The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-04-14
FOLLY OF TIE FLIRT.
rev. THOMAS DIXON, JR., DlScouRsEs
ON RECENT SOCIAL SCANDALS.


from the private rooms of an American
wife and mother. 4 husband had sought
TO wash the stain of dishonor from his
home with the blood of tho scoundrel
who had wrecked its happiness.
The echoes of that pistol shot rang
around the civilized world. IL startled
many a villain. 1t should carry sol.
emn lesson to the heart of the giddy
woman of society.
Within the past few days two CONT
nepts have been again shocked over the
sad revelation Of the disgrace Of a proud
and honored name among the social
celebrities of America. Again the con-
fiict has centered around the sacred
name of wife and mother. What makes
these incidents of specially dark import
is the insight they give in the condition
of the so called high society of today
that circulates between the Old and
New Worlds.
AWFUL FACTS.
A woman correspondent Of the St.
Louis Post-Dispatch, writing from Paris
and commenting on one of these events,
says that there can be imagined no at
mosphere in which woman, pretty, I'M
principled and vain, with the seeds Of
vice lying dormant in her nature, could
find reader encouragement for the mp
springing Of the evil growth than in this
circle of society.
Il have seen a woman Of color, who
was also a woman Of most immoral life
and antecedents, married to a western
widower whose mistress she had been
for years before their union was legal
lied, the guest Of more than che OF The
most honorable American families in
Paris, and that long after her history
had been spread abroad. a tremendous
scandal finally put stop to her career
as a society lady. have known wom-
an who had been divorced for the same
state of affairs that led Mr.. Deacon ia
shoot III. Abeille, who had married her
lover and come to Paris to live, intrusted
by one Of the leading ladies of the Amer
lean colony with the chaperonage OF
that lady's young daughter at a French
watering place. have met repeatedly
at the leading houses Of the American
colony an elderly American woman who
was living openly and undisguisedly
with the husband of another woman.
could go on multiplying such instances
by the score. But | have narrated
enough of them to show that if Mrs.
Deacon chooses to again run with the
hares of responsibility after going hunt
ing with the hounds of immortality, she
can easily manage to do So"
THE DOWNFALL OF SOCIETY.
This is sad reading for the student of
the society of today. If it be true, this
is one of the most startling facts in the
history of the social order Of the Nine
teenth century. 1t as surely points to
the downfall of such a social order, az
did the stencil which rose from the de,
caying society of Rome presage the day
when Goth and Vandal would build on
the ruins of the city once mistress of q
world.
1t seems to me that there arc a few
things plain men and women should
learn from such facts:
First-That to enter such circle OF
ooSICty 10 iAOI OlIiy Iot du LOHOi, bOS
rather to compromise ones character for
honor, integrity, truth, purity, manhood
and womanhOod.
Second-It is time fathers and moth.
ers of wealth learned that to rear a
daughter in one unending whirl Of sci.
fish vanity and idle idiocies, surrounded
by a set OF unprincipled libertines and
rakes, is hardly conducive to the pro
duction of woman TT to preside over a
home.
THE "UNDRESs" HABIT.
Third-The style Of dances and social
customs Of this set is also in need of a
restudy and revision. 1t is worth con.
sidering, at least, whether the custom
of society women appearing at all socia
functions in so called full dress is just
the thing to deveiope virtue and man
hood and womanhood.
For nowadays full dress" means a
nearly undressed as the police will ALLOW
Is it just the thing for women whC
claim to be the leaders of modern society
to habitually appear before men, in theil
homes and in public halls, in a condi
ton of nakedness whose vulgarity pass
es the limits of sane discussion? If any
woman is fool enough to believe mel
have not two eyes in their heads they
will wake to the fact by and by. 4
spade is a spade. 1t is fact that tht
anatomical display in the boxes at thf
opera Of today far exceeds in area tina
which is seen behind the footlights.
am not dogmatizing. | simply ask fo
information. Does all this make pure
strong women and true men?
FLIRTING FOOLS.
Fourth-It is time so called high societ,
learned an old, old truth--that home
the holy of holes Of human life. tn
man who allows a Eberti1e, or any NAL
biped, to enter his home, and under an.
pretense of social law or custom pa,
court to his wife, forfeits the divin
right of his fatherhood and manhood
and lie merits the contempt Of man
kind. The wife who seeks the attention
of other men than her husband is foo
of unfathomable proportions; and whel
she receives the first of these attention
by which men pay court to women, sh
is leaning over the brink Of the deepes
hell that opens on this earth.
It is good time to think Of some Q
| these facts.
THE sAcREDNEss OF THE SECULAR
| And saw q new heaven and q new cart
| for the first heaven and tie first earth wer
| passed away, and there Yves no more ses.
And |, John, saw the holy city, new Jeruss
| len, coming down from God ont of heaye
prepared as bride adorned for her husband.
| And heard great voice out of heaven sa,
| ing. Behold, the tabernacle of God is with mel
| and he will dwell with them, and they shall
| lis people, and God himself shall be with then
| and be their God.
| And / saw no temple therein.
xxi, |, 2. and p.
| have often heard very fine distint
tions drawn between the church and th
world by a certain class of thinker
Such distinction does not exist In th
- Evs< uv,.,r, fhorayu r