The Progress., 1894-08-11

tiarv> sad Philadelphia Morton C
tho watering OF sso2lss ind the ne
lnsUl&s' &c l5G2;sA0caIs 10 pcfjp.tlt state
nents about .beir assets, and has 2o::i.
pletelT upset Gar American iaaA2o;.:
What 1ra@s it taat ovarth2o " tie {in:,o'
Sta ties secretary at Washiogtoi;. tAc
crash OF whose fall shool, the ccA.!'
nent: But why should go TO thcac
famous detaultings TO show wha. sen
Will do n order 70 keep up grea. home
style and expensive wardrobe, when
you and | know scores Of men who
arc put to thei; wits end. and are
, dashed from January to December in
, the attempt Our politicians mag
theorize until the expiration Of their
terms Of office as to the best way OF
improving our monetary condition in
this country; it will be of no use, and
things will be no better until we learn
to put on our heads, and 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 az
tempt to keep the wardro be of their
family as snowy as other folks ward
robes, are dying of muffs, and dia.
monds, 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 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 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 me to preach funeral
sermon of q man who dies like that !
blurt out the whole truth, and tell
that he was strangled to death by his
wife's ribbons! Our countries are
dressed to death You are not sur
prised 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 $500, 900 for his daughter
wedding dress. Cashmeres of 81, OOt
each are not rare on Broadway. 1t is
estimated that there are 10, QUO women
in these two cities who have expended
on their personal array $4,000 a year
What are men to do in order to keep
up such wardrobes? Steal-that is
the only respectable thing they car
do! During the last fifteen years there
have been innumerable fine businesses
shipwrecked on the wardrobe. The
temptation comes in this way: A man
thinks more of his family than Of al
the world outside, and if they spend
the evening in describing to him the
superior wardrobe of the family acros:
, the street, that they can not bear the
sight of, the man is thrown on hi:
r gallantry and on his pride OF family
and, without translating his feelings
, into plain language, he goes into ex
tortion and issuing OF false stock, ant
} skillful penmanship in writing some
, body else's name at the foot OF
3 promissory note; and they all 60 "owl
, ogether-the husband to the prison
9 the wife to the sewing machine. tn
8 children to be taken care of by thos'
? who were called poor relations q
5 for some new Shakespeare to arise an
| write the tragedy Of human clothes
l Act the first of the tragedy.-i
r plain but beautiful home. Enter tn
, newly married pair. Enter, simpli
!. city of manner and behavior: Enter
!. as much happiness as is ever found il
t one home.
+ Act the second -Discontent wit
. the humble home. Enter, envy
e Enter, jealousy. Enter, desire Of dis
: play.
4 Act the third. Enlargement OF eS
y penses Enter all the queenly dress
= makers Enter, the French milliners
q Act the fourth. The tip-top Q
society. Enter, princes and princesse
+ of high life. Enter, magnificent plat
c and equipage Enter, everyth1n
h splendid.
4 Act the fifth, and last-Winding u
4 of the scene. Enter, the assignee
q Enter, the sheriff. Enter, the cred
!. tors Enter humiliation. Enter, tn
,. wrath of God. Enter, the contempt
|. society. Enter, death Now, let tn
n silk curtain drop on the stage. In
n farce is ended and the lights are ou
= viii you forgive me if l say i
1 tersest shape possible that some OF tn
q men have to forge and to perjure an
q to swindle to pay for their wive
d dresses? will say it, whether 70
d forgive me or not
!, Again, inordinate fashion is tn
"a foe Of all Christian alms-giving Me
It and women put so much in persona
!, display that they often have nothin
n for God and the, cause OF sutferin
d humanity. A Christian man crackin
d his Palais Royal glove across the oac
~ by shutting up his hand to hide tn
II cent be puts into the poor-box
m Christian woman, at the story OF tn
+ Hottentots, crying copious tears int
o,s b,,dl,archiaf and then oiyinp