Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-02-08
THE FASHION T.
"yyOMAN SHALL NOT WEAR THAT
WHICH PERTAGNETK
UNTO A MAN.
NEITHER SHALL A MAN PUT ON A
WOMAN'S GARMENT-THE TEXT
ABHORS BY IMPLICATION
MASULINE WOMEN AND
WOMENLY MEN.
DIR. rALMAeE's SERMON SUNDAY, JAN, goth

BROOKLYN, January 29.-The Rev. T. De
Witt Talmsge, DID,, preached to-day in the
Brooklyn Tabernacle the fourth of The se-
Dies of "Sermons to the Women of
hAmerica, with important Hints to
Men," The subject of the sermon was:
''Dominion of Fashion," and the text was
from Deuteronomy xxi. 5: "The woman
shall not wear that which pertaineth unto
a man, neither shall a man put on .wo
mans garment: for all that do SO are abomi-
nation unto the Lord thy God.' Dr.. Tai
mage said:
In this the fourth sermon of the series OF
sermons, | wish those who hear to bear in
mind that | take into considerat ton not only
those whom have before me on Sabbath
days, but the wider audience opened through
the printing press, and while some thugs
may not be particularly appropriate for one
locality, they are appropriate for many other
localities. And here l will tell secret that
have never before told in public. About
twenty years ago began to pray that God
would open to me the opportunity of preach
| ing through the secular newspaper press
| The religious papers in which my sermons
had been published chiefly went to positive
| ly religious families. So asked God fol-
great truths of religion and good morals. In
| a strange way the answer Came And the
syndicates having charge of these matters
inform me that every week there are now
thirteen million six hundred Thousand CO.
pies of my discourses published IN this
country, and about four million in other
lands, whether ngllsh-speaking coun
| tries Or by translation in many
foreign tongues. l want people tc
Understand that it is all in answer t.
u prayer to God that this oppo' tunity has
come, and l pray for grace to occupy
the field IG is not, therefore, presumpt-
uous when give wide scope to these dis.
courses and address them ito the women OF
America. with important hints to men,"
God thought womanly attire Of enough
importance 70 have it discussed in the B.
BILE. Paul the Apostle, by no means a senti
mentalist, and accustomed to dwell on the
great themes of God and the resurrec ion.
writes about the arrangement of woman's
hair and the style of her jewelry, and in
my text Moses, his ear yet filled with the
thunder of Mount Sinai, declares that wO
manly attire must be i'll marked contra
with masculine attire, aud lnfraction of that
law excites the indignation of high heaven.
just in proportion as the morals of coun-
try or an age are depressed is that law de.
fed. Show me the fashion plates of any
century from the times OF the deluge to this,
and / will tell you the exact state of pub
lie morals. Bloomerism in this country years
ago seemed about to break down tine divine
II aw. but there was enough of good in
AAmerican society to beat back the inde'
cency. Yet ever and anon we have i'm
ported from France, or perhaps Invented on
this side the sea, style that proposes as
far as possible to make women dress like
men, and thousands of young women catch
the mode, until some one goes little toe
far in imitation of masculiuity, and the
whole custom by the good sense or Amerl
can womanhood is obliterated.
The costumes of the countries are dfter
ent, and in the same country may change
but there is divinely ordered dissimilarity
which must be forever observed. Auy di
vergence from this is administrative of vice
and runs against the keen thrust OF the text,
which says: "The woman shall not veal
that which pertaineth unto man, neither
shall man put on womsn's garment, fo
all that do 50 are abomination unto the
Lord thy God"
| Many years ago French authoress, sign
ing herself George Sand. by her corrupt bu
brilliant writings depraved homes ant
libraries innumerable, and was a lit
TNrary grandmother of all the presen
II French and American authors WIN
have written things SO much worse tha
they have made her pntrefactou quite pre-
sentable. That French authoress put o
masculine attire. She was consistent. He
writings and her behavior were perfectl
accordant
Ny text by implication abhors masculin
women and womanly men. What sick
ening thing it is to see man copying th
spec ch. the walk, the matten of a woman :
The trouble is that they do not initiate
sensible woman, but some female imbecilt