Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-02-11
The FASHION
Rev. DR.. Talmage breaches Of
Right and Wrong
Fashions.
A Sermon to Women with
Some Valuable Hints TO
Men.
Right Fashion EnnobIes, Wrong
Fashion Debases, Mentally and
intellectually.
Dress Not the Index OF Moral
Worth.


BROOKLYN, y. Y, Jan. 29-Thc Rev.
J Dewitt Talmage, ID. d., preached
oday in the Brooklyn Tabernacle the
Fourth Of the series OF Sermons to the
Women Of America. with Important
Hints 10 Men" The subject Of the ser
anon was. dominion OF Fashion" and
the text was from Deuteronomy xxi 5:
THE women shall not wear that which
,ertaincth unto . man, neither shall a man
put on o wonan's garment; for al who do So
are denominations unto the Lord thy God"
DR.. Talmage said:
In this. The fourth sermon Of the series
Of sermons. | wish those who hear to
bear in mind that / take into Considera-
zion ret only those whom | have before
me OF Sabbath days. but the wider audi
cncc opened through the printing press.
and while some things may lot he par
eicularly appropriate for one locality,
thcy arc appropriate for many other
localities. And here l will tell a secret
ahat / have never before told in public.
About twenty years ago | began to pray
chat God would opcn to me the emporium
ity VI liNNhlbS iiApN6 Nv u W.
paper press. The religious papers in
which my sermons had been published
chiefly went to positively religious fam
lilies. SO | asked God fer the wider field
in which to proclaim the
aHEAT RUTHs OF RELIGION
and morals. In n strange way the an
swcr came. And the syndicatcs having
shargc OF these matters inform me that
every week there are 10 thirteen million
six hundred thousand copies of my dis
courses published in this country, and
about four million in other lands, whether
English speaking countries or by transla-
ton i'm many foreign tongues. ] want
people to understand that it is all in an
swcr TO prayer to God that this opportu-
nifty has come, and | pray for grace to oc-
supy the field. 1t is not, therefore, pre-
sumptuous when | give wide sCope to
these ~d!scourscs and address them ITO
She women Of America, with important
hints to men"
God thought womanly attire Of enough
importance to have it discussed in the
Bible. Paul the Apostle. by no means "a
sentmcntalist. and accustomed TO dwell
on the great themes of God and the res
urrcction. writes about the arrangement
of wonan's hair and the style of her jew
clry, ana in my text Moses, his ear yet
filled with the thunder of Mount Sinai,
declares that womanly attire must be in
marked contrast with masculine attire.
and infraction of that law excitcs the in
dignation Of high heaven. just in pro-
portion A. the morals of a country or an
age are depressed is that law dedi2d.
Show me the
FASHION PLATES
Of any century from the time Of the del
ago to this, and T will tell you the exact
state of public morals. Bloomerism in
this country years ago seemed about to
break down this divine law, but there
was enough Of good in American society
10 beat back the indcccncy. Yet ever
and anon we have imported from France.
or perhaps invented on this side Of the
sea, a style that proposes as far as posi-
bic to make women dress like men. and
thousands Of young women catch the
mode, until some one goes a little too far
In imitation of ~masculinity, andthe whole
custom bv the good sense Of American
womanhooa is oblitcratcd.
The costumes OF the countries are diff
ferent. and in the same country nay
Ghage. but there is IA divinoly ordered
dl-simiiarity which must be forever OBJ
served. Any divergence from this is adj
ministr:tive Of vice and runs against the
keen thrust Of the text, which says: The
woman shat not wear that which per
,a;ncth ants a man, neither shall q man
put on \ woman S garment: for all that
40 SO arc IN domination unto the Lord
thy God"
Many years ago n French authorcss.
signing herself George Sand, by her cor
rupt But brilliant writings depraved
homes and libraries innumcrablc. and
was literary grandmother OF all the
Wcsent French and American authors
who have written thirGs so much worse
hat they have made their putrcfaction
,uite prssoatablc. That French author
~ put ~ masculine attire. She was
,onsstent. Her writings and her be.
.aavior were perfectly accordapt.
T~RAysPosITIoN OF THE sExEs.
Ny text BY implication abhors mascu
1ino women and womanly men. What a
sickcniHg thing it il to see a mar copying
tho speech. the walk, the manner of "a
Tho trouble is that thea do not
initiate a sensible woman, but some
female imbecile. And they shipper and
they go with mincing step. and LISP and
scream at nothing: and take or a ian
gushing look, and bang their hair. and
are the nauscation Of honest folks Of both
sexes, q man, be n man. You belong
to quite \ respectable sex. The starting
figure Of the human race was n man. Do
not try to cross over and 40 become a
hybrid. neither one O the other, but a
failure. half way between.
Alike repugnaEt are masculine m
They copy a mans stalking gait, and 90
down tho street with the stride of u walk
ing-bcam. They wish they could smoke
cigarettes, and some of them do. They
tnlk boistcrously and try to sing bass.
'Thcy do not laugh, they roar. They can
rot quite manage the broad profanity of
tho sex they rival, but their conversation
ia often a half swear, and if they said
20. IOr!T' in earnest PRAYER az often as
ihcy say it in lightness, they would be
high up in sGinihood. Withal there is an
assumed rucosity Of apparel, and they
ear a mans hat only changed by being
IN i've or shree places smashed in and %
dead canary clinging TO the general