussion Of such
questionsY They all land in ldiOcy. /
have seen men at the summer watering
places through fashion the mere wreck OF
what they once were. SallOw Of cheek.
N eagre Of limb. Hollow at the chest.
showing no animation save In rushing
across a room 20 pick up a lady's fan.
slmDernR along the corridors the same
compliments they simpered 20 years ago.
Yet, my friends, have given you only
the milder phase OF this evil. IL shuts "A
great multitude out Of heaven. The first
peal Of thunder that shook Sinai de-
clared: "ThOu shalt have no other gods
before me-" and you will have 10 choose
bet ween the goddess or fashion and the
Christian God. There are "a great many
seats in heaven, and they are all easy
seats, but not one seat for the deYOtee OF
costume. Heaven is for meek and quiet
spirits. Heaven Is for those who think
more OF their souls than of their bodies.
Why you with your idolatry Of costume
should somehow get into heaven, you
would be for putting a French roof on the
''house Of many mansions" and you
would be for introducing the patterns OF
Buttsricks Quarterly Deiine0tOr.
Give up this ldOlatry OF fashion or give
I'D heaven. What would you do stand
Ing beside the Countess Of Huntington,