Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1894-08-09

J business men TO temporal perdition
/ than all other causes com bined. What
was it that sent Gilman to the peniten-
tiary, and Philadelphia Morton to
the watering of stocks, and the life
insurance presidents to perjured state
ments about their assets, and has COM
pletely upset our American finances?
What was it that overthrow the United
States secretary at Washington. the
crash of whose fall shook the CONT
nent? But why should l go to these
famous defaultings 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 attempt Our politicians may
theorize until the expiration of their
terms of Office as to the best way of
improving our monetary condition in
this country; it will be of no use, and
things will be no better 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 wardro be 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 a high class funeral, with silver
handles at the side of the coffin. of
extraordinary brightness, it will be
found out that the undertaken is
cheated out of his legitimate expenses.
Do not send me to preach a funeral
sermon of man who dies like that
blurt out the whole truth, and tell
that he was strangled to death by his
wife's ribbons! Our countries are
dressed to death. You are not sur
prised to find that the putting 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 contracts paid
more than $500. 900 for his daughters
wedding dress. Cashmeres of 81, 900
each are not rare on Broadway. 1t is
estimated that there are 10, 900 women
in these two cities who have expended
on their personal array $4,000 year.
What are men to do in order to keep
up such wardrobes? Steal-that is
the only respectable thing they can
do! During the last fifteen years there
have been innumera BILE fine businesses
shipwrecked on the wardrobe. The
temptation comes in this way: man
thinks more of his family than of all
the world outside, and if they spend
the evening in describing to him the
superior wardrobe of the family across
the street. that they can not bear the
sight of, the man is thrown on his
gallantry and on his pride of family,
and, without translating his feelings
into plain language, he goes into ex-
tortion and issuing of false stock, and
skillful penmanship in writing some
body else's name at the foot of
promissory note: aud they all go Gown
the wife to the sewing machine, the
children to be taken care of by those
who were called poor relations. o.
for some new Shakespeare to arise and
write the tragedy of human clothes
Act the first of the tragedy.-A
plain but beautiful home. Enter the
newly-married pair. Enter, simpli-
city of manner and behavior. Enter.
as much happiness as is ever found in
one home.
Act the second -Discontent with
the humble home. Enter, envy.
Enter, jealousy. Enter, desire of dis
play.
Act the third. Enlargement of ex-
penses Enter all the. queenly dress
makers Enter, the French milliners.
Act the fourth. The tip-top of
society. Enter, princes and princesses
of high life. Enter, magnificent plate
and equipage. Enter everything
splendid.
Act the fifth. and ast-Winding up
of the scene. Enter, the assignee.
Enter, the sheriff. Enter, the credi-
tors. Enter, humiliation. Enter, the
wrath of God. Enter, the contempt of
society. Enter, death Now, let the
silk curtain drop on the stage. The
farce is ended and the lights are out.
Will you forgive me if I say in
tersest shape possible that some of the
men have to forge and to perjure and
to swindle to pay for their wives
dresses? will say it, whether you
forgive me or not.
Again, inordinate fashion is the
foe of all Christian alms-giving. Men
and women put so much in personal
display that they often have nothing
for God and the cause of suffering
humanity. A Christian man cracking
his Palais Royal glove across the back
by shutting up his hand to hide the
l cent he puts into the poor-box!
Christian woman, at the story of the
Hottentots, crying copious tears into
SIS handkerchief, and then giving
. cent piece to the collection, thrust
ing it down under the bills so people
will not know but it was $40 gold
piece! One hundred dollars for in
cense to fashion; cents for God.
God gives us 90 cents out of every dol
L. l. Il