The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-03-01

sacrifice should win highest favor; but
inordinate fashion says: 'Count not a
| woman's virtues count her adornments."
"Look not at the contour of the head, but
see the wav she combs her hair" ASK
not what noble deeds have been accom-
plished by that woman's hand; but is it
white and soft?" Ask not what good sense is
in her Conversation, but, Gin what was she
dressed?" Ask not whether there was
hospitality and cheerfulness in the house.
but: ''In what style do they live?"
| As a consequence, some of the most ig-
norant and vicious men are at the top,
| and some of the most virtuous and intelli-
gent at tine bottom. During the last war
we suddenly saw men hurled up into
the highest social positions. Had they
| suddenly reformed from evil habits, or
graduated in science, or achieved some
good work for society? No, they simply
had obtained Government contract!
| This accounts for the utter chagrin
| which people feel at the treatment they
receive when they lose their property.
Hold up your head amid financial disas.
ter like a Chris tian! Fifty thousand sub
tracted from good man, leaves how
much? Honor, truth, faith in God. tri-
umphant hope, and a kingdom of ineffable
| and ever.
If the owner of millions should lose a
penny out of his pocket, would he sit
down on a curb-stone and cry? And
shall a man possessed of everlasting
fortunes wear himself out with grief be-
cause he has lost his worldly treasures?
You have only lost that in which hun
dreds of wretched misers surpass you. and
! you have saved that which the Caesars
and the Pharoahs and the Alexanders
could never afford.
And yet society thinks differently, and
| you see the most intimate friendships
broken up as the consequence of fin anc.al
embarrassments. You say to some one !:
"How is your friend"' The man looks be-
wildered, and says. 81 do not know"
You reply: "Why, you used to be inti-
mate" "Well," says the man. tour
friends hip has been dropped. The man
has failed"
Proclamation has gone forth: "Velve is
must go up and PLAIN apparel must come
down." and the question is: allow does
the coat ftp" not "Who wears it?" The
power that bears the tides of excited pop
ulatton up and down our streets, and
rocks the world of commerce, and thrills
ali nations, transatlantic and cisatlantic,
is clothes. 1t decides the last offices
of respect, and how long the dress
shall be totally black, and when it
may subside into spots of grief on silk.
calico or gingham. Men die in good
circumstances, but by reason of extrava-
CANT funeral expenses are we'll nigh in.
solvent before they get buried. Many
men would not die at all if they had to
wait until they could afford it.
There is no one cause to-day of more
financial embarrassment and of more dis =
honesties than this determination at all
hazards to live as well or better than other
people.
There are persons who will risk their
eternity upon one pier mirror, or who will
dash out the splendors of Heaven to get
another trinket. my house is too
small" "But," says some one, "you can
not pay for larger" s'Never mind that,
my friends have better residence and SO
will l." IA dress of that style and mate.
rial must have. I can not afford it by a
great deal, but who cares for that? NY
neighbor had one from that pattern, and ]
must have one." There are scores of men
in the dungeons of the penitentiary who
risked honor, buslness-svery thing, in
the effort to shine like Others Though
, the Heavens fall they must be Sin the
fashion,"
: The most famous frauds of the day have
. resulted from this feeling. 1t keeps hun
dreds of men struggling for their COM
mercial existence. The trouble is that
some are caught and incarcerated il their
larceny be small. If it be great they es
cape aud build their castle on the Rhine
. Men get into Jail not because they steal
but because they did not steal enough.
Again: Wrong fashion makes people
, unnatural and untrue 1t is a factory
from which has come forth more hollow
, pretenses and unmeaning batteries and
, hypocrlcies than the Lowell mills ever
turned out shawls and garments. Fashion
is the greatest of all liars. 1t has made
society insincere. You know not what to
believe. When people ask you to come
. you do not know whether or not they
| want you to come. When they send their
regards you do not know whether it is
3 an expression of their heart or
an external civility. We have
learned to take almost ev.
/ cry thing at discount. Word is sent
mot at home" when they are only toe
lazy to dress themselves. They saw,
, 1.-The furnace has just gone out" when in
: truth they have had no fire in it all win
/ renness of their table when they never
4 live any better. They decry their mos
luxurious entertainments to win a shower
of approval.
, They apologize for their appearance as
\ though it were unusual when always a,
home they just look SO. They would make
you believe that some nice sketch on the
, wall was the work Of a master painter,
. ut was an heirloom and once hung on the
l walls of castle; and a duke gave it to
r their grandfather" People who will
not lie about any thing else will lie about
a picture. On a small income we must
make the world believe that we are affl u.
ent, and our life becomes a cheat, a
{ counterfeit and sham.
. Few people are natural and unaffected,
When l say this I do not mean to slul
!, cultured manners. 1t is right that we
should have more admiration for the
. sculptured marble than for the unhewr
block OF the quarry. From many circles
3 in life fashion has driven out vivacity and
enthusiasm. A frozen dignity instead
floats about the room and iceberg grinds
against iceberg. You must not laugh out.
right; it is vulgar. You must smile. You
mustnot dash rapidly across the room
. YOU must glide. There is n round n r bor