The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1894-08-17


nioFe than we can pay fof.
There are clerks i'll stores and banks
on Limited salaries who, in the vain at
tempt to keep the wardrobes of their
family as snowy as other folks ward
robes; are dying Of tf9uffs, and dia:
ino1ids, and shawis, and high hats, and
they have nothing left except what
they give to eigars and wine suppers,
and they die before theft time and they
will expect us ministers to preach
about them as though they were the
victims of early piety, and after high
class funeral, with silver handles at the
sides of the coffin, of extraordinary
brightness, II will be found out that
the undertaken is cheated out of his
Legitimate expenses Do not sefld 10 me
topreach the funeral sermon of d man
who died like that I will blurt out the
whole truth, and tell US he was stran-
gled to death by his wifes ribbons!
Our countries are dressed to death. You
are not surprised to hear that the put
ting up of one public building In New
York cost millions of dollars more than
&c ought to have cost, when you find
that the man who gave out the con-
tract paid more than five thousand dol
lars for his wife's wedding dress. Cash
meres of one thousand dollars each are
not rare on Broadway. 1t is estimated
that there are ten thousand women in
these two cities who have expended on
their personal array four thousand dol
lars a year.
What are tnen to do in order to keep
UP such home *ardrobes? Stea1-that
is the only respectable thing they can
do. During the last fifteen years there
hare been innumerable fine businesses
shipped on the 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 can not bear the sight Of
the man is thrown on his gallantry and
on his pride of family, and, without
translating his feelings into plain Ian
guage, he goes into extortion and issu-
ing of false stock, and skillful penman-
ship in writing somebody's else's name
at the foot of promisscry note; and
they all go down together-the hus-
band to prison, the wife to the sewing
machine, the children to be taken care
of by those who were called poor rela-
tions. oil for some new Shakespeare
to arise and write the tragedy of hui
man clothes.
Act the first of the tragedy-A plain,
but beautiful home. Enter, the new
ly-married pair. Enter, simplicity of
manner and behavior. Enter, as much
happiness as is ever found in one home.
Act the second-Discontent with the
humble home. Enter, envy. Enter,
jealousy. Enter, desire of display.
Act the third-EDlargeme of ex-
penses. Enter, all the queenly dress
makers. Enter, the French milliner.
Act the fourth-The tip-top of soci-
ETY.. Enter, princes and princesses of
high life. Enter magnificent plate and
equippage. Enter, everything splendid.
Act the fifth, and last-Winding up
of the scene. Enter, the assingnee
Enter, the sheriff Enter, the credi-
tors. Enter, humiliation Enter, the
wrath of God Enter, the contempt of
society. Enter, death. Now, let the
silk curtain drop on the stage. The
farce is ended and the lights are out
Win you forgive me if say in
tersest shape possible that some of the
men have to forge and to perjure and
to swindle to pay for their wives
dresses? I will say it, whether you
| forgive me or not.
Again, inordinate fashion is the foe
of all Christian aims giving Men and
women put so much in personal dis
play that they often have nothing for
God and the cause of suffering hui
mainly. A Christian man cracking his
Palais Royal glove across the back by
shutting up his hand to hide the one
cent he puts into the pOor-box. A
Christian woman, at the story of the
Hottentots, crying copious tears into a
twenty-fve-dOllar handkerchief, and
| then giving a twO-cent piece to
| the collection, thrusting it down
under the bills so people will not know
but it was ten dollar gold piece! One
hundred dollars for incense to fashion,
two cents for God. God gives us ninety
cents out of every dollar. The other
ten cents, by command of the Bible, be-
| long to Him. Is not God liberal ac-
cording to this tithing system laid down
in the Old Testament-is not God lib
eral in giving us ninety cents out of a
dollar, when He takes but ten? We do
not like that. We want to have nine
ty-nine cents for ourselves and one for
God.
Now, 1 would great deal rather
steal ten cents from you than from
| God. l think one reason why great
many people do not get along in world
| ly accumulation faster is because they
do not observe this divine rule. God
SAYS: "Well, if that man is not salts
fed with ninety 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 Christian church to-
day Is the fact that men expend SO
much money on their table, and women
so much on their dress, they have
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 a plea for the char
| ity of the people was being made,
when an old Christian man in the au-
/ dience 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?'
I did not answer that question. It was
the only time in my life when l had