Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-02-08

: must come down." and the question is:
"How does the coat firP'' not "Who wear
r it9" The power that bears the tides of ex
8 cited population up and down our streets
and rocks the world of commerce, ant
thrills all nations. Transatlantic and Cis
, Atlantic, is clothes. 1t decides the last OF
, fees of respect; aud how long the dress
| shall be totally black; and when it may
subside into spots of grief on silk, calico OF
gingham. Men die in good circumstances
, but by reason of extravagant funeral ex
, penses are we'll nigh insoVent before they
get buried. Many men wonld not die at al
, if they had to wait until they could afford
, it.
, Wrong fashion is productive of a most
ruinous strife. The expenditure of many
households is adjusted by what their neigh
bors have, not by what they themselves
can afford to have; and the great aux
ETY. is as to who shall have the finest house1
and the most costly equipage. The wea
pons used in the warfare of social life are not
MIME rifles, and Dahlgren guns and Hotch
kiss shells but chairs, and mirrors. and
vases, and Gobelins and Administers. Many
household establishments are like racing
steamboats, propelled at the utmost strain
and risk, and just coming to terrific. cx-
plosiou. who cares" say they, "if we
only come out aheadp'
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 as OF 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 trlnket.
"My house is too small" "But," says
some one, "you cannot pay for a larger"
'.Never mind that, my friends have better
residence aud so will l." "A dress of that
style aud material I must have. ] cannot
afford it by great deal; but who cares for
that? My neighbor had one from that
pattern, and I must have one." There are
scores of men in the dungeons of the
psnitentiary who risked honor, bust
ness-everythiug in the effort tn
shine like others. Though the heav-O
ems fall they must be 'in the fashion,"
| The most famous frauds of tho day have
resulted from this feeling. 1t keeps hun
dreds of men struggling for their CONNER
cial existence. The trouble is that some are
caught and incarcerated if their larceny be
small. If it be great they escape and 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 un-
natural and untrue. 1t is factory from
which has come forth more hollow pre-
tences and unmeaning batteries and hypoc-
rsies than the Lowell mills ever turned out
shawls and garments. Fashion is the great
est of all liars. 1t has made society insin-
cere. You know not what to believe. When
people ask you to come you do know wheth-
er or not they want you TO come. When they
send their regards you do not know wheth
er it is an expression of their heart, or a nj
external civility. We have learned tolV
take almost everything at discount.
Word is sent ssNot at home' when they
are only too lazy to dress themselves. They
say: "The furnace has just gone out, when
in truth they have had no fire in it all win
Ter. They apologize for the unusual bar
renness of the table when they never live
any better. They decry their most luxuri
ous entertainments to win shower of ap
proval. They apologize for their appear
ance, as though it were unusual, when al
ways at home they look just SO. They
would make you believe that some nice
sketch on the wall was che work of mas
ter painter. ''It was an heirloom and once
hung on the walls of castle; aud duke
/
will not lie about anything else will lie
about picture. On small income we
must make the world believe that we are
affluent, and our life becomes cheat, a
cuunterfeit and a sham.
Fea people are really natural and unaf-
feced. When l say this | do not mean to
slur cultured manners. 1t is right that we
should have more admiration for the sculp
tured marble than for the unhewn block of
the quarry. From many circles in life fash
ion has driven out vivacity and enthusiasm
A frozen dignity instead floats about the
room and iceberg grinds against iceberg
You must not laugh outright; it is vulgar.
You must smile. You must not dash rapid
| ly across the room; you must glide. There
is round of bows, and grins, and batteries.
and obs and abs, and snlperings, and NAM
by pam byism-a world of which is not worth
one good round, honest peal of laughter
From such a hollow round the tortured
guest retires at the close of the evening aud
aasures his host that he has enjoyed him
self.
Thus social life has been contorted ana
deformed until in some mountain cabin,
where rustics gather to the quilting or the
apple pairing, there is more good cheer than
in all the frescoed ice-houses of tue metro
polls, We want in all the higher circles CT
society more warmth of heart and natural
ness of behavior and not so MANY refrigera.
tJrs.
Again Wrong fashion is incompatible
with happiness. Those who depend for
their comfort upon the admiration of
others are subject to frequent disappoins-
ment SoEeb ,dy will criticise their ap-
pearance, or surpass them in brilliancy, or
will receive more atrenGion. Oh, the
jealousy, and detraction, and heartburnings
of those who move in this bewildered mazei
Poor butterflies Bright wings do not al
ways bring happiness. "She that llveth in
pleasure is dead while she liveth." The
revelations of high life that come to the
challenge and the fight are only the occa-
sonal groupings out of disquietudes that
are, underneath, like the stars of heaven
for multitude. but like the demons of the
pit for hate. The misery that will tonight
IN the cellar cuddle up in the straw is not
so utter as the princey disquietude which
stalks through splendid drawing-rooms,
brooding over the Sights and offences of
luxurious life. The bitterness of life seems
not so uniting when drunk out of pewter
mug, as when it pours from the chased lips
of golden chalice. In the sharp crack of
the voluptuary's pistol, putting an end to
his earthly misery, bear the confirmation
that in hollow, fastidious life there is no
peace.
Again Devotion to wrong fashion is
productive Of physical disease, mental i'm
bscility and spiritual withering. Apparel
insufficient to keep out the cold and the
rain, or so fitted upon ths person tnat the
functions of life are restrained rate hours
filled with excitement and feasting; free
drafts of wine that make one not beastly
intoxicated, but only fashionably drunk;
and luxurious indolence-aie the instru-
ments by which this unreal life pushes its
disciples into valetudinarianism and the
! ha 6 he,