The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-09
a Rambler's Observations on
Things in General.
A DUKE AND HIS TAILOR.
The Harsh Decree Of Fashion Implicitly
0beyed-californis Honey and Aus.
traHan Supplies.
written for THE MORNING CALI.

anu With Inc chances OF FEVER thrown lbs tho
bargain is very cheap. The Duke Of York
of course did not want the sweaters serV-
ices. He would no more desire to have his
tailoring handled by sweating workman
than bis linen by a sweating washerwoman.
But the joke is he cannot help himself
The higher you get In this world the lower
Is your power to order groundlings about in
the direction wanted. There is an Infinite
amount of delegation and corresponding
amount of laxity of performance. The
Prince whispers his order 10 his tailor.
His measure is taken In as eourtly a manner
as possible. A perfect fit is guaranteed.
The cloth Is exquisite. 1t contains not
shoddy or mungo, nor thread of cotton.
His Royal Highness' wear must be unlm-
peaehabIe in quality, the buttons and
buttonhoes stitched arttstically. and the
cutters art reduced TO mathematical laws.
But there the business ends. On goes the
cloth in q common tradesman's van or in
paper wrapping under the arm to the
sweaters. Next door there is a death from
measles, diphtberis, smallpox, typhoid or
typhus. And SO society is kept in touch
with poverty and Its ailments. The rich
and the poor are kept in one churn, and
pride and humility at least rub shoulders.
Everything in society is awry this year.
The cholera Is responsible to great de-
gree. Nobody likes TO face death, and
cholera may well be represented by grim
ming skull and q scythe The American
who is accustomed to take holiday in
Europe has been driven cut Of his pleasure.
He has either bad to summer in England,
where the climate is depressing, or has had
TO return home and enjoy tho blessings of
patriotism at an enhanced expenditure. II
cholera educates him into the enjoyment Of
bis own country il Is not wholly an evil,
and the Presidential year in electioneering
Is particularly wholesome for Improvement.
The wonder is so many thousands OF Amer
leans should have the passion TO go to
Europe, and live in Europe. They draw all
their funds from America and spend all in
luxury in Europe. They do not 60 to
Europe to save, where 1t is possible, but to
squsnder, and many of them sustain the
national reputation for extravaganza. Be-
sides the thousands who live in Europe and
only talk about Europe there are ten times
the number who are prompted to take q
European tour because il is the fashion.
They return home and become bores by
signing for another holiday.
When America has population of 200
100000 as it may well have before the young
est baby Is old, Il may become the fashion
Of Europe to cross the Atlantic and enjoy
life at spas. lakes and coast bathing places
just as Americans now enjoy life in Europe.
New Yorker would be glad when the fash
ion changes in this sensible direction, for in
his heart Of hearts he must often admit that
In Paris, Berlin or London he is not just as
comfortable as he is on Manhattan Island.
He has more pictures TO see, more galleries
to roam over, more historical places TO read
about in the guideboOk. and he has good
deal of freedom about habits which may re-
conrile him 10 eXpatriation But for the
ehsTms Of natural scenery he does not re-
QHire TO 90 abroad. For the excitement of
hunting OF fishing he may remain at home.
For yachting, also. he need not 20 TO the
Isle OF Wight But the tide sets toward
Europe. Ladies so there for their fashions,
their clothes, their manner Of mimicTy.
Some OF them live there permanently and
almost apologize for their country. so that
sIobbis % is not cOnfne TO effete monarchial
realms.
But in all It's vlcissitudes may this eoun-
try never come to the pass to which Eng
land has come IN the matter of trade. The
shncAeepers OF London are groaning In
spirit at the dullness of business. They
have wares. but they Will not sell. The
public has deserted them, and some focus is
needed to rally the aristocracy around them
In special purchasing effort. These loyal
lists Of shopkeepeTs have just reason to com
plain OF bis Royal Highness the late Duke
Of Clarence His approaching marriage
entralned them into many foolish purchases
OF the Joyous Talment appropriate 10 wed
dings. just O month before the marriage
blessing grim Death had the bad breeding
10 come along with his seYthe and NOW
down the young groom all too sadly. But
nature never witches muscle in the per-
foEmaDce Of action. Away went the Prince.
and with him a mountain OF gay costume,
aud ever so many good dinners and gay
parties among the favored people OF the
earth, who always know how 70 cast a
shadow Ia sunshine. Somber garb came In
as a token of nations grief, and there
TT oInF. f-1.W
ers, because only few Of them are in the
funeral line.
To rectify this long train of evils from the
unwarranta bic intrusion Of grim death
with the seythe, there is actually serious
talk among the shopkeepers of London to
expedite an act Of Parliament requiring the
Duke OF York, the deceased Clarence's
brother. to marry somebody straight away.
1t has become function Of state necessity.
Trade must be kept going or the tight little
island will go to the bOwwows. How can
loyalty be encouraged otherwise? Seeing
that trade Is on so rtfcial basis as to re-
quire the marriage OF prince in order to
compensate for the death Of his brother, it
is problem with statesmen whether the
heir apparent should not be required to
marry frequently. There IL precedent for
this in the eXample-mostly ignOble-Of
Henry the Eighth. To Judge from present
indications by the morality OF profits Henry
must have been a sovereign beloved by the
bookkeeping brotherhood and by function
performing ecclesiastics. Even the execu-
toner who chopped off heads must have
considered him patron Of fine arts lethal.
Really 1t Is laughable to think OF London
growing because fashion is not swimming
In ponl round q big carp. Think of New
York being dependent for business upon
Jay Gould or Vanderbilt or the Astors.
They are only big capitalists, who take ad-
vantage of the turn of the market. 1t is
the masses who handle the real business.
The capitalists are DO more than statesmen,
who watch the current of ebbiDg and f1ow-
Ing current affairs, and are often given
credit for movements in which they only
stepped into line. But anathematize it as
We may there Is such thing as fashion.
and in old countries you might as well at
tempt a voyage to the moon in the manner
Of Bans Pfall as to try to set il aside
Human society is organized very much in
the manner Of gudgeon schools. A few
leaders swim at the head and all the rest
follow in blind faith, trusting much and
Questioning nothing. London, however,
has so many people that the whole of the
aristocracy who are wont to infest Its
uietesL retreats might be dropped into the
rave without tear being shed. Not one
of them would be missed In fact nobody
has yet discovered the man who cannot be
spared
There are fashions In America as well as
In those effete monarchies which Ameri-
cans are prone to derlde, but visit fire.
qnently according 10 the amplitude Of the
purse. The fashions are supposed to come
from France or England, but, really. where
de they come from? A few individuals In
Paris and London dictate what Is to be
% worn for this season or that IL there any
underlying reason why the fashion dictum
of this or that region should prevailf Per-
maps only the all-suficient one that there
must be change. Ii people were allowed
10 wear cut their old clothes there would be