The Hazel Green herald., 1888-03-02

The subject OF Rev. T. De witt Tai.
mage's sermon on Sunday was Dominion
of Fashion and the text was from Deu-
teronomy, xxi, 8; ''rhe woman shall not
wear that which pertaineth unto a man,
neither shall a man put on womau's gar
ment: for all that do so are abomination
unto the Lord thy God" DIR. Talmage
said:
In this, tho fourth sermon of the series
OF sermons, wish those who hear to bear
in mind that ] take into con onslderation not
only those whom l have before me on
Sabbath days, but the wider audience
opened through the printing prsss, and
while some things may not be particularly
appropriate for one locality, they are ap-
proprlate for many other localities. And
here l will ton a secret that have never
before told IN public. About twenty years
ago | began to pray that God would open
tome the opportunity of preaching through
me secular newspaper press. The re.
hgious papers N which my sermons had
been published chiefly went to positively
religious families. SO asked God for the
wider field III which to proclaim the great
truths OF religion and good morals. In n
the syndicate having charge of these
matters inform me that every week there
are now l3G00,0OO copies OF my discourses
published in this country, and about
400 900 in other lands, whether English
speaking countries or by translation in
many foreign tongues. l want people to
understand that it is all in answer to
prayer 10 God that this opportunity has
come, and ] pray for grace to occupy the
field. l: is not, therefore, presumptuous
when | give wide scope 20 these discourses
and address them ITO the women OF Amer
lea, with important hints TO men,"
God thought womanly attire of sufficient
importance to have it discussed in the
Rible. Paul the apostle, by no means a
sentimcntalist, and accustomed to dwell
on the great themes of God and the resur-
rection, 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 womanly attire must DO in marked
contrast with masculine attire, and infraC-
ton of that law excites the indignation Of
high Heaven. Just in proportion as the
morals OF country or an age are de-
pressed is that law detied. Show me the
fashion plates Of any century from the time
OF the deluge to this, and l will tell you
the exact state of public morals. Bloom
erism in this country years Eo seemed
about 10 break down this divine law, but
there was enough Of good in American so
CiCty to beat back the indecency. Yet
ever and anon we have imported from
France, or perhaps invented on this side
the sea, style that proposes as far as pos
sible to make women dress like men, and
thousands Of young women catch the mode,
until some one goes little too far in imi-
taton of masculinity, and the whole GUS
tom, by the good sense Of American wo-
manhood, IS obliterated.
The costumes Of the countries are diff
fcrcnt, and in the same country may
change, but there is a divinely ordered dis
similarity which must be forever observed.
And divergence from this is adminstra-
tive of vice and runs against the keen
thrust of the text, which says: 'sThe woman
shall not wear that which pertaineth unto
a man, neither shall a man put on a
woman's garment, for all that do so are
abomination unto the Lord thy God"
Many years ago n French authoress,
signing herself George Sand, by her cor
rupt but brilliant writings depraved
homes and Libraries innumerabe and was
a literary grandmother of all French and
American authors who have written
things so much worse that they have made
her putrefaction quite presentable. That
French aUthoress put on masculine attire.
She was consistent. Her writings and her
behavior were perfectly accordant.
My text by implication abhors masculine
women and womanly men. What sick |
ening thing il is TO see a man copying the |
speech, the walk, the manner of woman. |
The trouble is, that they do not initiate |
sensible woman, but some female imbe- |
cile. And they simper, and they go with |
mincinS step, and lisp, and scream at |
nothing, and take on languishing look, |
and bang their hair, and are the Nausea
ton of honest folks Of both sexes o man,
be u man! You belong To quite u respect.
able sex. The starting figure of the hu- |
man race was man. Do not try to cross |
over, and so become hybrid, neither one
nor the other, but failure, half way be-
tween.
Alike repugnant are masculine women.
They copy q mans stalking gait and go
down the street with the stride OF walk
ing beam. They wish they could smoke
cigarettes and some Of them do They
talk boisterously, and try to sing bass.
They do not laugh-they roar. They can
not quite manage the broad profanity OF
he sex they rival, but their conversation
IS often half swear; and II they said "Oh
Lordn in earnest prayer as often as they
said il in lightness, they would be high up
N santhood Withal there Is an assumed
'ugosity of apparel, and they wear mans
nat only changed by being in two or three
places smashed in, and dead canary cling
ng to the general wreck, aud n mans