Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-27
Goodbye, Gloss.

Is civilization opposed to polish? Does re
fnement brush of gloss2 Is culture taking the
shine of things? These are questions observ-
ant people must ask. 1t is well-known fact
that the barbarous people Of earth delight in
glitter. They grease their skin and polish it to
make it shine. They oil their hair and smooth
1t till 1t glistens. They covet ornaments that
shine. Nothing is, III their eyes, really beauti-
full until 1t has a gloss upon it. But as man
comes out Of his primitive state he begins to
turn away from glittering things. He not
only ceases to polish his skin, but when he
has reached q high condition Of refinement.
he powders 1t to remove the natural
gloss it has. He not only ceases to oil
his hair, but he devises ointments which
ing beads and highly FURNISHED metals. He
oxidizes his silver ornaments and erodes his
gold. He likes the quietude Of "dulled lus-
ters." The more he is cultivated the more he
takes to dullness and lets the lusters go. He
wants his silks made lusterless He casts out
him Of his glossy coat. All glitter annoys
him. He eschews the sunlight. He wears
smoked glasses or walks beneath a somber sun
shade. He cuts the brilliant colors because
they remind him of the things that glisten. In
short the very much refined man is marked by
the absence of all things shiny about his per-
son and his house. That we, as q people,
are becoming more and more refined,
more and more toned down to the lusterless
things of life, is not q debatable proposition.
We are walking away from the shiny, and it
does not require very keen prophetic vision to
see that ultimately there will be no gloss upon
US. Already polished boots are going out Of
use. Even now they are left to the conserva-
tives and the vulgar. The leaders of the es-
thetes are taking either to russell shoes or to
dull black feathers, such as kangaroo or kid
undressed
Now if we have reasoned truly, if refinement
really is opposed to gloss why may we not
forecast in fashions field and prophecy the
downfall of the glazed collar and cuff? We not
only may; We do. Well bet lungful of air
that in less than two years polished linen will
be vulgar-as vulgar as a hickory shirt.
How times have changed story is told of
an old resident Of Marlborough, who, years ago
when Miles j. Fletcher kept store there, was a
"pillar in the church" He had, however, an
appetite for strong drink Fletcher sold whisky
by the jugful to nearly all the deacons, elders,
and class leaders. One day the good old man
aforesaid rushed into the store nearly out of
breath and very much in a hurry. miles, said
he, "give me two gallins of that there" Look
ing up he saw the dominic and he became con-
fused. Eyes, Miles," he continued, chats
what / said, give me two gallins mackerel in
that there jug."-Kngston Freeman.
Luke Crawford of Thomaston is the cham
pion horse snapper of that place. He had one
day three horses, all together not worth $500,
and during the day traded ffty-fve times and
quit with one horse, it being one of the same
days work $3.50 in money, bull and buggy
Macon (Gd.) Telegraph.
The Indians country is being taken from
them so rapidly that soon they will not even
have mental reservation left. - Pittsbarg
Chronicle Telegraph.