Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-10
PASSION FOR CLOTHES.
1t Does Net Follow That n Dandy II
Brainles" OF Frivolous.
Eronn he Boston Transfrint1

1t Does Not Follow That n Dandy is
Brainless or Frivolous.
From the Boston Transcript.
Whence comes the popular prejudice
against handles? Is it not compliment,
kind OF delicate hattery, when a man is
careful to be finely dressed when he comes
in to our presence? Is it certain that man
is vain and sha1low-pated IL he Is fond of
adjoining his person? Does not this trait,
on the contrary, rather argue that he has
low opinion of his native bodily charms?
Even the extreme types of dandyism-men
who, instead of engaging in professional or
busir ess pursuits, are known only as en-
bellishers Of sidewalks. illustrators Of the
fashions or professional time-killers-are
generally capable of higher things. Many
of them are masters of the manly art of
self-defense, and pride themselves as much
on keeping their bodies in condition as If
they were muscle-men, instead Of Chris
tians. calm-eyed, firm-mouthed race,
they can put a pistol ball into the Bulls
eye Of target or pull an oar for miles as
quietly as they pull at meerschaum, and
would face row of yawnng cannon as
coolly as they do row Of leveled opera
glasses.
De Quincy observes that many instances
during the Napoleonic wars showed that in
the frivolous dandy might often Turk the
most fiery and accomplished of aids-de-
camp. Did not Wellington pronounce his
udHuy oLlCeTS 10 De tue DeSt. In our reV0-
lutionary war the members of the Mary
land brigade, commanded by Smallwood,
were distinguished by the most fashion
ably cut coats and the most macaroni
cocked-hats in the Union" Yet the gall
lantry and unfiinching valor which they
displayed at the battle of Long Island,
when hemmed in by superior force, wrung
from Washington the exclamation, Good
God! What brave fellows 1 must this day
lose!" All through the war this honorable
distinction of the Marylanders for their
personal gallantry was fully maintained,
until at the last pitched battle at Eutaw
Springs we see them driving before them
the finest infantry of England at the point
of the bayonet.
Those, persons who fancy that a man
with passion for fine clothes-one in
whose intellect, as Carlyle says, the all
Importance of clothes has sprung up, with
out effort like an instinct of genius-must
necessarily be brainless or frivolous forget
that the foremost man of all the world"
Julius Caesar; was a fop. Claverhouse,
the scottish chfeftain, was fop, and un-
der the finish of dress and levity of beha-
Vior hid" as Emerson says, "the terrors
OF MS war There are persons who speak
contemptuously of Lord Chesterfield, think
ing of him only in connection with the
graces; pray, remember the gracesr'-the
stereotyped words with which he concluded
many of his letters to his sor-or as spend
Ing four hours a day at his toilet, and pre-
parlng lmpromptu and elaborate courtesies
Tor the social circle. They are ignorant or
forget that this elegant and co;Irtly man
vas one of the best lords lieutenant that
ireland ever had, the best speaker of his
Gay IN the mouse of lords, a graceful essay
ISL and the wittiest man Of quality of his
timed time when, as Abraham HAYWARD
says, wit meant something more than
pleasantry or sparkle"