The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1898-06-09
On Society, Fashion
and COnYentiODality.
BY BESSIE LOU BURGESS.

Can it be possible that there was once
an Eden that was the home of sinless
wsman and pure. souled man? Can
it be possible that Ewes cheek was not
painted, save by the tender breezes
from that Paradise, that her form was
not "made-up" and concealed by costly |
robes and laces, that the clear true
eyes bore a natural Tustre? 1t would
seem not, when placed in comparison
with this age of sham and deceit, when
a man is called man only when wealth
and influence andpower surround him,
and woman is judged principally by
her attire. AS brave hearts throb un-
der tattered garments as under the er-
mine and the velvet of the EARL When
Shakespeare said, GAN the worlds q
stage and men and women merely
players" " he gave to the world death
less truism. The world is a stage
wherein every actor plays his little,
TRIVIAL, greedy part, striving with
passionate fierceness worthy of nobler
cause, to outshine his fellow creatures
in the great play, which is human
tragedy that goes on forever, and the
supreme "stage manager" Jesus OF
Nazareth who was born amidst the
lowing kline, wrapped in swaddling
cloths and laid in manger, and not
in couch of gold, looks down and
oversees the great tragedy's ceaseless
struggle with a plying heart that un-
derstands and pardons the petty mean
nesses of which we frail earth worms
are capable Did not these same little
clay creatures strive, with their earth
dimmed eyes, to pierce the glory OF
Him of whom it was said: "Is He not
a NazarenG? What good can come out
of NAZARETH"
Poor, little, frail, weak hearted Great
ures, standing with a pOmpous self
worship that is most pitiable, under
the stars, as we term those flashing
myriad worlds that are rushing down
beside us through the eternal silence;
under the long, dark heavens and the
yellow moon, looking upward with
eyes over which the clay of their mar
row, sordid little lives is fast sealed,
and beholding the outward seeming Of
the meek -browed Christ exclaim Cru
city Him. He is not clothed in purple
and fine linen, His only crown is a
wreath of thorns, He is Nazarene!"
The bane of the civilized world today
is this mad rush for the praise of 9th
ers. 1t may be human nature to de.
sire admiration, but it is admiration
only for the outward appearance that
the most of us desire, not admiraticn n
won for noble deeds. pure hearts and
fearless, unselfish minds. These are
the things that are really worth ad-
miration. Beauty is only worthy o1
, admiration when 1t is the outward sac
rament of the beauty of the soul with
in" A woman clad in flashing gewr
will receive more genuine praise and
recognition from the world than mar
t of genius, who has fought and mas
: tered the old questions of humanity
, deep in every true heart, and which
3 require more fearlessness and suffering
to overcome than any other thing il
the world.
"Society-" society And what il
society? A clique Of men which form
that missing link between man ant
monkey the fop-ana shallow, giddy
. painted women whose noblest though
contains a wonder as to what's the lat
: est edict from Worth, or as to whethe
Mr.. Jones is a more desirable part
than Mr.. Smith. Talk about the caus
OF the multiplicity of divorces all owe
the land Vixen these merely bushes
"transactions. called by the worlt
marriages, take place between devotee
Of society and fashion, what can be ex
pected? The farce cannot always b
played, it soon eliminates in almos
a tragedy. In the sight ef Heaven it i
as sinful as though they had omitte'
altogether the marriage ceremony. Y
who cherish these old. lofty ideas 0
pure women and noble men, veil you
face in disnay
The lives of society's devotees hay
no aim, no purpose, no goal beyond t
cad them up the rugged but gloriOu
path of Fame. There is grim jo
in fighting for the victory that await
the toiler, of which they know nothing
With them it is fashionable to be cor
4 tinually "bored," to see beauty l
5 nothing, to sneer at the nobler natur
/: If man and to cultivate the baser nj
a 'nre that is the real clay of our beings
IN their blase. care-worn eyes there
! only Inst and scorn and cyincisn
a They never try to change it. 1t is fl
$ better to try and fail than never to tt
= at all. And even if they fail,
il ''rhe rapture of pursuing
d Is the prize the vanquished gain.
a And we fight, not that the world ms
! applaud our efforts, but that We ms
] possess the conciousness Of havir
s fought. We may do as great deeds
s God intended us to Do, but the wor
q will never acknowledge them. II