The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-08-22
REV, DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "The Tragedy of Dress"

! 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, ee
beautifully and gracefully appareled IS
proved by the fact that God never maze
wave but He cildedi It with golden sunoeams,
or tree but He Garlanded it with blossoms,
or sky but He studded it with stars, or al
lowed even the smoke Of furnace to ascend
but He columned and turreted and domed
and scrolled it into outlines OF tnGescrtbaole
graceiulness. When I see the apple or.
chards OF the spring and the pageantry OF
the autumnal forests. come to the conciu-
sion that, If nature does ever join the cnurcn:
while she may be Quaker in 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 ElyI
Why, when the day departs, does 1t let the
folding doors Of heaven stay open so long
when it might 90 in so quickly!
One summer morning saw an army OF
million spears, each one adorned with
diamond OF the first water-I mean the
grass, with the dew on it. When the
prodieal came home, his father not only
put coat on his back, but !ewelry on ms
hand. Christ wore q beard. Paul, the
bachelor apostle. not AFFLICTED with any
sentimentality, admired the arrangement OF
q woman's hair when he said in his eplstle,
'tIf a woman have long hair, 1t IS glory
unto her."
There will be fashion in heaven as on
earth, but 1t will be different KIND OF
fashion. It will decide the color Of the dress.
and the population OF that country, by
beautiful law. will wear white. say these
things as a background to nv sermon to
show YOU that I 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. Inc
Old and New Testament Of her Bible are
the fashion plates. Her altars 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 cold drizzle OF
music, freezing on the ears OF her worshipers.
This goddess of fashion has become a rival
of the Lord OF heaven and earth, and 1t Is
high time that we unlimbered our batteries
against this idolatry. When I come to
count the victims of fashion, I find as many
smascuIine as feminine. Men make an easy
TRADE against woman, as though she were
the chief worshiper at this idolatrous
shrine. and no doubt some men In the more
|conspicuoas part OF the pew have already
least glances at the more retired part OF the
Ipew, their look a prophecy OF generous dis
tribution. My sermon shall be as appropriate
Tor one end of the pew as forthe other.
Men are as much the idolators Of fashion
|asHomen. but they sacrifice on different
|part of the altar, With men the fashion
goes to cigars and clubrooms and yachting
2parties and wine suppers. In the United
IStates the men chew up and smoke $780,
1 4000. 900 worth of tobacco every year. That
| Is their fashion. In London not long ago
man died who started in life with $3.50, 900.
| but he ate # all up in gluttonies, sending his
agents to all parts of the earth for some rare
delicacy for the palate. sometimes one plate
of food costing him $500 or $500. He ate
lup his whole fortune and had only guinea
3ieft. With that he bought woodcock and
had it dressed in the very best style, ate it,
gave two hours for digestion. then walked
into the Thames and died. doing on large
scale what you and have often seen done
on small scale. But men do not abstain
from millinery and elaboration Of skirt
through any superiority OF humility. 1t Is
only because such appendages would be a
BLOCKADE to business. What would sashes
and trains tbre, and half yards long do in
stock marketp 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.
And there are men who buy expensive suits
OF clothes and never pay 1or them, and who
| 20 through the streets in great stripes OF
color like animated checkerboards. say
these things because want to show you that
] am impartial in my discourse, and that
both sexes, in the language OF the surro-
Gates office, shall 'sshare and share alike.
As God may help me, Ishall show you what
are the destroying ind deathtul influences
Of inordinate fashion.
The first baneful influence notice is IN
fraud, illimitable and ghastly Do you know
that Arnold of the revolution proposed to
cell his country in order to get money TO
support his wife's wardrobe? l declare here
before God and this peo lie 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 1t that sent Gilman to
the penitentiary and Philadelphia Morton. to
1.-THE watering OF stock, and the life insurance
Xpresidents TO perjured statements about
their assets, and has completely upset our
Araerican finances? What was 1t that over.
khrew the United States secretary at Wash
tp4ton, the crash Of whose fall shook the
continent7 But why should T go to these ia.
mous defaultinCs to show what men will dc
tn order to keep up great home style and eI.
pensive wardrobe when you and I know
scores Of men who are put to their wits end
and are lashed from January to December
I'm the attempt? Our politicians may theor-
ize until the expiration Of their terms Of o..
Nhce "a to the best way OF improving our
monetary condition in this country. It will
be of no use, and things will be no better
EAtil We can learn to put on our heads ant
backs and feet and hands no more than VT
Gan pay for.
There are clerks in stores and banks on
limited salaries who. In the vain atrea,pt to
keep the wardrobe Of their family as SNOWY
as other folks wardrobes, are dying Of mufs
= 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 to preach about them as though they
were the victims of early piety, and after q
high class funeral, with silver handles at the
side of the coffin OF extraordinary bright
ness. It will be found out that the under
taker is cheated out OF his legitimate e1.
penses. Do not send to me to preach the
Funeral sermon of Il man who dies like that
q will blurt out the whole truth and tell that
he was strangled to death by his wife's rib
bons. Our countries are dressed to death.
Hou are not surprised to find that the put.
ling up one public building in New YorS
cost millions OF dollars more than It ough,
10 have cost when you find that the man
who gave out the contracts paid more than
$4,000 for his daughters wedding dress.
Cashmeres OF a thousand dollars each are
not rare on Broadway. # is estimated tha
there are II, 900 women in these two cite
who have expended on their personal ARA
$4,000 year.
What are men to do IN order to keep nj
such home wardrohes? Steal? That Is tn
only respectable thing they can do Durin,
The last fifteen years there have been in
Vulnerable fine businesses shipwrecked OF
The wardrobe. The temptation comes il
thIs way: A man thinks more OF his famil