Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-08-06

[ IFdOEUlUIII uLlknNuNAst ~ VIZ
out that the undertaken is cheated out
of his legitimate expenses! Do not SEND
to me to preach the funeral sermon OF
! a man who dies like that L Will olurt
out the whole truth, aud tell that he
was strangled TO death by his wlfe's
ribbons! Our countries are dressed TO
death. You are not surprised TO ind
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 five
thousand dollars for his daughters
wedding dress. Cashmeres OF thou
sand dollars each are not rare on
Broadway. II is estimated that there
are
TEN THOUSAND WOMEN
in these two cities who have expended
on their personal array four thousand
dollars year.
What are men to do in order to keep
I'D such home wardrobeS? Steal-tkat
10 the only respectable thing they can
do! During the last fifteen years there
have been inuumeraole fine businesses
NulUNIGEhE4 Ou VIZ WGANAOSN-
temptation comes in this way: A man
thinks more OF his family than OF all the
world outside, and II they spend the
evening In describing TO him the superior
wardrobe OF the family across the street
| that they cannot bear the sight OF, the
man is thrown on his gGllantry and his
pride OF family, aud, without translating
his feelings into plain language, he goes
into extortlon and issuing OF watered
stock, and skillful peGmanship in writ
ing somebody else's name at the foot OF
a promissory note; aud they al 20 down
together-the husband 10 prison, the
wife 10 the sewing machine, the children
to be taken care Of by those who were
called Door relations. o! for some new
Shakespeare TO arise and write the
tragedy Of human clothes.
VIII you forgive me II | say ia tersest
shape possible that some OF the men
have 70 forge and to perjure and TO
swlndle to pay for their wives dresses?
will say it, whether you forgive me or
not.
Again. inordinate fashion is the foe
OF all Christian alms-giVing. Men and
women put so much in personal display
that they often have nothing for God
aud the cause Of suffering humanity.
The greatest obstacle to charity in the
Christian church 70 day 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 better
ment. In my first settlement az Belle
b0 nT M
was being presented one Sabbath, ana
plea for the charity OF the people was
being made, when an old Christian man
! In the audience lost his balance, and
said out in the midst OK the sermon;
/ MIR. TalmaCe, how are we 10 give llo-
orally to these grand and glorious
causes when our families dress as they
do?" l did not answer that question.
IL was the only time in my life when
had nothing 90 say.
Again, inorGinate fashion is distrac-
ton 10 public worship. You know very
well there are a good many people who
come 10 church JUST as they 90 TO the
races 10 see who will come out first.
What flutter Ii makes ia church when
some woman with extraordinary dis
play OF fashion comes 10. What a
love OF a bonnet says some one.
What a perfect fright" say five hun
dred. For the most mercilesS critics In
the world are fashion critics. Men and
women with souls 10 be saved passing
the hour in wondering where that man
got his cravat, or what store that wo-
man patronizss. In many OF our
churches the preliminary exercises are
taken up with the discussion OF ward
robes. II Is pitiable. Is il not wonder
full that the Lord does not strike the
meeting house with lightning, What
distraction Of public worship. Dying
men aud women, whose bodies are soon
to be turned into dust, yet before three
worlds strutting like peacOckS, the
awful question of the souls destiny sub
merged by the question Of navy blue
velvet aud long fan-train skirt, long
enough 20 drag up the church aisle,
the husbands store, Office, shop, fac
tory, fortune, aud the admiration Of
half the people in the building. Men
and women come late TO church TO show
their clothes.
l adopt the Episcopallan prayer and
say:
'GOOD LORD DELIVER US!'
Insatiate fashion also beittles the in
tellect. Our minds are enlarged or
they dwndIe just in proportion to the
importance of the subject on which we
constantly dwell. eau you imagine
anything more dwartng TO the human
intellect than the study OF fashion? |
see men on the street who, judging
from their elaboration, l think must
have taken two hours to arrange their
apparel. After a few years OF that
kind Of absorption, which one OF Nc
Allister's maRnifying glasses will be
powerful enough to make the mans
character visible? They all land in
idiocy. | have seen men at the sum
merIng watering-pl places. through fash
ion the mere wreck OF what they once
were. Sallow OF check. Meagre OF
limb. Hollow at the chest. Showing
no animation save in rushing across
room 10 pick up lady'S fan. Shipper
ing along the corridors, the same COM
Dllments they simpered twenty years
ago. \ New York lawyer at United
States Hotel, Saratoga, within our
hearing, pushed across a room TO say TO
8 sensiblswoman, You are ss sweet as
peacheS." The fools Of fashion are
myriad. Fashion not only destroys the
body, but il makes idiOtic the intellect.
Yet, my friends, have given you
Only the milder phase OF this evil. 1t
shuts great multitude out Of heaven.
The first peal of thunder that shook
Sinai declared: Thou shalt have no
other God before me-" and you will
have TO choose between the goddess OF
fashion and the Christ ian God. There
are a great many so ats 10 heaven, and
they are all easy Sc ats, but not one seat
for the devotse OF fashion. Heaven Is
for meek and quiet spirits. Heaven Is
NWAD