The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-07-19

you see the most intimate friendship
broken up as the consequence of tinan-
cial endorsements. You say to somt
of.e: Chow is your friend:'' The man
looks bewildered and says: Il do not
know" You reply: why. you used
to be intimate. - well" saws the man,
sour friendship has been dropped. The
man has failed"
Proclamation has gone forth: 'vel-
vets 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
population up and down our streets, aud
all nations. Transatlantic and Cis-At-
lantic, is clothes. It decides the last
Offices of respect; and how long the dress
shall be totally black; and when it may
subside into spots CT grief on silk, calico
or bingham. Men die in good circum-
stances, but by reason of extravagant
funeral expenses are well nigh insolvent
before they are buried. Many men would
not die at all if they had to wait until
they could afford it.
Wrong fashion is productive of most
ruinous strife. The expenditure of many
households is adjusted by what their
nelghbors have, not by what they them
selves can afford to have, and the great
anxiety is as to who shall have the finest
house and the most costly equipagc. The
weapons used in the warfare of social life
are not Mimic rifles, and Dahlgren guns,
and Hotchkiss shells, but chairs.
and mirrors, and vases, and Gobelins,
and Administers. Many household
establishments are ike racing steam
boats propelled at the utmost strain
and risk, and just coming to a terrific
explosion. ''Who cares, ~ say they, ''if
we only come out ahead:'
There is no one cause today Of more
financial embarrassment and of more dis
honcsties than this determination at all
hazards to live as we'll as or better than
other people. There are persons who
will risk their eternity upon one pier
mirror or who will dash out the splen-
dors of heaven to get another trinlzet.
''A1y house is too small" .''Bnt,n says
some one ''you cannot pay for a larger" {"
Never mind that, my friends have a
better residence and SO will l." "a dress
of that style and material / must have.
l cannot afford it by great deal; but
who cares for that? My neighbor had
one from that pattern, and / must have
one" There are scores of men in the
dungeons of the penitentiary who risled
honor, thing i'll the effort
to shine like others. Though the heavens
fall they must he '.in the fashion,"
The most famous frauds OF the day
have resulted from this feeling. 1t keeps
hundreds of men struggling for their
commercial existence. The trouble is
that some are caught and incarcerated if
their larceny be small. If it be great
thev escape and build their castles OH the
Rhine Men get into Jail not because
they steal but because they did not steal
enough.
Again: Wrong fashion makes people
unnatural and untrue. 1t is 4 factory
from which has come forth moro hollow
pretenscs and unmeaning batteries and
hvpccI.isics than the Lowell mills ever
turned out shawls and garments. Fashion
is the greatest of all liars. 1t has made
society insincere. 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 theil
regards you do not know whether it i:
an excression Of their heart O.. 81 c.
ternal civility. We have learned to tatt
almost everything at discount. Wore
is sent mot 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 II
it all winter. They apologize for th'
unusual barrenness of their table, wher
they never live any better. They deer,
:neir most luxurious entertainments t.
win shower of approval. They apollo
gize for their appearance, as though !
were unusual, when always at hom
thev look Just so. They would nak
YOU believe that some nice sketch on TIL
wall was the work of q master painter
1T was an heirloom and once hung ol
the walls of castle. and q duke gave
t to their grandfather People who vii
not lie about anything else will lie abou
, a picture. On a small income we mus
: make the world believe that we ar
affluent, and our life becomes cheat,
/ counterfeit and a sham.
, Few people are really natural and ur
affected. When l say this do not mea
to slur cultured manners. 1t Is rigi
7 that we should have more admiration fC
t the sculptured marble than for the VI
' hewn block Of the quarry. From man
circles in life fashion has driven OF
n vivacitv and enthusiasm. A frozen dig
c nitv instead floats about the room an
8 iceberg grinds against iceberg. Yo
:, must not laugh outright; it is vuIga
You must smile. You must not das
It RAPIDLY across the room, you must gild
e on
l. batteries. and obs and abs. and sin
t perings. and nambv pambyisn--a wor
o of which is not worth one goo'
Y round. honest peal OF daughter. Fro
II such hollow round the tortured que
e retires at the close of the evening, II
y assures his host that he has enjoyed hin
self.
II Thus social life has been eontorted al
v defor.ned, until. in some mountain cabl
:. where rusties gather 10 the quilting
s. the apple pairing. there is more got
D. cheer than in all the frescoed ice hous
" of the metropolis. We want il all q
j. higher circles Of society more warmth
f. heart and. naturalness of behavior, a.
or not so many refrigerators.
Again: Wrong fashion is incompatit
= with happiness. Those who depend t
1T their comfort upon the admiration
ii others are subject to frequent disappoir
es ment. Somebody will criticise their a
,e pearance, or surpass them in brillianc
Te or will receive more attention. Oh. I
Of jealousy and detraction and heartblr
,u incs of those who move III this bewIder
I'd maze! Poor butterflies! Bright VIII
Id do not always bring happiness. IS
that liyeth i'm pleasure is dead while :