The Brookhaven leader., 1888-02-09


inordinate fashion says: 'Count not q
woman's virtues; count her adornments."
Look not a the contour of the head, but
see the way she combs her hair" ASK
not what noble deeds have been accom-
plshed by that woman's hand; but is it
white and soft?"Ask not what good senseis
in her conversation, but, SIN what was she
dressed" Ask not whether there was
hospitality and cheerfuness in the house,
but: "In what style do they livew
As consequences, some Of the most ig-
norant and vicious men are at the top,
and some of the most vrtuous and inte.ii-
gent at tine bottom. During the last war
we suddenly saw men hurled up into
the highest social positions. Had they
suddenly reformed from evil habits, or
graduated in science, or achieved some
good work for society," No, they simply
had obtained Government contract!
This accounts for the utter chagrin
which people feel at the treatment they
receive when they lose their property.
Hold up your head amid financial disas-
ter like a Christianl Fifty thousand sub
tracted from q good man, leaves how
muchi Honor, truth, faith in God, tri-
umphant hope, and a kingdom Of ineffable
glory, over which he is to reign forever
and ever.
If the owner of millions should lose
penny out of his pocket, would he sit
down on a curb stone and cryy And
shall a man possessed of everlasting
fortunes wear himself out with grief be-
cause he has lost his worldly treasures?
You have only lost that in which hun
dredS of wretched misers surpass you. and
you have saved that which the CB sars
and the Pharoahs and the Alexanders
could never afford.
And yet society thinks differently, and
you see the most intimate friendships
broken up a the consequence Of financial
embarr You say to some one:
How is your friendW The man look be-
wildered, and says: 81 do not know"
You reply: why, you used to be init
mate" "Wel" SAYS the man, tour
friends hip has been dropped. The man
has failed"
Proclamation has gone forth: "Velvets
must go up and PLAIN apparel must come
down." and the question is: "How does
the coat fit?" not "Who wears it" The
power that bears the tides Of excited pop
ulation up and down our streets, and
rocks the world of commerce, and thrills
all nations, transatlantic and cisatlantic,
is clothes. 1t decides the last offices
of respect, and how long the dress
shall be totally black, and when it
may subSide into spots If grief on silk,
calico or gingham. Men die in good
circumstances, but by reason of extrava-
giant funeral expenses are well nigh in
solvent before they get buried. Many
men would not die at all if they hal to
wait until they could afford it.
There is no one cause to-day Of more
financ al embarrassment aud of more dis
honesties than this determination at all
hazards to live as well or better than other
people.
There are persons who will risk their
eternity upon one pier mirror, or who w II
dash out the splendors of Heaven to get
another trinket. my house is too
small" "But," says some one, "you can
not pay for larger" ''Never mind that,
my friends have a better residence and so
will l." "a dress Of that style and mate
rial l must have. l can not afford it by a
great deal, but who cares for that? My
neighbor had one from that pattern, and l
must have one" There are scores of men
in the dungeons of tho penitentiary who
risked honor busmess-every thing, in
the effort to shine like others. Though
the Heavens fall they must be "in the
fashion"
The most famous frauds of the dav have
resulted from this feeling. 1t keeps hum
dreds of men struggling for their COM
mercial existence. The trouble is that
some are caught and incarcerated if their
larceny be small If il bo great they es-
cape and build their ca stle on the Rhine.
Men get into jail not by cause they steal,
but because they did not steal enough.
Acaiu. ,DOg fashion, 1eOr,la
unnatural and untrue. 1t is a factory
from which has come forth more hollow
pretenses and unmeaning batteries and
hypocrIcies than the Lowell mills ever
turned out shawls and garments Fashion
is the greatest of all liars. 1t has made
society iusncere. You know not what to
believe. When people ask you to come
YOU do not know whether or not they
want you to come. When they send their
regards you do not know whether it is
an expression of their heart or
an external civility. We have
learned to take almost ev-
cry thing at discount. Word is sent
mot at home" when they are only too
lazy to dress themselves. They say,
1.-THE furnace has just gone out" when in
truth they have had no fire in it al win
ter. They apologize for the unusual bar
renness of their table when they never
live any better. They decry their most
luxurious entertainments to win a shower
of approval.
They apologize for their appearance as
though it were unusual, when always at
home they just look so. They would make
you believe that some nice sketch on the
wall was the work of a master painter.
at was an heirloom and once hung on the
walls of castle; and a duke gave it to
their grandfather" People who will
not lie about any thing else will lie about
a picture. On a small income we must
make the world believe that we are affi u
ent, and our life becomes a cheat, a
counterfeit and sham.
The social life has been contorted and
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 the
metropolis. We want in all the higher
circles of society more warmth Of heart
and naturalness of behavior, and not so
many refrigerators.
Again: Devotion to wrong fashion is
productive of physical disease, mental
imbecility and spiritual whitening. APP
parel insufficient TO keep out the col d and
the rain, or SO fitted upon the person that
the functions of life are restrained; late
hours fill ed with excitement and feasting /;
free draughts of wine that make one
net beastly intoxicated, but only fashion,
ally drunk, and luxurious indolen ce
ars the instruments by which this unreal
life pushes its disciples into vale-
tudnarianism and the grave. Along the
walks of prosperous life death goes
Suph harvaStS ra