The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-02-10
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Fourth Sermon Of the Series to the
Women Of America.

TIL. "Dominion Of Fashion" and Iss Sway
Ov.r Its vOtnrie~-Dress the Index
OfNatlonnl and Individual Morale
some Sharp Hints.
R,v. L. Dewitt Talmage In the fourth
Of the series Of ''Sermons to the Women
Of America. with Important Hints to
Men," Took for his subject the "Domini-
on Of Fashion" His text was from
Deuteronomy XIII. 8:
The woman shall not wear that which Per
taineth unto . man. neither shall q man put
on woman's garments: for all that do SO are
abomination unto the Lord thy God.
DIR. Talmage said: In this, the fourth
sermon Of the series Of sermons. wish
those who hear 10 bear in mind that I take
into consideration not only those whom
have before ms on Sabbath days, but the
wider audienc opened through tho printing
press; and while some things may not be
particularly appropriate for one locality,
they are appropriate for many other
localities. And here will toll secret
that have never before told in public.
About twenty years ago began to pray
that God would open to me the oppor-
|
newspaper press. The religious papers in
which my sermons had been published
chiefly went to positively religious fami.
lies. So I asked God for tho wider field in
| which to proclaim the great truths OF re-
| ligion and good morals. In u strange
| way the answer came. And the syndic.
ates having charge Of these matters in
form me that every week there are now
| - 100000 copies Of my discourses pub
| lished in this country, and about 10000
| in other lands, whether English speaking
| countries or by translation in many for
sign tongues. want people to under.
stand that it is all in answer to prayer to
God that this opportunity has come, and
pray for grace to occupy the field. 1t is
| not therefore. presumpt uous when give
| wide scope to these discourses and adj
dress them '"to the women OF America,
with important hints to men,"
God thought womanly attire OF enough
| Importance to have it discussed in the
B BILE. Paul the apostle, by no means
sentimentalist, and &C accustomed to dwell
on the great themes OF God and the rssur.
rection, writes about the arrangement of
woman's hair aud the style of her jew
elry, and in my text Moses. his ear yet
filed with the thunder Of Mount Sinai,
declare, that womanly attire must bs
in marked contrast with masculine
attire, and infraction Of that law
excites the indignation of high
Heaven. Just In proportion as
tho morals of country or any age are
depressed is that law defied. Show me
the fashion plates of any century from
the time Of the dsluge to this and I will
tell you the exact state of public morals.
Bloomsrism In this country ye ars
ago seemed about to break down this di.
vine law, but there was enough Of good
in American society to beat back the in.
decency. 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, AMI thousands Of young women
catch the mode, until some one goes q
little too far in imitation Of masculinity,
and the whole custom, by the good sense
Of American womanhood. is obliterated.
The costumes of the countries are diff
ferent and in the same country may
change, but there Is o diviney ordered
dissimilarity which must BE- forever OBJ
served. Any divergence from this Is I'D.
ministrative Of vice, and runs against the
keen thrust Of the text which says:
The woman shall not wear that which per-
taineth unto man. neither shall man put on .
woman's garments. for oil that do SO are abom-
nation unto the Lord, thy God
Many years ago French authoress,
signing herself George Sand, by her COR
rupt but brilliant writings dspraved homes
and libraries innumerablo. and wasa liter.
airy grandmother Of all tie present 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 accord.
ant.
My text. by implication, abhors mascu-
line women and womenly men. What a
sickening thing it Is to see a man copying
the speech, TIE walk, the manner of
woman. The trouble Is that they do not
initiate q sensible woman, but some
female imbscile. And they simper, and
they 90 with mincing step, and lisp,
and scream at nothing, and take ON a
languishing look, and bang their hair, and
are the nauseation of honest folk, of both
sexes. o. man, be a man! You belong
20 quite respectable sex. The starting
figure Of the human race was a man. Do
not try to cross over, and SO become .
hybrid, neither one nor the other, but .
failure, halfway between.
Alike repugnant ara masculine women.
They copy mans stalking gait and go
down the street with the stride Of
waking. 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 the sex they rival, but their
conversation Is often q ha!f.swear, and
il they said 20 Lord" in earnest pra yer
as often as they said it in lightness, they
would bs high up in sainthood.
In my text, as by a parable or figure Of
speech, 1t is made evident that Moses, the
inspired writer, a, vshemently as our
selves, reprehendsd the effeminate man
and the masculine woman:
The woman shall not wear that which per.
taineth unto man, neither shall man put on
a womaus garments; for all that do so are
abomination unto the Lord thy God.
NY text also sanctions fashions. In.
deed, It sets . fashion. There is great
deal Of senseless cant on the subject of
fashion. A woman or man who does not |
regard It is unfit for good neighborhood. |
The only question is, what is right fashion |
and what is wrong fashion. Before I stop |
want to show you that fashion has been |
one of the most potent of reformers and one |
of the vilest of usurpers. Sometimes it has |
been an angel from Heaven, and at others |
it has been the mother OF denominations.
As the world grows better there will be as |
righteous fashion. In the future life white |
h. nd ~lv