Democratic messenger., 1894-08-11

continent: But why should 20 TO these
famous defaultings To show what men
will do i'll order 10 keep up great home
style and expensive wardrobe when Won
and know scores of men who are put
to their wits end and are laShed from
January to December in the attempt?
Our politicians may theuriZe until tho
expiration of their terms of Office as to
the best way of improving our monetary
condition i'll this country. Ii will be of
no use, and things will be no better nm
til we can learn to put on our heads
and backs and feet and hands no more
than we can pay for.
There are clerks III stores and banks
on limited salaries who, i'll the vain
attempt 10 keep the wardrobe of their
family as snowy rs other folks ward
fobes, 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 before their time, and they will tex
pect rs ministers 10 preach about them
rs though they We're the victims of ear
" piety. and after a high class funeral,
with silver handles Mt the side of the
coffin of extraordinary brightness, il
will I've found out that the undertaken
is cheated ont of his legitimate expenses.
Do not send 10 me To preach the funeral
sermon of man who dies like that
will blurt out the whole truth and tell
that he was stranglcd To death by his
70 rsll,n.s Inn III ny 1r.sS.
cd To death. You are not surprised 10
find that the putting up of one public
building in New York cost millions of
dollars more than il Ought to have cost
when you find that the man who gave
ont the contracts paid more than S5.-
600 for his daughters wedding dress
Cashmeres of Thousand dollars each
ed that there are 10. 600 women i'll these
two cities who have expended on their
personal array 81. 900 year.
What are men To do i'll order TO keep
up such home wardrobes: Steal? That
is the only respectable thing they can
dol During the last IL wears there have
been innumerable fine businesses ship
wrecked on the wardrobe. The tempta-
ton comes i'll this way: A man thinks
more of his family than of all the world
outside. and if they spend the evening
in describing 10 him the superior ward
robe Of the family across the street that
they cannot bear the sight of the man
is thrown ON his gallantry and on his
pride of family and without translat
ing his feelings into plain language he
goes into cxtortion and issuing false
stock and skillful penmanship i'll writ
ing somebody else's name at the foot of
promissory note. and they all go down
together-the husband 10 the prison,
the wife 10 the sewing machine, the
children to be taken care of by those
who We're called poor relations. oh.
for some new Shakespeare To arise and
write the tragedy IF human clothes!
Will you forgive me if say in ters-
est shape possible that some of the men
have 10 forge and to perjure and to
swindlc TO pay for their wives dresses?
will say il whether you forgive me
or not!
Again. inortlinatc fashion is the foe
of all Christian almsgiving. Men and
women put so much i'll personal display
that they often have nothing for God
and the cause of suffering humanity. A
Christian man cracking his Palais Roy
al glove across the back by shutting up
his hand To hide the cent he puts into
the poorbox. A Christian woman, mt
the story of the Hottentots, crying CO.
pious tears into $25 handkerchief and
then giving n , cent piece TO the collec-
ton, thrusting il under the bills so peo-
pie will not know but il was $40 gold
piece. One hundred dollars for incense
10 fashion; = cents for God. God gives
us 80 cents out of every dollar. The
other 10 cents by command of his Bible
belong to him. Is not God liberal ac-
cording TO his tithing system laid down
in the Old Testament? Is not God lib
cral i'll giving us 80 cents out of a dollar
when he takes but 10: We do not like
that. We want To have 90 cents for our
selves and for God.
Now. Iwould = great deal rather steal
10 cents from you than from God. j
think one reason why great many peo-
pie do not get along i'll worldly accumu
lation faster is because they do not OBJ
serve this divine rule. God says, We'll.
il that man Is not satisfied with 30 cents
of dollar. then | will take tn. whole
dollar, and will give it to the man or
woman who is honest with me-" The
greatest obstacle TO charity i'll the Chris
tian church today is the fact that men
expend so much money OH their table,
and women so much on their dress, they
have got nothing left for the work of
God and the worlds bctferment. In my
first settlement ut Belleville, n j., the
cause of missions was being presented
one Sabbath, and plea for the charity
of the people was being made when an
old Christian man i'll the audience lost
his balance and said right ont i'll the
midst of the sermon, Mr.. Talmage.
how are we TO give literally to these
grand and glorious causes when our
families dress rs they do" did not
answer that question. Ii was the only
time i'll my life when i had nothing TO
say.
Again. inordinate fashion is distrac-
tion to public worship. You know very
well there are good many people who
come to church just rs they 20 to the
races-to see who will come out first.
What fiutter it makes in church when
some woman with extraordinary display
of fashion comes in. What love of
n bonnet" says some one. What a
perfect frightr' say 500. For the most
merciless critics in the world are fash
ion critics. Men and women with souls
to be saved passing the hour in wonder
ing where that man got his cravat or
what store that woman patronizes
In many of our churches the prelim-
mary exercises are taken up with the
discussion Of wardrobes 1t is pitiable
Is il not wonderful that the Lord does
not strike the meeting houses with
lightning? What distraction of public
worship! Dying men and women, whose
bodies are soon TO he turned into dust,
yet before three worlds strutting like