Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-08-06

only respectable thlng they CAN uo, purhB
the last 10 years there have been innumer-
able fine businesses shipwrecked on the
wardrobe. The temptation comes in this
way: A man thinks more OF his family
than of all the world outside, and II they
spond the evening in describing to him
the superior wardrobe Of tho family across
the street, that they cannot bear the sight
Of tho man is thown on his gallnntry and
ON his pride of family and without trans
lnting his feelings into plain language no
goes into extortlon and issuing of false
stock and skillful penmanship in writing
somebody clso's namo at the foot of
uromissory note and they all go down to-
pothcr-tho 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 clothcsl
viii you forgive mo II / say In tersest
shape possible that some Of the men have
to forge and to perjuro and to swindle to
nay for their wives dressesf l will say it
whether you forgive me or not.
Foe of lAlmsgiving.
Again, inordinute fashion Is the foe Of
all Christian almsgiying Men and wom-
en- put so much in personal display that
they often have nothing for God and the
cause of suffering humanity. Christian
man cracking his palais Royal glove
across the back by shutting up his hand
to hide the cent ho puts into the poor
box. a Christian woman, at the story OF
tho Hottcntots, crying copious tears into
a S2b handkerchief and then giving 2
cent piece to the collection, thrusting 1t
under the bills so people will not know
but 1t was IL $40 goldpiece. one hundred
dollars for incense to fashion; cents for
God God gives us 90 cents out OF every
dollar. Tho other 10 cents by command
Of his Bible belong to him. Il not God lib.
eral according to his tithing system laid
down in the Old Testament Is not God
liberal in giving us 90 cents out of II dollar
when he takes but lOi We do not like that.
We wnnt to have 90 cents for ourselves and
! for God.
Now, l would great deal rather steal
10 cents from you than from God. | think
one reason why great many people do
not get along In worldly accumulation
faster is because thoy do not observe this
divine rule. God says, well, If that man
is not satisfied with 30 cents Of dollar,
then will take the whole dollar, and
will give IL 10 tho man or woman who is
honest with me" The greatest obstacle
20 charity in the Christian church today
Is the fact that men cxpcnd so much mon
ey 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 at Bclleyille
n. j., the cause of missions was being pre-
scntcd 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, MIR. Talmagc, how arc we
to give literally to these grand and glo-
rlous causes when our families dress us
they dol" did not answer that question.
1t was the only time in my life when 1
had nothing to say.
How Fashion Dlstracts Worship.
Again, inordnatc fashion Is distraction
to public worship You know very we'll
there arc good many people who come to
church just as they go to the races to SEQ
who will como out first. What a flutter it
makes in church when some woman with
extraordinary display Of fashion comes in!
'What love Of IA honnot' says some
one. what u perfect fright" say five
hundred. For the most mcrciless critics
in the world are fashion critics. Men and
women with souls TO he saved passing the
hour in wondering where that man got
his cravat or what store that woman pa
tronizos. In many of our churches tho
preliminary exercises are taken up with
tho discussion of wGrdrohes, 1t is pitiu-
bic. Is It not wonderful TINT the Lord
does not strike the meeting houses with
Lightning What distraction Of public
Worship Dying mon and women, whose
bodies arc soon TO ho turned into dust yet
before three worlds strutting like peacoclis,
/ the awful question OF the souls destiny
submerged by tho question Of navy blue
/ velvet and long fan train skirt, long
enough to drag up the church aisle the
husbands store, office shop, factory for
tune and the admiration of half the people
in the building Mon and women come
late to church to show their clothes PEG
pie sitting down In pew or taking up a
hymnbook, all absorbed ut the same time
In personal array to sing;
Rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings;
Thy better portion trace.
Rise from transltory things
Toward heaven, thy native place.
adopt the Eplscopalian prayer and
say, Good Lord, deliver usl"
lnsatiate fashion also belittles tho in
tellcct. Our minds are enlarged or they
dwindle just in proportion to the impor-
lance of the subject ON which we constant
ly dwell. Can you imagine anything moro
dwariing to the human intellect than the
study of fashion, ] see men on tho street
who, judging from their elaboration, |
think must have taken two hours to ar
range their apparel. After u few years of
that kind OF absorption, which one of Nc
Allister's magnifying glasses will DO pow
crful enough to make the mnn's character
Nisihle' They all lanl in idiocy l have
seen men at the summer watering places
through fashion the mere wreck Of what
they once were. Sallow Of cheek. Meager
OF limb Hollow nj the chest. Showing
no animation save IN rushing across a
room to pick up lady's fan. Simpering
nlong the corridors the same compli-
ments they simpored 20 years ago A
New York lawyer at United States hotel,
Saratoga, within our hearing, rushed
Across room to say to sensible woman,
on are ms sweet as peachesv The fools
OF fashion are myriad Fashion not only
destroys the body, but 1t makes idlotio the
intellect
Wasted Life.
Yet, my friends, l have given you only
the mildcr phase OF this evil. 1t shuts d
great multitude out Of heaven. The nrst
peal Of thunder that shook Sinni declared
Thou shalt have no other God before me. d
anu You will have to choose between til,
! goddess Of fashfo,, ,,a -. ,,t..4..t-.. -