New-York tribune., 1896-10-30
CTLP.ABLE LUXURY.
IN WHAT 1T CONSISTS.

IN WHAT 1T CONSISTS.
From The London Spectator.
What is cupable luxury? = know When when So Sou wae ae
ask me- said of the fathers wntm no way ssy
the Of cupabe luxury 1t is naP lmPIsTrGe 5xurV W
deny that there is such thing ar aS GU p tines and
81 all places. is sufficient proof Of fhl hs b%rc 1aG,
There IS society at present and We DeS'i INJURY
Carried oGynd certain nd M Pf'n ba Middle Ases is full
of attacks on senseless and degrading luxury. ana
We cannot doubt that even in ancient TEre .pr Sr
exaggeration OF the soft and enervating life OF the
merchant princes In modern times the notion OF
s9v hsre oSs G rSy arong fhe M and
of religion have always inveighed agaSt ag II 70 III noint
to any great religious movement which was unac- c-
oompaned With attacks on I'D Rfes Yes ,hn No" money he
wastes his selfish pleasures In spiie oI o, u,
Mary Magdalenes of the spikenard; the mur, @
mur, These useless uxures might ma, naVe e,iIIod pn
We hear ii from the mob orator In the PARK we
listen TO it in the parish church no ana nd comnaint
as of burning moment, and discussed paper on
the subject from Canon Watson: o., oor, that
there is such a thing culpahle luxury; We can,
not refrain from pointing out thhi rerq fnyc as in
many other cases. men are very hpt I; 10 rTn,,
those they have no mind to, People are very APP
define useless and wicked luxur:es the Pe,n no
sympathy. For example the man who docs not
smoke looks with horror on the notion of spending
almost virtiious the collection of rare books An
other condemns taste for old china ana iersian ,
a large stable of horses. Jones has a taste FOR
vintages and objection TO It's ind1igence IN
spite of the cost, but regards II as diseuS'iIs
luxury 10 eat "a dinner-party dinner" every day
Of ones life. Brown. teeioIalier on tnS "tme bep
spent on wine but believes in the need for well
cooked food In truth one s mmch SuS ak one Is
meat is another mans poison. Again, as anon anon
Scott's striking story of the Hghlanders sleeplhe
pillow of "A snowfall The others kicked it away
with disgust as a piece of culpable luxury. Thus
dspS 3s pSoT IN man mnhoy Il is luxury S and ID living ike swine in
golden sty, and 70 forget that inc n2or man OF hi
former age would look with equal disgust OH h,S
own little comforts. or bare necessarieS ar ne c'S
them. II, o,,,ro ord
look into a modern manse tenanted by even IN"
most self fsacrihcing OF ministers ne wTu,d yr Iry,
around him. The stuffed chairs. the carpets, the
coverlets. the kitchen range, the elaborate appar
atus for making tea and coffee. the small cups and
the big cups for various uses. and all the ,olher
degree of comfort Would Seem to him to be calling
down the vengeance OF an outraged heaven. IHnat-
inc too. his feelings at hearing that the nn'S'sr @
had spent f2o taking holiday In visiting thc
cathedrals of Northern France. Twenty pounds
have been used for a hundred pous purposes. In,
stead was sqnandered on he oS1 os and see o
ing the worship Of idolatorS let now now NE ne mo- mo-
d-fa ShiOned OF
luxurious of the minister to take holiday or 10
spend money on the pleasure OF trav,' ANA ana ,hths
theatre theatre going culpable luxury. II is looked on
no doubt as extravaeance for a poor man. @ put
Without reproach Indeed If he goes shakes
peare hear serious opera. he reels ne - uoiat @
without thou the sghtes fear OF reproach Yet II he
heard thai neghbor sat at h9me ana anG b~
tremely indignant and talk loudly about II being
culpablc luxury of this sort that turned the WORK
| l,,f Inf n
But though there is great danger OF concerning
as cnPsoe ln~nrrfs nSocemce and though we
hate the cant which allows 100 10 he spent on ~ ~
bali supper, but looks with horror on ilO9 worth
fade before the evenings over ann'i, @ WA,
difficult TO define but it does exist In our opinion.
however the world IS as rule quite rNsf wrong
ture That is false issue. II is not thr vast
that makes the luxury culpaele nor asdn; a. WI. hl
utilitarian then all art and all music on frann
S scale suPpT Of SP food Sr m and cohng and warmth
few prints and musical-box may be n Ieraiieu al ~
| the opera are without defence But II vast, OF Of
non productiveness. is not 10 he the test whaI 1 n
clearly not do because this is purely relative, and
will make culpabe luxury an almost imposslb,l,c
| ture they are ever likely to undertake would
be beyond their means and lherni3rc cue ,hc
| vice Of the moderately wei on ana ue u
Pryo the ,be nrTsona @ one " cupab luxury luxury
| which enervates and demoralizes the man who
INDUCES in IT, If Il man worships comfort nKe "a
! god cultivates the art OF smoothing down the
roughness on the road of life ill he has made II
like a butter-slide and so arranges his existence
| that every conceivable physical want Is instantly
supplied 10 the full then. doubt, he Is induig
| ing in cupable luxury and Is enerVatinS hifnsei'
body and soul. ,.,....,..., .,,
! guard themselves most carefully against the dr
moralization which comes from the TOO great east
ness and softness of life. Plenty or millonaiies
have no better dinners than their neighbors not
because they are afraid OF gout but because i"tS =,
dread the effects of physical comfort carried 20
| the extreme point. They may have great houses
| and a sumptuous style OF life in all eXtcrnas. but
inside their apparent life they often most careiuy
| organize for themselves and their children SIM
| pler habit Of existence In the best OF the rlch
| English families there is a strong and sound ira
dition against personal luxury which IL very notcc-
able II is thought dsgraceful, either for the men
or the women. II they are not nvallds TO be oyer
jealous about their comforts. so strong, indeed ~
mis- Instructive desire for protection against Inc
effects of personal luxury that it Is counted bad
form 10 be always bothering about making NE INTO
! n feather bed Great ladies are often far harder
! upon their sons and daughters In the matter oi
the small luxuries Of life than the ordnary
! middle class parent In fact II Is. as we have
! said considered to be extremely bad form ior q
man 10 he over luxurious In dress or in any or the
/ personal appointments or Ire