The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-01-24

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stock and therefore larger profits. IL la,
developed an unusual winter growth Of
wheat that was put in mostly late and ID
poor condition, and there has been no lift
ting or winter killing of clover, so the out
look at the present time is for an abundant
harvest the coming year. We get a good
deal Of comfort out of the thought tia an
all-wise and beneficent Providence rules in
all the universe of matter, and while His
ways may seem to us mysterious, we are
assured "He doeth all things we'll"
Mr.. Editor, we see by your last issue
that your pleasing correspondent has again
gwen us attention. So we again ask
your indulgence in the use of
your columns for another chat.
Now Ruth" please don't think us over
solicitous of your time and attention if we
ask you again to be seated in our arm
chair. We feel flattered by your assurance
that we were not uninteresting in our
recent chat, and while we have misgivings
of our ability flor we are naturally diffid-
ent in the presence of ladies' we hope we
may be able to interest you again in return
for the compliment Of your presence. Now
RUTH when we come to compare notes
and the better to understand each other
there doesn't seem to be any great differ
encs of opinion between us, after all. You
seem willing to admit for the most part our
premises, and to largely endorse Jul con-
illusions. Our SQUIRE OF inspiration, as
you claim, may give our views a coloring of
sentiment different from yours, dawn from
"a living, a glorious present" and yet you
too admit an appreciation of the beautiful,
nevertheless. We wish we could have seen
the three young ladies of whom you speak
fmembers Of the W. G. T. " bright
/ eyes, dimpled cheeks and uDfettered forms;
with vivacity and mirthfainess of spirit
subdaed By christian graces, j. TO eur
mind the highest type Of the ideal beauty
| Of woman. Weloye the character in which
the nobler sentiments and inspirations of
the better world blend with the innocent
mirth and passion of this, OF as the poet
puts it.
-sfilled with all youths sweet desires,
Mingling the meek and vestal fires
OF other worlds with all the bliss.
The fond, weak tenderness Of this:
4 sonl, too, more than half divine,
Where, through come shades Of earthly feel
ing,
Religions soften'd glories shine.
Liz light, through summer foliage steal
ing.'
This may have much the semblauce of
sentiment but then the soul hat has no
sentiment, no appreciation of the ideal, no
music and poetry in it, is lost to the beau
ties and harmonies that make life worth
living. To us the sparkle Of the eye is
more beautiful than the fash of diamonds,
the laughter of innocence more musical
than the diapason of organs and the rosy
cheek more pretty than the ideal of the
dream Of the artist. You may think We
have too much sentiment and poetry in our
nature for this practical, everyday world,
and that we are
"Like those angelic youths of old.
Who long'd for maids of moral mould,
Bewilder.cl lett the glorious skies
And lost their heavin for womanIs eyes
but then such is our make Up and NE can
not; neither dc We know we have the dis
position 20 help it.
Now as to the dress reform of which you
speak, or the Jenness-Miller mode of dress
we like it because innocent of the horri-
bic deformities of the hustle and the
useless membranes of ~s'iounces'' and
n"frills" and s'overskirts'' that distort the
symmetry and mar the beauty of the human
form. We say all hail to the Jenness-Mil-
Ter style of drsssl Why distort tine symme-
try and mar the beauty OF the work of the
Divine artist with the Iomfoolery Of a
Worth,
We doubt net If the truth were known
the greater part of woman's care for dress
is to please us men. And we venture the
assertion that no reformer, however elo-
quent her pleadings, can revolutionize NO.
mans dress, and establish q style that will
be worn for any length of time if not pleas
ing to US. Give them a mode of dress that
will make them pretty, and it will nave
our approval and the designer our benedic-
top.
Beauty is o~mnipotent with our sex. We
men, the world over, are like Paris in the
legends of Troy, before whom the dsugh-
tiers of Olympus commended for the apples
Of gold. The queen. Here, offered him
power and high renown, the virgin Athene
wisdom and strength, but the laughing
Aphrodite, with languishing eyes and
raven locks and robes of the bright sea
foam offered the fairest of the daughters of
men, and carried off the prize.
You speak of a willingness to forego
adornment CT person. and make sacrifice
of the pleasures of this world that you
may attain TO a RICHER Christian experience.
As much as we appreciate the value You
set upon eternal things, and fearful as we
arc of giving utterance to word or thought
that might lead you astray, yet we feel like
suggesting the possibility OF & mistaken
idea in your search after spiritual
light and truth. We cannot see why one
should deprive themselves of the innocent
joys and blessings of this life, should walk
as in the gloom of 'sthe valley of the shad-
ow of death. u and should become lost to
the beauties and harmonies OF the world
around us in order to attain to the full
ness of the riches of spiritual life. The
saints of olden times shut themselves up in
dark dungeons that they might see in Wis
ion the inefable glory, and hear voices of
God speaking out of the darkness. They
forgot the glory of the Lord fills the earth,
and that celestial effulgence is reflected in
the standings of the flower and in the
-gorgeonsness of the sunset, and voices of
God are heard in the rustling of the leaf, in
the signing OF the wind, and In the purling
OF the brook as well as ont of the immensely
beyond the stars. Diversity of tempera-
ment gives colering to outward things.
We each live in a world that is the reflec-
ton of our own mind. We can not see the
same rainbow on the cloud, the same
glory in the sunset, the same spiendor in
the stars. With one the mind will TEEN
with images and expressions OF beauty.
With another all the waves of fancy will
break against the rocky barrier of fixed
immutable fact. In nature there are forces
ever contending against each other. There