The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-08-09
TRAGEDY OF DRESS.
SACRIFICES FOR FASHION.
Men Are as Bad as Women. Says Tai
mase-Efort to Be in Style.

TEXT "whose adorning let II not bethas
outward adorning OF plating the hair and
the wearing OF gold or OF putting on Of ap-
parel. but let II be the hidden man OF the
heart. VI Peter 49,. 3, 4.
That we should all be clad is proved by
the opening OF the first wardrobe In paradise,
with its apparel OF dark green. That We
should all, as far as our means allow US, he
beautifully and gracefully appareled is
proved by the fact that God never made n
wave but He gildedit with golden sunbeams,
or n tree but He garanded II with blossoms,
or sky but He studded Il with stars. or al
lowed even the smoke OF furnace to ascend
but He coumned and turreted and domed
and scrolled IL into outlines OF indescribablo
gracefulness. When I SEQ the apple or
chards OF tho spring and the pageantry OF
the autumnal forests. 1 come TO the conclu-
sion that. II nature does ever join the church.
while she may be Quaker Ia the silence OF
her worship, she never will be Quaker In
the style OF her dress. Why the notches OF
q fern leaf or the stamen OF water lily2
Whv. when the day departs. does IL let the
folding doors OF heaven stay open so long
when IL might go In so quickly?
One summer morning saw an army OF
million spears, each ono adorned with a
diamond OF the first water-I mean the
grasa, with the dew on IT,. When the
prodigal came home, his father not 1ly
put a coat on his back, but jewelry on his
hand. Christ wore beard. Paul, the
bachelor apostle. not afflicted with any
sentimcntality. admired the arrangement OF
awoman's hair when he said in his episte.
III woman have long hair, 1t Is glory
unto her"
There will be n fashion in heaven as on
earth. but II will be n different kind OF
fashion. IL will decide the color OF the dress.
and the population OF that country, by
beautiful law, will wear white. I say these
tt.va lsa.
show you that l have no prim, precise,
prudish or cast iron theories on the subject
OF human apparel. But the goddess OF
fashion has set up her throne In this world
and at the sound OF the timbrels we are all
expected TO fall down and worship. The
| Old and New Testament OF her Bible are
the fashion plates. Her affairs smoke with
the sacrifice Of the bodies, minds and souls
| OF 10000 victims In her temple four
people stand in the organ loft. and from
them there comes down a cold drizzle OF
music. freezing on the ears OF her worsnipers.
| This goddess OF fashion has become rival
! OF the Lord OF heaven and earth, and Il Is
high time that we unlimbered our batteries
against this idolatry. When / come to
count the victims OF fashion, find as many
masculine as feminine. Men make an easy
TRADE against woman. rs though she were
the chief worshper mt this idolatrous
/ shrine, and no doubt some men In the more
conspicuous part OF the pew have already
east glances al the more retired part OF the
| pew. their look prophecy OF generous dis
tribution. My sermon shall be as appropriate
for one end OF the pew as forthe other
Men are as much the idolators OF fashion
as women. but they sacrifice on different
part OF the altar, With men the fashion
! goes 10 cigars ana clubrooms and yachting
| parties and wine suppers. In the United
States the men chew up and smoke $780,
600. COO worth oil tobacco every year. That
is their fashion. In London not long ago n
man died who started In life with $3.50 900.
but he ate 1t all up In gluttonies. sending HE
agents TO all parts OF the earth for soms rare
| delicacy for the palate. sometimes one pliss.
lAts food cssting HIN $500 or s40O He ate
up his whole fortune and had only guinea
lett. With that he bought a woodcock and
had II dressed in the very best style. ate II.
gave two hours Tor digestion. then walked
out on Westminster bridgean threw himself
into the Thames and died. doing on a large
scale what you and have often seen done
on n small scale. But men do not abstain
IRON millinery and elaboration OF skirt
through any superiority OF humility. IL Il
only because such appendages would be- a
blockade TO business. What would sashes
and trains three and half yards long do In
stock marketY And yet men are the dis.
ciples OF fashion just as much as women
Some ofthem wear boots so tight they can
hardly walk in the paths OF righteousness
OF clothes and never pay TOR them. and VINO
go through the streets in great stripes OF
color like animated checkerboards. say
these things because i want TO show you that
am impartial in my discourse. and that
both sexes. in the language OF the sure.
gates Office shall share and share alike. -"
As God may help me. I shall show you what
are the destroying and deathful Influences
OF inordinate fashion.
The first baneiul influence / notice is in
fraud, illimitable and ghastly. DO you know
thar Arnold of the revolution proposed to
sell his country in order to get money TO
support his wife's wardrobe? declare hero
before God and this people that the effort TO
keep up expensive establishments In this
country Is sending more business men TO
temporal perdition than all other causes
combined. What was IL that sent Gilman 10
hepenitentiary and Philadelphia Morton to
the watering OF stock, and the life insurance
presidents TO perjured statements about
their assets, and has completely upset our
American finances? What was II that over.
threw the United States secretary at WASH
ington, the crash OF whose fall shook the
continent? But why should 60 TO these IA.
nous defaultings TO show what men will dc
In order 10 keep up great home style and OK.
pensive wardrobe when you and L know
scores OF men who are put TO their wits end
and are lashed from January to December
In the attempt? Our politicians may theor.
flee as TO the best way OF improving our
monetary condition In this country. IL will
be OF no use, and things will be no DetteI
until We can learn to put on our heads anC
backs and feet and hands no more than We
can pay for
There are clerks In stores and banks on
limited salaries who, In the vain attempt 10
keep the wardrobe OF their family as snowy
as other folks wardrobes, are dying OF muffs
and diamonds and shawls and high hats. and
they have nothing left except what they give
10 cigars and wine suppers, and they die be-
fore their time. and they will expect US min.
listers 10 preach about them as though they
were the victims Of early piety, and after
high class funeral, with silver handles at the
side OF the cotfin of extraordinary bright.
ness, II will be found out that the under
taker Is cheated out OF his legitimate ex-
penses. Do not send to me to preach the
funeral sermon OF u man who dies like that
will blur out the whole truth and tell that
he was strangled TO death by his wife's rib
bons. Our countries are dressed to, death.