The record-union., 1892-04-16
FASHION AND PRECEDENCE.
Follies to Whose DEGREES Weak HUI
mainly Humbly Bows.
The Old Man on the Mountain Moral
ICES, and Adorns His Moral
With True Tale.

with True Tale.
Among the highest mountains none is higher
tion."
Its summit pierces through the lower skies:
10 ascend its highest peak but few aspire.
ana even they are dazzled with the con-
temptation
Of the vast scenes unfolded to their ewes.
here was where the old man sat:
rom mere one overlooks the Olympic hight
from whence old Jupiter his thunderbolts
once hurled
On lesser gods and men who reused his ire.
1erflnc seemed the fury of that old gods
might,
Frightening celestials and the ancient world
W TN what We play with now-eectric fire.
10 that old god we wouldn't raise our hat
Upon that highest peak there sat an old man;
his nair and beard were white, but his features
Which might be aptly termed the youth of
age;
His eyes were bright and had the power to
Earth's cities, towns and by-ways to their
farthest nook
With keenness which proclaimed the man q
This was the old man perched for observa-
ton;
But it was no ancient scene could him allure.
Upon modern world he turned his acute
vision,
And of all he saw and heard he made note
thinking, undoubtedly, that he might secure
Of modern modes and customs due pre-
cision,
Which could be transferred to any one who
The future history of any modern nation.
Il Webster's Unabridged.
And this was what the old man saw:
She sat upon brilliant throne, the per-
feet incorporation of youth, and beauty,
and loneliness, and grace, and elegance,
and imperiousness, and delicious lavish
ness, and of all of the adjectives which
express the adorable. Truly regal she APP
peared amidst her surroundings of silks,
and satins, and laces, and all OF the finer
and even coarser cloths and materials
from every mandatory in the world.
There were diamonds, and rubies, and
pearls, and jewels of every description
scattered around her in magnificent pro-
fusion, and OF these she selected and ar
ranged in fanciful, and sometimes fan
tastic forms, designs of costumes, and
ornaments, and decorations, which she
forced her subjects to buy; for she reigned
supreme, and none dared disobey her
mandate.
Those who knew her not presumed that
she was the goddess of commerce, which
was very good guess, and not bad APP
pellation; but the old man on the mount
OF the world.
Her subjects were queens and prin-
cesseS and ducheSSes and baronesseS and
ministers wives and daughters, and
tradesmen's wives and daughters and
farmers wives and daughters-in short.
every female inhabitant OF the earth, and
Ii her sway was not absolute over men, it
came very near being so, for they had to
rustic III the HYelleSt manner to furnish
The means TO pay for what was forced on
their wives and daughters, for never
female existed who dared to object
TO anything which was offered by
their empress. Miss Kyrene Fashion and
II they had dared they would have been
banlShed at once to the realm called un-
Womanly. So each and everyone ac-
cepted whatever was offered with the
sweetest OF smiles, and some robbed their
husbands pockets at night to obtain the
means WhereWlth to pay, and many
cried because they could not pay for
something more costly.
Here was chance for the old man on
the mountain peak to moralize. He
might have said: "How much more hap
piness there would have been in the
world II * yrene had been more consider
ate of the welfare of her subjects-if she
had considered the health of the women,
and estimated the pocketbooks of the
men, and offered only such things as
were appropriate TO both" But the old
man comprehended that this would be
the same as saying: IF the world had
heen made different, it would have been
better" and the old man was too much
an optimist to say that.
AS for hyrene, she seemed utterly re-
CARELESS Of anything but her own pleas
ure. She appeared to have absorbed
all of the seltishness of the world. but
never was potentate worshiped with such
utter devotion. If ever feminine kick
was made at any of her edicts, it was so
slight that it did not display the toe of a
shoe. or disturb the fold of a feminine
dress.
AS for the men, the old man on the
mountain peak whispered: MEN are
too gallant too kick against anything
feminine and Fashion was a woman, so
were their wives and daughters
SO kyrene hourished on the love of
her subjects, who apparently cared for
nothing but to increase the delight sof
their ruler; but they had one serious
trouble-they feared that their beloved
Empress might die an old maid: for
where was the masculine form worthy to
mate with she they adored?
The old man on the mountain peak
winked comical wink at their distress.
From where he sat he could see one fit
ting and everyday worthy to wed with
the Empress of the world. His name
was Phebus Precedent, and he ruled
men as absolutely as Kyrene Fashion
ruleG women.
Emperors, kings. statesmen, Judges,
ministers of law and body,
from highest to lowest deferred to his
dlctum about every important thing, and
his word was irrevocable fiat. HIS per-
sonal appearance might be described as
imposing, with a dignified suavity of
manner toward high and low, who bowed
obsequiously whenever he appeared.
Phoebus had heard of kyrene. and
Kyrene had heard of Phobus, and each
lad a mild desire to see the other; but
both were so enveloped in their own self
importance that neither imagined the
possibility of any division of power.
Phobus spent most of his spare time
hunting for old traditions, and Kyrene
spent most of her spare time hunting for
new designs, so it might have been ex-
pected that in their wanderings they
would "meet by chance, the usual way.''
This occurred, and to say that both were
surprised and delighted with each other,
would be describing their sensations in
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