The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-05-07

shirts, and for GOODNESS they were
far superior to knee breeches and
coats, and other cramped conditions
of boyhood. Of course, we pat ON
our best when we went to church.
but after we did that our costumel
did not present a milliner's shop,
set off with dead birds, skins and
fathers, otter hides and mink furs.
and high plumed fnery; the women
wearing crude hats, or fly bonnets.
These remarks are not made to re-
fleet on any of our present wear,
for l have long since learned that al
woman's opinion, and the business
end of hornet are two things a man
had best leave lone.
Another article of apparel worn
during the war time" was the hoop
skirt. They were of different lengths
and diameteTs to suit ladies varying
heights and taste some larger, some
smaller, some about the diameter of
common sized wagon wheel, others
small enough to squeeze through AMI
ordinary church door, and more modest
in their appearance, To say the least,
the doctors said they were healthy,
and the ladies said that they were
comfortable and cool in the summer
time and still weather, though they(
were tricky and hard to keep uponI
their good behavior, especially if the
wind was high. My grandfather,
however, did not like pipes and hoop
skirts, and spent great deal of time(
in pronouncing on them, using lang
uage not fit to 60 in Sunday school
book, giving equal time to hoopskirts,
pipes and Yanky devils.
| Great deal of mourning would have,
been worn if it could have been OBJ
tanned, for death was abraod in camps
and home. Everybody seemed to be /
on an equality so far as our wardrobe
was concerned. want to say that
we frequently worked hardship On 4
each other through our vanity, fash
| ion is hard master; one family who'd
| is able to dress all out of the kinks,
and who are disposed to enjoy their
ability, lead out and put on their psi
and qs, dress their children into a
double semi-quaver and then a whole
lot of us little fools try to stay up,
and stand in line, buying lowtop slip
pers, and toothpick lacers and bird
skins and feathers to suit, and find at
the end of the year we have promised
two years cotton crop, bank or two
of potatoes, and stack of fodder, for
one years supply of meat and bread, 1
reigmentals and millinery goods,
great deal of it for no service except
to make the babies pout and worry
because of heavy starched laundry
and pentup baby freedom. Little
boys who would enjoy natures Liberty
are inslaved in captoed CATERS and
buckles and strap, and southdown
suits of all makes and fashions. None
| of my business you see, but let US got
on. Our girls them mean country
girls, am not writing city life
were stout and fresh, and fine physi- |
ques, they knew nothing of ''Kabo
corsets, - or fine sandals and oxfords,"
but let nature have a voice i'll their
toilet exercises, and when they went
to church could get a long breath
without the risk of gagging, or a fit
Of smothering and depression. Of
course homespun will not make
person morally better, neither will
scarlet and fine linen sink a soul.
1t is not the costume worn which
cripples modesty, and disgusts an
audience, but fools under broadclothl
silks, stays and buttons. Yes we low
ed our girls, for Cupid would
pierce indigo blue and peachtIee'
brown as we'll as turkey red and tyrian
purple.
Our good mothers wore their home
made goods all round from bonnet to
hoes. will say more about this in
my letter on "Clothes Making" etc.
After all have said, 1 think that
nothing can compare with modest,
wellbred lady, neatly clad in suitable
apparel. Nature has set us the ex-
ample in vanity and contrast, as seen
in all the shades and hues of bird and
flower. Beauty consists in modesty
of manner and personal department,
the outward man is but the exposure
of the soul, and the natural demeanor,
the index to the heart. A dude is al
dude. and a dandy is dandy, an ass
is an ass, and fool..is a fool, in all
countries, and some poor poodles in 4
order to keep in fashion, would hang
their ribbon on 'sorion, Jump throughV
the rings around Saturn ride the
moon bug hunting, and declare the
sun cabbage head, but we are consol-
ed over the fact that the Lord preser-
yes the simple and that they have al