The Parisian. (Paris, Tenn.) 1907-1962, 1921-05-06
"SMART SET" IS
SERMON SUBJECT
Presbyterian Pastor Denounces So.
ciety Woman; Condemns the
Pleasure Seeker.

/
II cannot understand why those
in society should be called the
| smart set unless it is because they
are itching, smarting for the want
of some good common sense" con-
fided Rev. w. w. Astles of the
First Presbyterian Church to an in
ttrested audience at his church Sun
day evening, when he discussed
THE Young Society Woman" sthe
| third sermon in a series on young
women, which he is delivering for
six consecutive Sunday evenings, and
heavily scored card playing, dancing,
and other so-termed society amuse
ments.
According to Rev. Astles, the prin-
ciples of the young society woman
and the principles of Christ do not
agree. He pictured her on Sunday
evening as vain, pleasure seeking,
envious, selfish, and just as mean as
a profiteer.
With harsh tread, the speaker
stepped on the wickedness of the
modern dance, which he termed a
disgrace to our civilization" and
said that the dances in. Paris We're
no exception, that no church mem
Der, no Christian had a right to at
tend these places of the DEVIL"
that those who did should get out
of the church and take their names
of the church roll, but that no true
Christian would attend them. He
gave embracing" as the excuse for
the modern dance.
God and the Bible condemn the
society woman as a waster,' said he,
IN condemnation of card parties.
Precious time and strength are too
cften wasted at them, and the Gus
tom of awarding prizes can only re-
suit in evil. 1t has the birth mark
OF gambling, and no card playing
mother has the moral right to re
quest her son to stop gambling"
Burns was right when he said, "a
life of pleasure petrifies the feel
ings When we see the women so
numerous that we cannot count them
attending disgusting plays, plays of
the rankest indecency and most re-
voting character, we see, alas, that
the lust for pleasure will indeed
pctrify the feelings.
II have seen women who appar-
emily thought more of their pets
than they did their husbands and
children. One thing Is sure. the dog
or cat received more attention and
interest than their husband or chill
dren. These women who claim they
love their pets because they are poor
they think of them, do not really
that they are cuddling.
Continuing his denunciation of the
society woman as heartless and sell
fish, Mr. Astles said, Young wom-
an, if you want to cease being a real
woman, why become society wom-
an. If you want to forget the de-
mands of pure love, if you want to
be Indifferent to the needs of sor-
row, if like Lots wife you are tired
of being bound to husband and chill
Ctren, ii you want to break away
from all such ties, then become a
society woman
"The society young woman is the
ore woman that is getting very little
out of life. She has sought for the
pearls of life and has only that
which stints and damns. She has
missed the fruits of true living.
They are not to be found in self
seeking. They are not found in the
dance, card parties, and theatre.
The society woman is a selfish
woman. She lives for herself. To
live right and true we must not
make our own delights our goal and
our aim. Christ said he who would
save his life must lose it. To save
cur lives, to gain the world is to be
lost. And, my hearer, the society
wcman is seeking to gain the world,
and the Master Himself, has told us
where she will end"