The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-06-29
FAST LIVING.
SOCIETY SCORED IN NO UN-
CERTAIN MANNER.
Fast Life by Young Society
Swells---The Club Houses and
Theatres and the Pace That
Kills, Graphically Pictured by
Rev. DR.. Walter Lewis.
Atlanta constitutional

III IN V. III. w oilhSl IC"lS jlCdCuSu
a rous;ng sermon before large audi
ence at Trinity church yesterday morn
ing.
The doctors theme was a most in
teresting one and he took occasion to
Iay his respects to social Atlanta, and
every word that he uttered came
straight from the shoulder
His manner of speech was very en-
phatic, and he evidently meant every
thing he said
Doctor Lewis read the following
lines from Isaiah, xiii, I0: "There-
fore thus saith the Lord, behold | lay
in Zion for a foundation a stone, a
brick stone, precious corner stone, a
sure foundation: he that believeth
shall not make haste.'
After few Introductory remarks
outlining his discourse, Doctor Lewis
said
"A late editorial in the Constitution
entitled TOO Much Idle Gossip, is
an excellent production; lay sermon
of great merit, deserving reproduction
and widespread circulation. There is
too much gossl p here.
" But from one of its statements |
must entirely dissent. When the edi-
tor speaks of this evil, Of its spread
abroad, and of the question it will
raise in other communities, What is
the matter with Atlanta?' he sum-
marily dismisses it, saying: There
is nothing the matter except the wag
glng of too many reckless tongues
Nothing the matter not also affecting
other cities, there is much the matter
here; much serious and alarming; much
serious and alarming; much sapping
the energy of the city, retarding its
growth, involving its once fair name,
and corrupting its morals. Fast living
is the matter.
"Here is young fellow who has
inherited, not his fathers energy and
conservatism, but his money. He
means to spend it. He can't smoke
less than twenty -fve-cent cigar-it
would reflect on his station. His dry
goods bill is enorlnous-his pants so
with the creases on their legs. His
livery bill would support his grand
father. Reserved seats at the theatre
are too reserved for him; he rents a
box. The cars are not stony' enough
to deport him; he hires a carriage
After the dreary or flashy performance
he adjourns to midnight supper at S.
head. His capacity for spending
the money his father sweated to gain
is like the proboscis Of an elephant,
anything from a pin to an empire
"He sets the pace. His friends of
similar means follow. Strangers won
der and join the race. Costly drinks,
costly clothes, costly courting, costly
everything. After the leaping grey
hound, promiscuous pack rush on,
raising the dust and the devil. Then
late nights unfit them for the morrow's
business. Too poor to marry they
turn away from the warnings of God
and the wooing of the gospel, to follow
Herodias into the entangling alliance
of dishonor and shame-paying for it
in the surrender OF manliness, and a
weakening spirit, paying for his asso-
Citations there with the little left him,
and the much he can appropriate from
depositors, creditors or employers.
Then the lag in energy, the unpaid
accounts making merchants swear, the
embarrassment and despair, the dis
grace and end.
"Our girls are doing nothing to
break and stop their fall. Oh! why
are they SO thoughtless as to allow the
attentions they receive impoversh
their suffers. When the most Of our
young fellows finish courting they are
themselves altogether finished. Hiring
carriages to go few blocks, renting a
box rather than a reserved seat, send
ing flowers at amazing prices, providing
midnight champagne suppers. Why
don't our girls know that these suitors
have nothing or will have nothing to
support them with ? No girl ought to
allow her lover to embarrass his bus
mess or overdraw his account for her
sake Give the boys chance to make
and keep something.
" And they might have It if the
thoughtlessness of young gin we're not
approved by their parents. If my
daughter needed a carriage or a ticket
or a choice seat for an entertainment
I'd pay for it. No young fellow should
spend his weeks wages on her. And
yet parents encourage their daughters
to receive the most expensive atten-
tions from fifty dollar clerks, and suffer
the better paid to spend all they have,
and more, to give their children d
swell time of it and a grand display.
" And then society is on the run.
Its speed beats the Nancy Hanks.
That train rushes over highways of
clamped steel, on sound wheels and
good air brakes, over moderate curves
and grades. The engine of 'society'
has bad wheels, impaired brakes, steep
grades and sharp curves. It is sure to
leave the track some where, and it will
leave many in the smasll-up. No rail
road horror compares with derailing
of society.
!: Fast living is damaging Atlanta.
1t will cause hegira for us if there is
not an abatement of its speed. 1t will
deter capitalists from coming here.
One fast young fellow will discourage
more than our public schools attract.
THE wild abandon of the luxurious to