The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-08-10

continent? But why should ] go to these
famous defaultings to show what men
will do in order to keep up great home
style and expensive wardrobe when you
and know scores Of men who are put
to their wits end and are dashed from
January to December in the attempt?
Our politicians may theorize until the
expiration Of their terms of office as to
the best way Of improving our monetary
condition in this country 1t will be of
no use, and things will be no better I'M
til we can learn to put on our heads
ard backs and feet and hands no more
TAN yeo can pay for.
There are clerks in stores and banks
on limited salaries who, in the vain
attempt to keep the wardrobe Of their
family as snowy as other folks ward
robes, are dying Of muffs and diamonds
and shawls and high hats, and they
have nothing left except what they give
to cigars and wine suppers, and they
die before their time, and they will ex-
pect us ministers to preach about them
as though they We're the victims of ear
ly piety, and after high class funeral.
with silver handles at the side of the
coffin of extraordinary brightness, it
will be found out that the undertaken
is cheated out of his legitimate expenses.
Do not send to me to preach the funeral
sermon of man who dies like that |
will blurt out the whole truth and tell
that he was strangled to death by his
wife's ribbons Our countries are dress
ed to death. You are not surprised to
find that the putting up of one public
building in New York cost millions Of
dollars more than it ought TO have cost
when you find that the man who gave
out the contracts paid more than 49,
! 900 for his daughters wedding dress.
Cashmeres of thousand dollars each
are not rare on Broadway. 1t is estimat-
ed that there are 10, 900 women in these
two cities who have expended on their
personal array 81, 900 year.
What are men to do in order to keep
up such home wardrobes? Steal? That
is the only respectable thing they can
dol During the last Is years there have
been innumerable fine businesses ship
wrecked ON tho wardrobe. The tempta-
ton comes in this way: A man thinks
more of his family than of all the world
outside, and if they spend the evening
in describing to him the superior ward
robe Of the family across the street that
they cannot bear the sight of the man
is thrown on his gallantry and on his
pride of family and without translat-
ing his feelings into plain language he
goes into eXtortion and issuing false
stock end skillful penmanship in writ
ing somebody else's name at the foot OF
a promissory note, and they all go down
together-the husband to the prison,
the wife to the sewing machine, the
children to be taken care Of by those
who were called poor relations. oh,
for some new Shakespeare to arise and
write the tragedy of human clothesl
Will you forgive me if l say in ters-
est shape possible that some of the men
have to forge and to perjure and TO
swindle to pay for their wives dresses?
l will say it whether you forgive me
or mott
Again. inordinate fashion is the foe
of all Christian almsgiving. Men and
women put so much in personal display
that they often have nothing for God
and the cause of suffering humanity. A
Christian man cracking his Palais Roy
al glove across the back by shutting up
his hand to hide the cent he puts into
the poorbox A Christian woman, at
the story of the Hottentots, crying CO.
pious tears into a $25 handkerchief and
then giving 2 cent piece to the collec-
tion, thrusting it under the bills so peo-
pie will not know but it was $40 gold
piece. One hundred dollars for incense
to fashion; cents for God. God gives
us 90 cents out Of every dollar. The
other 10 cents by command of his Bible
belong to him Is not God liberal ao
cording to his tithing system laid down
in the Old Testament? Is not God lib
eral in giving US 90 cents out of dollar
when he takes but 10? We do not like
that. We want to have 90 cents for our
selves and for God
Now, would great deal rather steal
10 cents from you than from God. |
think one reason why great many peo-
pie do not get along in worldly accumu-
lation faster is because they do not OBJ
serve this divine rule God says, 'Well, |
if that man is not satisfied with 90 cents |
of dollar, then l will take the whole |
dollar, and will give it to the man or
woman who is honest with me" The |
greatest obstacle to charity in the Chris
tian church today is the fact that men
expend so much money on their table,
and women so much on their DRESS they |
have got nothing left for the work of
God and the worlds betterment In my
first settlement at Belleville n. j., the |
cause of missions was being presented |
one Sabbath, and plea for the charity
of the people was being made, when an
old Christian man in the audience lost
his balance and said right out in the
midst of the sermon, ''Mr. Talmage,
how are we TO give literally to these
grand and glorious causes when our
families dress as they do?' did not
answer that question. 1t was the Only
time in my life when had nothing to
cav