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
maee-Efort to Be in style.

TEXT. "whose alornIng let u not be that
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. u Peter H.. 8, 4.
That we should all be Glad 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 Nilded II with golden sunbeams,
or tree but He garlanded II with blossoms,
or sky but He studded II with stars, or al
lowed even the smoke OF furnace to ascend
but He columned and turretej and domed
and scrolled IL into outlines OF indescribablo
gracefulness. When I SEQ the apple or
chards OF tho spring and tho pageantry Of
the autumnal forests I come TO the conclu-
sion that, IL nature docs ever Join the church.
while she may be n Quaker IN the silence Of
her worship, she never will be a Quaker in
the style OF her dress. Why the notches OF
Tern leaf or the stamen OF water lily2
WHY. when the day departs. does II let the
folding doors OF heaven stay open 80 long
when II might go In so quickly
One summer morning saw an army OF n
million spears, each one adorned with n
diamond OF the first water-I mean the
grass, with the dew on IT, When the
prodi9al came home, his father not Ny
put 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
womans hair when he said In his epistle.
III woman have long hair, It is a glory
unto her"
There will be n fashion in heaven as on
earth. but II will be different kind OF
fashion. IL will decide the color OF the dress.
anu the population OF that country. by a
beautiful law. will wear white. say these
things rs background to nv sermon to
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 10 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 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 Il Is
high time that we unlimbered our batteries
against this idolatry. When I come to
count the victims OF fashion, / find as many
masculine as feminine. Mon make an easy
TRADE against woman. rs though she were
the chief worshiper mt this idolatrous
shrine. and no doubt some men in the more
conspicuous part OF the pew have already
cast glances at the more retired part OF the
pew, their look 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
aswomen, but they sacrifice on n 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,
OOO. COO worth OF 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 some rare
delicacy for the palate. sometimes one plyss.
d. food sting hin $500 or s4O0. He ate
T up his whole fortune and had only n guinea
lett. With that he bought woodcock and
had II dressed in the very best style, ate IL.
gave two hours Tor digestion. then walked
out on Westminster bridge and threw himself
into the Thames and died. doing on a 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. 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 marketf And yet men are the dis.
ciples OF fashion just as much as women.
Some oithem 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 tor them. and VINO
20 through the streets in great stripes OF
color like animated checkerboards. / saw
these things because i want to show YOU that
am impartial In my discourse, and tha,
both sexes, In the language OF the sure.
gates office, shall "shars and share alike"
As God may help me. / shall show you what
are the destroying and deathful influences
OF inordinats fashion.
The first baneiul influence / notice is In
fraud, illimitable and ghastly Do YOU know
that Arnold OF the revolution proposed TO
sell his country in order TO get money TO
support his wlfe's wardrobe? declare hero
before God and this people that the effort 10
Keep up expensive establishments In this
country Is sending more business men TO
temporal perdition than all other causes
combined. What was II that sent Gilman TO
The epenitentiary 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 IL that over.
threw the United States secretary at WASH
fngton, the crash OF whose fall shook the
continent? But why should go to these IA.
nous defaultings to show what men will dc
In order to keep up great home style and OK.
pensive wardrobe when you and / know
scores OF men who are put to their wits end
unu ute itsueu from January to Decembef
In the attempt? Our politicians may theor.
lie until the expiration of their terms of o..
hce as to the best way OF improving our
monetary condition in this country IL will
be OF no use, and things will be no better
until VIZ can 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 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 TO preach about them as though they
were the victims OF early piety, and after a
high class funeral with silver handles at the
side of the coffin OF extraordinary bright.
ness, II will be found out that the under
taker Ia cheated out OF his legitimate ex-
penses. Do not send to me TO preach the
funeral sermon of man who dies like that.
will blurt out the whole truth and tell thar
he was strangled TO death by his wife's rib
bons. Our countries are dressed to death