The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-12-14
By Amelia E. Barr.

Dress Is u very important stepping
stone to happiness. AS all nature Is
the garment Of God, by which he is
manifest to us: as the Spirit is clothed
by the body. and the body In turn Is
made beautiful or repulsive by the In
dwelling soul. SO is dress related to the
body. For, supposlng man or wo-
man to have sufficient money to dress
according to desire. then attire becomes
to mind ull that form is: to substance. 1t
is an index, a symbolic language; SO
much so. that q lover having seen his
mistress In her various costumes has
the key to her character, II he. have wit
enough to use It.
Taken rs a national index of charac-
ter. dress Is the outward sign OF a peo-
pies peculiar genius. Their square.
Z graceless. scant clothes were as char
acterIstIc OF the Egyptians as their
pyramids and obelisks. The loose, am
pie robes of Aslatics are the natural
drapery OF luxurious temperament.
The elegant, OF the ancient Greek cos
tune was the, raiment of race to
whom form was more than color. The
LONELINESS Of Saxon fashions, the rude
magnihcence Of Norman barons, the
picturesque garb of the Scotch clans;
indeed. all national costumes, have a
/ far deeper Significance than vanity; and
some Daniel will yet arise who shall
Judge the centuries by the way in which
they have dressed themselves.
The Cosmic Change.
More familiar to us. Is the cosmical
change going on under our own eyes
q change that as a sign Of our era, is
quite as remarkable as any. Indicated:
the rapid disappearance Of all national
and class costumes. The pretty, suit
able dresses that clothed the peasantry
Of all countries are being rapidly aban:
doned; and men and women grow more
cosmopolitan In matters OF attire. In
every land, women now wear the same
able man on the planet Is supposed to
have tweed suit and a Derby hat. This
means much more than fashion and
vanity: 1t means the grinding to pow
der in the democratic mill. of all signs
and symbols of slavery, feudalism. and
mans inequality. 1t means that men
and women are everywhere throwing off
the bondage of caste, and asserting
through their coats and hats and
dresses that one human being Is just as
good as another.
Now II dress has such q pronounced
and wide national significance, Its per-
sonal power Is even more remarkable.
We are all Influenced, not only by what
others wear. but by what we wear our
selves. The business suit Of good, dark
tweed. the white. fine linen, the stiff
collar and cuffs. give q kind OF moral
support, and inspire confidence. A
loose, careless dress conduces to a
loose, careless habit Of mind There
is a positive value in the different
suits that men wear. because they are
positive help to the frame Of mind nee
cssary for the occasion.
Sober Respectable Dress.
A suit that is associated with the re-
spect due to the sanctuary is best for
that purpose; there is sober respec-
table dress that fits naturally into
business moods; another that seems
proper-because usual-in formal fes-
,'tivities: another OF loose, easy comfort
for domestic relaxation and rest.
A mans happiness. yea, his success.
In far greater measure than Is sus-
rected, depends upon such auxillaries.'
And 1t may be taken as an axiom, that
n man careless as to his dress will be
careless about every other matter. And
there Is no excuse for such an one at
this day; for in spite Of criticism. the
male dress of our period is sensible and
highly conducive to comfort and happi-
ness; the soft hat. the easy coats, the
light flannel garments and soft ties
permissible In hot weather, leave moth
Ing to be desired, especially as men
have generally abandoned black, the
most unhealthy of all colors.
The fundamental theory Of clothes,
then asserts the existence Of harmony
between human beings and their artif-
clal covering and also harmony be-
tween human beings and the work In
which they are occupied. or THE cir
cumstances in which they are placed.
VIII Honeycomb says that he can tell
the humor n woman Is in by the color
OF her hood" The saying Is n pro-
found one. and IL husbands would
make study OF their wives ribbons
and gowns and toilet peculiarities they
might avoid many matrimonial blum
ders. knew once very wise man
who always went softly and considered
his words well when his wife came to
the breakfast table In certain red
shawl. I have not the slightest doubt
that an Individual observance OF this
sympathy between dress and moods
would have many domestic quarrcls.
and so conducc to much happiness.
Mind symbolized by Dress.
II is indeed impossible for the most
arbitrary fashion to eradicate. In sensl.
tive women especially, certain tenden-
cIes to symbolic their states OF mind
by their dress. Most OF my female
readers. dare say, possess bonncis and
gowns that they can only wear on days
when they are at their best" when
they are equal to them. There are
days and moods in which curler or
loose wandering hair Is intolerabie.