The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1890-01-10

Since then "Josiah" has learned much in
the hard school Of experience. Many a
fond vision of his youth has, since then,
ended in mirage. What has all this senti-
lei to do with dress, do you ask? Well,
nothing except to tell you why W. like
your name, and for that reason will not
quarrel with you, Ruth" Although it is
growing late, come sit down here for a lit
tie while in this arm chair and let us ex-
plain ourselves, and then we will reason
together OF this matter of dress. In the first
place allow us to say we shall not be surpris-
ed If all we may say shall not stand the crit
icism of the rhetorician and the theologian.
We, too, regret that for the greater part of
our life Miners we'll mas been to US a seal
ed fountain. Nothing short ola hope that
we may drop, here and there, a grain of
truth that will blossom and bear fruit for
the harvest of the future, would induce us
to attempt to gather up our SCRAPS" Let
US plead as an excuse in part for their i'm
projections that they are mostly gatheredup
when we are worn weary with the cares
and perplexities of life, and when most of
our readers are lost in slumber.
You ask US If we would really think you
lacking in an important element of your
education, if you should say that for your
part you would rather wear anything in
preference to silk. We certainly should
think you lacking in the cultivation of
taste, at least, when you say anything"
had you not assured us you 'fhave a pride in
always dressing as quietly and neatly as cir
cImstances vi i'll allow Now, we are not a
woman and cannot know the tastes and en-
ter into the appropriations of oman We
are a man and can only judge woman, her
tastes and refinements by outward circum-
stances. When we referred to the wearing
of silk as an evidence of education in a re-
fined sense it was because of an impression
that silk is appreciated by women. AT
least if our memory is not ~treacherous we
have heard a great deal of exultation
where it is, and a great deal Of regretting
where it is not. We are like you in this
respect, we don't particularly like silk. A
silk dress always seems to US cold and stiff,
and to be everlasting saying in its mute
language don't come near me.n When
we spoke of silk and homespun it was in
general terms to express two opposites or
extremes. We meant that the selection of
the one was indicative of refinement of taste,
the other a want of taste. We think you
must admit that taste is an evidence of re-
finement, refinement of thought, thought
of education, and that education begets
self-respect. Education in its true sense
enriches mind and heart. 1t en-
larges the understanding and en-
ables one more fully to comprehend
God and His goodness. An educated wo-
man may not worship more intensely, but
can worship more intelligently than the
cotton field slave. We did not mean to
say the woman that does not wear silk
lacks in self respect and therefore in edu-
cation. The woman that clothes herself
in a tastefully made, neatly fitting calico
dress, if it is the best she can afford, may
display as much taste and refinement as
her more fortunate sister in Gobelln colors.
The widows mite cast into the Temple
treasury counted more thar the larger gift
of the rich Pharisee. We only admire
dress as it is expressive of the taste, Guilt
walton and refinement of the wearer. No
dress is pretty in the true sense, if there
is no soul within it to make it pretty. One
may clothe themselves in the richest pro-
ducts of the looms of the East, but itthere
is no lustre in the eye, no play of dimples
on the cheek, no inward goodness mani
Testing itself in acts of mercy, there is no
real beauty. Grace Darling, the heroine
Of the Farne islands, on the angry waves
battling with the demons of the storm that
she may save a shipwreeked crew, is more
beautiful in her rough garb than the proud
queen of the land of the Ptolomies sailing
up the Cydnus in a golden barge on a mis-
sion of ruin to Marc Antony. We love
dress as indicative of taste, taste as indi-
catiye of refinement, refinement as indica-
tive of purity and goodness in womanly
character. When you ask us in substance
the question, is it possible that we, stand
ing as we do on the threshold of woman's
century, appreciate oma because she
manifests in dress cultivation and refine
ment, and out of that cultivation and re-
finement worships her God better, you
surprise US. We are sorry if what we
meant to be a compliment gave offense.
We cannot see why the Light, Grace,
Spirit and Truth" should flow any more
freely into ones soul through wooden than
silk material. We know that plainness in
dress is puritanical orthodoxy. And while
we respect the austere religion of our Pur-
itan fathers and believe in most of its
tenets, we can not but think some of its
austerities were born more of the spirit of
the times than of the Spirit of God. While
we believe outward beauty is as nothing to
the eye of God without inward purity, yet
we believe that to deny that God loves the
beautiful in outward form is to deny evil
dences in nature and Revelation. What
artist ever rivaled in art the delicate shad-
ings of the iowery kingdom, or initiated
in gorgeousness the matchless drapery
God hangs round the setting sun. The
writer of Proverbs saith of a virtuous wo-
man: ''She maketh herself coverings of
tapestry, her clothing is silk and purple"
God speaking by the mouth of His prophet,
Ezekiel, of the blessings He bestowed upon
His chosen people, says: 81 Amounted thee
with oil. | clothed thee also with broider-
ed work and shod thee with badgers skins,
and / girded thee about with fine linen
and l covered thee with silk. | decked
thee also with ornaments, and | put brace
lets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy
neck You may say this is to be taken
in a spiritual sense, but was it not literal
ly so? We know Paul says something
about women adjoining themselves IN mod
est apparel. But then Paul also says some
things are lawful but not expedient. Did
not Paul intend this admonition more for
the women of his day that the purity of
the early church might stand out in con-
tradistinction to the v-oluptuousness of the
saturnalian rites? Ruth we can see no
harm in fine dresses so long as the dress
does not steal away the heart, or lead one
into e~xtravagances beyond their means.
We can not understand why one should be
able to worship God better in plain than
in more costly garments if they are worn
with Christian simplicity and grace. Ii
you were invited into the society of those
you would deem your snperiors, or were
about to pay respect at the our of some