The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-05-03
SIMPLICITY oE ATTIRE.
As Related TO the Promotion of So
cial Purity.

As Related TO the Promotion of So
cial Purity.
BY Josiah w. Leeds.
An observant Christian, Elizabeth
P. Allan, writing in the Sunday
School Times concerning the
way these things work among the
sabbath school" children, and what
is the responsibility of mothers in this
matter, says:
''The little circle of faces seemed to
rise before me, and l realized that my
chief obstacle in gaining and holding
tEeir attention and interest was their
own attire. I don'tknow what special
device the devil has for preventing
boys classes from giving heed (some
other teacher knows that), but this
matter of dress is one that never seems
to fail him, at any season of the year,
on the girls side of the room. VI
course, the tug of war between me and
the enemy comes at the turn of the
season. A teacher with any know
ledge at all of the feminine heart must
make allowances for the intense which
each of the six girls feels in tue winter
or summer outfit Of the other five
that must be accepted. Butjust as ]
hope, to a reasonable state of indiffer-
ence with regard to hats and dresses,
some mother provides Jennie with a
new costume, aud for several success
i've Sabbaths efforts are made by the
other five after some variety in their
own dress, and the precious lesson
time is spent in speculation as to the
effect of these changes; admiration,
disapproval, or, to often, envy OF the
others and in such troubled atmos-
phere the white-winged blessings can
not settle. Icould describe an Infinite
variety of forms which this evil as
sumes, for would fain reach the ear
of the mothers with plea for help"
There are doubtless many beside
the writer of this essay, who have de-
plored the brigand style Of hats for
women and girls which of late years
has become so common. To place a
hat of this sort, peaked atop, flared up
in front or at the side, and conspicuous
" decorated with feathers or plumes,
upon the head of modest school girl,
seems tantamount to bidding her be
bold, to hold her head high, and speak
her mind smartly. The influence Of
this costume in producing just this ef-
feet Of unfeminine boldness, is proba-
bly, greater than most of us have any
conception of. Its tendency cannot
be otherwise than one of antagonism
to that meek, lowly, and chaste de-
meanor which the Lord our God de-
lights In. Recently read a pathetic
story concerning pretty looking
young girl of unusually retiring but
engaging manners, whom the narrator
of the recount had observed 10 take
the train at q certain station to attend
school in the city. When she first be-
gan to make the daily trips she was
very backward in her way, and seemed
shocked at the free and boisterous
manners of other girls en- route to
school like herself; but in single sea-
son she was observed to have devel-
oped into bold. smart-spoken miss.
even permitting the brakeman to sit
down and chat with her. The not un-
expected sequel was q runaway match
with an nnprincipled man, and heart
broken parents at home. wondered
to what extent this ruin was made
possible through wearing the bold
style of hat I have referred to. Re
PEELED at first by the ill-bred behavior
of the other girls, she soon became
their willing companion, and doubtless
quickly fell in with their style Of dress
as she had with their manner of ad-
dress.
The fashionable style of reception
and opera dress in vogue the past year,
seem to have partaken of more SEN
suous character than anything previ-
ously known in American society"
A passing comment-from the New
York correspondent of the Public
Ledger Of Philadelphia-is in point.
He says /: "The Roman Catholic press
are joining their Episcopal contempo-
raries in denouncing or deprecating|
some of the prevailing fashions in ap-
parel, especially at places of amuse-
ment. Thus in the same spirit that
characterized an article in the Church
man, from which your correspondent
had occasion to quote the other day,
the Freeman's Journal of today does
not hesitate to declare, what secu-
liar writer perhaps would hesitate 20
say, that 'Juvenai's description of the
dress of the Roman matrOns in the
worst days of pagan Rome would al
most fit the immodesty of Christian
women at this day at the opera house
In New York This is severe, but it
may not be undeserved."
Again, a metropolitan paper, COM
menting upon the sudden death of
conspicuous leader of fashionable so
ciety in Washington last winter, NOR
allies as follows:
"And there are thousands going her
way, intoxicated with the excitement
that comes from brilliant assemblages,
compliments meant and not meant,
and the whole phantasmagoria of the
great world of hollow mockeries. :.
The mass of the human race has
not. t.yet progressed to the point of per-
fectiOn where the bar of modesty may
be removed with safety. The respec-
'22ble theory of decollete costume is
that it is artistic and beautiful, that
it. satifies the aesthetic taste; the other
theory is that it appeals to the sensual.
ity of men. There are two classes OF
women who go to extremes in this
freak of fashion-the women in scar
let and the women in white. The
women in white are followers of the re-
spectacle theory, while the women in
scarlet are followers Of the other-and
both wearing the same sort Of COS
tune. A thing may be
highly artistic and highly immoral at
the same time, and one can sacrifice
oon6 tasfa and nronrietv in nursuit Of