The Bossier banner., 1894-09-20
stroying and deathful influences o, In
ordinate fashion.

ordinate fashion.
The first baleful influence | notice is
in fraud, illimitable and ghastly. Do !
you know that Arnold of the revolu-
tion proposed 70 sell his country in
order to get money to support |
his wife's wardrobe? 1 declare be-
fore God and this people that the eff
fort to keep up expensive establish
ments in this country is sending more
business men to temporal perditlon
than all other causes combined. What
was it that sent Gilman to the peni-
tentiary, and Philadelphia Morton to
the watering of stocks, and the
life insurance presidents to per-
jured statements about their assets,
and has comletely upset our Ameri-
| can finances? What was it
| that overthrew the United States
Secretary at Washington, the crash of
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 wardrope, when you 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 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
legitimate expenses! Do not send to me
to preach the funeral sermon of a man
who died like that. l will blurt out the
whole truth, and tell us he was stran-
; gled to death by his wife's ribbons
Our countries are dressed to death. You
are not surprised to hear that the put,
l ting up of one public building in New
York cost millions of dollars more thar
it ought to have cost, when you fine
:, that the man who gave out the con
l 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
l that there are ten thousand women IL
these two cities who have expended OF
, their personal array four thousand dol
lars a year.
What are men to do in order to keel
up such home wardrobes? Steal-tha
L is the only respectable thing they cal
: do. During the last fifteen years ther
l have been innumerable fine businesse
shipped on the wardrobe. The tempta
tion comes in this way: A man think
. more of his family than of all the worl'
. outside, and if they spend the evenin,
> in describing to him the superior ward
+" robe of the family across the street
!, that they can not bear the sight Of
y the man is thrown on his gallantry an
:. on his pride of family, and, withou
. translating his feelings into plain lar
- guage, he goes into extortion and isst
y ing of false stock, and skillful penmaI
ship in writing somebody's else's nam
. at the foot of promissory note; an
y they all go down together-the hui
band to prison. the wife to the SEWN
machine, the children to be taken car
of by those who were called poor rel;
u tions. O! for some new Shakespeal
u to arise and write the tragedy of hi
man clothes.
OF Act the first of the tragedy-A plail
&c but beautiful home. Enter, the nev
IN Unmarried pair Enter, simplicity
I'd manner and behavior. Enter, as muc
ld happiness as is ever found in one hom
es Act the second-Discontent with tt
IL humble home. Enter, envy. Ente
20 jealousy Enter, desire of display.
~ Act the third-EDlargement of e
AZ penses. Enter, all the queenly dres
~ ~ makers. Enter, the French milliner.
- Act the fourth-The tip-top of 500
70 ETY.. Enter, princes and princesses
no high life. Enter magnificent plate al
n equippage. Enter, everything splendi
to Act the fifth, and last-Winding |
no of the scene. Enter, the assingne
a Enter. the sheriff. Enter, the cree
w tors Enter, humiliation. Enter, t
or wrath of God. Enter, the contempt
st. society. Enter, death. Now, let t
to silk curtain drop on the stage. I
pe farce is ended and the lights are OF
en- VIII you forgive me if l say
lot tersest shape possible that some of t
on men have to forge and to perjure a
lu- to swindle to pay for their wiv
ap- dresses? / will say it, whether y
ISL forgive me or not.
nd Again, inordinate fashion is the
rds of all Christian alms-giving. Men a
len women put so much in personal d
nst play that they often have nothing
of God and the cause of suffering
,an manity A Christian man cracking
us Palais Royal glove across the back
ex- shutting up his hand to hide the {
,av | cont he DrtS into the poor box