The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-01-31
THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION ATLANTA GA JANUARY 81 1882


Groupings out of disquetudes that are under-
meath, like the stars of heaven for multitude,
put like the demons of the pit for hate. Tho
misery that will tonight in the cellar cuddlepp
Ill the straw is not so utter rs tho princely dis
quietude which strlkS through splendid draw
ing rooms, brooding over the Sights and of
lenses 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 yolupturys pistol, putting an end to
his earthly misery, l hear the confirmation
that in hollow, fastidious life there is no
peace
Against devotion to wrong fashion is pro-
| ductlVe of physical disease, mental imbeciity
and spiritual whitening. Apparel insufficient
| to keep out the cold and the rain, or so fitted
upon the person that the functions of life are
restrained; late hours filed with excitement
and feasting; free drafts of wine that make one
not beastly intoxicated, but only faShionably
| drunk; and luxurious indolence-are the in
struments by which this unreal life pushes its
disciples into valetudinarianism and the grave.
Along the walks of prosperous life death goes
a mowing-and such harvests as are reaped!
Materia Medica has been exhausted to find
curatives for these physiological devastations
| Dropsies, cancers consumptions, govt and al
most every intrmity in all the realm of pathol-
| ogy have been the penalties paid. To counter
act the damage, pharmacy has gone forth with
| medlcament, panacea, elixir embrocation,
SalVe and cataplaSm.
| Tonightwith swollen feet upon cushioned OF
| toman and groaning with aches innumerable,
| will be the Yotary of luxurious living, not half
| so happy as his groom or coalheaver. Wrong
fashion is the worlds undertaken, and drives
thousands ofshearseS to Greenwood and Laurel
| Hill and Mount Auburn
| But, worse than that this folly is an intel
| lectual depletion. This endless study of pro-
| prieties and etiquette, patterns and styles, is
| bedwariing to the intellect. l never knew
woman or man of extreme fashion that knew
| much. How belttling the study of the cut of
coat, or the tie of a Cravat, or the wrinkle i'll
| sleeve, or thee olor of ribbon! How they
are worried if something gets united, or hangs
| awry, or is not nicely adjusted! With mind
capable OF measuring the height and depth of
great subiectS able TO unravel mysteries, to
| walk through the universe, to soar up into the
mfinity of Gods attributes towering perpetu-
| ally over new style of cloak! / have known
men reckless as to their character and regard
less OF interests momentous and eternal, eXas-
perated by the shape of o vest-button. What
| is the matter with that woman wrought up
into the agony of despair? Oh, her mutf is out
| of fashion!
Worse than all, this folly is not satisfied UNI
| til 1t has eXtlrpated every moral sentiment and
blasted the soul. A wardrobe is the rock on
which many soul has been riven. The ex-
element of a luxurious life has been the vor-
| tex that has swallowed up more souls than the
maelstrom off Norway ever destroyed ships.
| What room for elevating themes in heart
| filled with the trivial and unreal? Who can
! wonder that, i'll this haste for sun-gilded bau-
bes and winged thistle-down. men and women
should tumble into ruin? The travellers to
destruction are not all clothed in rags On that
road chariot jostles against chariot, and behind
steeds in harness golden-plated and glittering
they go down, coach and four, herald
and postillion, racketing on the hot
! pavements of hell. Clear the track! BaZaars
| hang out their color5 over the road, and trees
| of tropical frjiitfuness overbranch the way.
! No sound of woe disturbS the air, but all is
light, and song, and wine, and gorgeousness.
| The world comes out to greet the dazzling pro-
cesson with "Hurrah Hurrah!" But sud
denly there is a halt and an cutlery of dismay,
and an overthrow worse than the Red Sea
| tumbling upon the Egyptians. Shadow of
| grave-stones upon finest silk! Norwood
| squeezed INTO impearled gobletS Death with
one cold breath whitening the leaves and
freezing the fountains.
In the wild tumult of the last day--the
mountains falling, the Heavens flying, the
| thrones uprising, the universe assembling,
amid the boom of tho last Handicapped, and
| under the cracking of burning world-what
will become of the disciple of unholy fashion?
| But watch the career of one thoroughly arti-
fetal. Through inheritance, or !perhaps his
own skill having obtained enough for purposes
| of display, he feels himself thoroughly estah-
| liShed. He sits aloof from the common herd,
and looks out OF the window upon the poor
man and says: "Put that dirty wretch off my
steps immediately On Sabbath days he
finds the church, but mourns the fact that he
must worship with SO many OF the inelegant,
and says: 'They are perfectly awful" THAT
back that did not cost five dollars" He struts
through life unSympathetic with trouble, and
says: Il cannot be bothered" Is delighted
with some doubtful story of Partisan life, but
! thinks that there are some very indecent things
in the Bible. Walks arm in arm with the sue
cessful man of the world, but does not know
his own brother. Loves to be praised for his
| splendid house, and when told that he looks
younger than ten years ago says "Well
really do you think so?"
But the brief strut of his life is about over
! Upstairs, he dies No angel wings lowering
! about him. No gospel promises kindlng up
| the darkness but exquisite embroidery, Gle
giant pictures, and bust OF Shakespeare on the
mante The pulses stop. The minister comes
in to read of the resuuection--that day when
| the dead shall come up--both he that died on
| the floor aid he that expired under prncely
upholstery. lie is carried out TO burial. Only
| few mourners but great array of carriages.
/ Not ono common man at the funeral. No
beirlended orphan to weep tear on his grave.
! No child of want pressing through the ranks
OF the weeping saying: He is the last friend
| L have and | must see him"
What now? lie was a great man. Shall
| not chariots OF salvation come down to the
| other side of the Jordan and escort him up to
the palace? Shall not the angels cxclaim:
Turn Quit A prince is coming" VIII the
bells chime? VIII there be ltarpers with their
| harps, and truInpnters with their trumpet3"
No. No. No! There will be shuddcr, as
| though a calamity had happened. Standing
| on heavcn's battlcmcnts, wat ;hman viii see
something shoot past, with ;cry downfall and
Shrek: "Wandcring star--ior whom is re-
served the darkness Of darkness forever"
But saddcr yet is the closing Of Il wOman's
| life that has been WOrshipfHl al Worldincss, all
the wealth of a lifetimes Opportunity wasted.
/ What a tragedy A woman ON her dying pill
| low, thinking OF what She might have done
! for God aud humanity and yet having done
/ nothing Compare her demise with that OF
/ Harriet newell going down 10 peacefully die
in the isle Of France, reviewing hcr lifetime
tfr ti,a aBs... fifsgt al Ia.
dia; or the last hours Of Elizabeth
Harvey, having exchanged her bright Nov
/ England home for lite Al bombay amid
stojd hcathenism, that shc might iliuninc it.
/ saying in her last moments II This is the
dari. valley, Il has rot q dark spot in II all Is
/ light, light" or the exit cf Mrs. Lcnnox, fall
ing under sudden disease 1T Smyrna, breathing
! out icr scu witAsthe last words: oh, how
happy! or III arturo Of Mrs sarah u.
Comstock, spe~AsSsc life for The salvation
Of Burmal, giyingNp her children that they
might come home TO America 10 be- educated,
! and saying 7he kissed them goodbye, never
to- rf4 fI.ftr4 . r.,