The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1894-08-24
stroying and deathful influences of in
ordin .te fashion.

stroying and deathful influences OF II
ordinste fashion.
The first baleful influence ! notice
in fraud, illimitable and CHASTITY. D
you know that Arnold of the revolu
ton proposed to sell his country il
order to get money to supper
his wife's wardrobe? l declare be
fore God and this people that the Ell
fort TO keep up expensive establish
ments in this country is sending mor'
business men to temporal perditiol
than all other causes combined. VIVA
was it that sent Gilman to the peni
Tertiary, and Philadelphia Morton t.
the watering of stocks, and the
| life insurance presidents to per
jured statements about their assets
and has COMPLETELY upset our Ameri
can finances? What was il
that overthrow the United States
Secretary at Washington, the crash o.
whose fall shook the continent? But
why should go to these famous de
faultings to show what men will do in
order to keep up great home style and
expensive WARDROBE, when you and
know scores of men who are put to
their wits end, and are dashed from
January to December in the attempts
Our politicians may theorize until the
expiration of their terms of Office as to
the best way of improving our none
tary condition in this country; it will
be of no use, and things will be no bet
ter until we 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 at
tempt to keep the wardrobes of their
family as snowy as other folks ward
robes, are dying of muffs, and dia-
monds, and shawls, and high hats, and
they have nothing left except what
they give to cigars and wine suppers,
and they die before their time and they
will expect us ministers to preach
about them as though they were the
victims of early piety, and after high
class funeral, with silver handles at the
sides of the coffin, of extraordinary
brightness, it will be found out that
the undertaken is cheated out of his
expenses! Do not send to me
to preach the funeral sermon of a man
who died like that. I will blurt out the
whole truth, and tell us he was stran-
gled to death by his wifes ribbons!
Our countries are dressed to death. You
are not surprised to hear that the put
ting 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 con-
tract paid more than five thousand dol
lars for his wife's wedding dress Cash
meres of one thousand dollars each are
not rare on Broadway. 1t is estimated
that there are ten thousand women in
these two cities who have expended on
their personal array four thousand dol
lars year.
What are men to do in order to keep
up such home wardrobes? SteaI-that
S the only respectable thing they can
10. During the last fifteen years there
nave been innumerable fine businesses
shipped on the wardrobe. The tempta-
ion comes in this way: A man thinks
more of his family than of all the world
and if they spend the evening
n describing to him the superior ward
'obe of the family across the street,
hat they can not bear the sight of,
,he man is thrown on his gallantry and
IN his pride of family, and, without
his feelings into plain Ian
yuage, he goes into eXtortion and issu-
ng of false stock, and skillful penman-
hip in writing somebody's else's name
1t the foot of a promissory note; and
hey all go down together-the hus-
'and to prison, the wife to the sewing
the children to be taken care
# by those who were called poor rela-
ions. o! for some new Shakespeare
% arise and write the tragedy of hui
nan clothes.
Act the first of the tragedy-A plain,
nut beautiful home. Enter, the new
pair. Enter, simplicity of
/. inner and behavior. Enter, as much
happiness as is ever found in one home.
Act the second-Discontent with the
tumble home. Enter, envy. Enter,
ealousy. Enter, desire of display.
Act the acknowledgements of ex-
'enses. Enter, all the queenly dress
makers. Enter, the French milliner.
Act the fourth-The tip-top of soci-
ty. Enter, princes and princesses of
Ugh life. Enter magnificent plate and |
quippage. Enter, everything splendid. |
Act the fifth, and last-Winding up |
# the scene. Enter. the assingnee. |
enter, the sheriff. Enter, the credi-
ors. Enter, humiliation. Enter, the |
wrath of God. Enter, the contempt of |
oc1ety. Enter, death. Now, let the
ilk curtain drop on the stage. The |
arce is ended and the lights are out.
Will you forgive me if 1 say in
ersest shape possible that some of the !