The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-10-01
AtNSATURDAY
@EE% NIGHT
1 SERMONS
BY
zaMR &huElW PuRyslh
THE IDOL OF FASHION.

AAA AUOA W kASkAkoAN.
Texts. THE daughters of Zion Gra
naughty. walk with stretched necHs, wan
ton eyes. walking and minc.ng rs they go.
chains bracelets honnets, hea1bands
wimples and crimping pins lisa iii. 1924
Whose adjoining let it not be outward
Pet. iii, 3-4
fashion plate 1t takes us back 900
years and sets lis down in an ancient
city. 1t is the height of the season on
their Fifth avenue The procession of
men and women is moving UP and
down the gay street Sensible men
md women move along modcstly and
attract no special attention. But here
come the fashionable daughters Of
Jerusalem. See! That is Il princess:
Look, That is a swordmaker's wife
from Damascus And that is the
daughter of Syrian purple merchant.
The jingle Of chains, tlutter of ribbons.
glare of jewels, catch the eye Of the
prophet Isaiah. He brings his camera
to bear and takes the picture for all
ages. Rut where is that scene: Van
ish"d! Where are those gay streets?
Where are the heads, necks, shoulders.
the feet that displayed all that nlagnif
ic"ntH? Ashes! But the problem of
2MH years ago is with us today and
always will be. From the day Eve
discovered she lacked covering to her
body till now dress has been one Of
wonan's largest problems Walk back
of two women You will find them
talking about dress or men; two men
will be talking of money Or women
1.-THE Age of Smut?"
There is IL great hue and cry just
now us to the immedcsty of wn,nan's
dress. She is accused of dressing to
show as much of her person and as
suggestively as possible. But. after all
doesn't custom determine largely what
is proper and improper in such mat
ters? The Turkish woman outrageS
decency if she exposes her face to the
public eye We see nothing immodcSt
in that. Indeed. isn't street veil at
night considered questionable? Our
grandmOthers would have been quite
bold to show tip of slipper Sensible
women now wear short skirts. and no
one perceives anything more vulgar
than sight of hand or foot In Switzer-
land a knee dress is modest. At bath
ing beach no one Chances Il second time
ut skirt two inches above the knee. In
city street such abbreviated Costume
would require the traffic squad. Time
was when actress in tights was con-
.Sidcred truly shocking: now it is part
of the spectacle not causing a second
thought The African lady in her scant
attire is as modestly dressed as this
seasons debutante, each judged by the
standard of her set The gray hawk
sees the chicken far Off BrieuX, Shaw
and GOrky lectures on eugenics and
sex problems draw large audiences of
flushed faced women i'm dimIy lighted
halls. The cure is fresh air Let the
Partisan man dressmaker invent low
necked waists, tight split skirts and
cobwebby stockings for the few. sThe
great mass of our American women
are the brainiest. prcttinst and clean
est minded women OIL earth My lady
of the paint pot with her cnameled
face is the exception and will probably
marry Il young man who will have no
occasion to rebuke her for ever wear
ing Il Bingham apron and dust cap.
Living Up to Good Clothes.
Freaks Of fashion break out sudden
.ly and flash across continents like fire
in dried prairie grass and as suddenly
die out. There's nothing wrong i'm
dressing well. The feminine instinct
will ornament the plaincst clothes. 1t
wouldn't surprise me TO learn that Eve
embroidered fig leaves There's :,
moral tonic in good clothes Folks
grow in self respect as they dress well
They feel approval of their fellows. in
turn try to measure up to that good
opinion. finally measuring nearer their
possibilities-not that clean collars and
cuffs mean clean morals. or we 1wculd
substitute laundries for lectures. soap
suds for salvation. but there's some
thing in living up to ones appearance
There's a relation between character
and costume When a man commences
to slip his clothing frequently shows
1t. To break a woman's spirit lock her
wardrobe. \ shabby man or woman
loses self respect. It's extravaganza
that causes fraud, poverty and prostT
tuition
Gor 80
l am sufficiently old fashioned to
draw the line at church display When
thought of clothes takes place of
thought of God worship is injured
We are far enough from Easter to
sound note in minor key read the
ads. Easter Millinery" Gowns For
Easter" Get Into the Easter Process
sion.' l protest. It's sacrilege.
Fourth of July is fireworks display
and beer picnic, Memorial day sports
and speeding, Christmas giving tray.
esty. Easter Sunday dissertation
The resurrection is forgotten save for
operate singing aud a short sermon
The audience is an Austerlitzsof dress
makers creations; the aisles are col
umns of colors; hundreds of broken
and contrite, hearts crowned by rain
bows of impossible hats; followers of
the Nazarene are a-jincle and a-flash
Ten cents for missions. $40 for hat:
headgear more important than soul
garment. The poor arc afraid to come
In plain clothes. Purse pride prevents
piety. Heaven is for the humble If
tight shoes keep from the paths of
righteousness, better go back to san
dals II silk sunshade shuts out sun OF
better go back to uiDg