Part 6 (2/2)
Steal--that is the only respectable thing they can do! During the last fifteen years there have been innumerable fine business men s.h.i.+pwrecked on the wardrobe. The temptation comes in this way: a man thinks more of his family than all the world outside, and if they spend the evening in describing to him the superior wardrobe of the family across the street that they cannot bear the sight of, the man is thrown on his gallantry and his pride of family, and without translating his feelings into plain language, he goes into extortion and issuing of false stock and skillful penmans.h.i.+p in writing somebody else's name at the foot of a promissory note; and they all go down together--the husband to the prison, the wife to the sewing machine, the children to be taken care of by those who were called poor relations. Oh, for some new Shakespeare to arise and write
THE TRAGEDY OF CLOTHES!
Act the first of the tragedy: A plain but beautiful home. Enter the newly married pair. Enter simplicity of manner and behavior. Enter as much happiness as is ever found in one home.
Act the second: Discontent with the humble home. Enter envy. Enter jealousy. Enter desire to display.
Act the third: Enlargement of expenses. Enter all the queenly dressmakers. Enter the French milliners.
Act the fourth: The tip-top of society. Enter princes and princesses of New York life. Enter magnificent plate and equipage. Enter everything splendid.
Act the fifth and last, winding up the scene: Enter the a.s.signee.
Enter the sheriff. Enter the creditors. Enter humiliation. Enter the wrath of G.o.d. Enter the contempt of society. Enter death. Now, let the silk curtain drop on the stage. The farce is ended, and the lights are out.
Will you forgive me if I say in tersest shape possible, that some of the men in this country have to forge, and to perjure, and to swindle to pay for their wives' dresses? I will say it whether you forgive me or not.
CURTAILS BENEVOLENCE.
Again, extravagant costume is the foe of all Christian alms-giving.
Men and women put so much in personal display that they often have nothing for G.o.d and the cause of suffering humanity--a Christian man cracking his Palais Royal gloves across the back by shutting up his hand to hide the one cent he puts into the poor box! a Christian woman at the story of the Hottentots crying copious tears into a twenty-five dollar handkerchief, and then giving a two-cent piece to the collection, thrusting it down under the bills, so people will not know but it was a ten-dollar gold piece! One hundred dollars for incense to fas.h.i.+on--two cents for G.o.d! G.o.d gives us ninety cents out of every dollar. The other ten cents, by command of His Bible, belong to Him.
Is not G.o.d liberal according to this t.i.thing system laid down in the Old Testament--is not G.o.d liberal in giving us ninety cents out of a dollar when he takes but ten? We do not like that. We want to have ninety-nine cents for ourselves and one for G.o.d.
Now, I would a great deal rather steal ten cents from you than G.o.d. I think one reason why a great many people do not get along in worldly acc.u.mulation faster is because they do not observe this Divine rule.
G.o.d says: ”Well, if that man is not satisfied with ninety cents out of a dollar, then I will take the whole dollar, and I will give it to the man or woman who is honest with me.” The greatest obstacle to charity in the Christian church to-day is the fact that men expend so much on their table, and women so much on their dress, they have got nothing left for the work of G.o.d and the world's betterment.
DISTRACTS ATTENTION.
Again, extravagant costume is distraction to a public wors.h.i.+p. You know very well there are a good many people who go to church just as they go to the races, to see who will come out first. Men and women with souls to be saved pa.s.sing the hour in wondering where that man got his cravat, or what store that woman patronizes. In many of our churches the preliminary exercises are taken up with the discussion of wardrobes. It is pitiable. Is it not wonderful that the Lord does not strike the meeting-houses with lightning? What distraction of public wors.h.i.+p! Dying men and women, whose bodies are soon to be turned into dust, yet before three worlds strutting like peac.o.c.ks.
People sitting down in a pew or taking up a hymn book, all absorbed at the same time in personal array, to sing:
”Rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings, Thy better portion trace; Rise from transitory things Toward heaven, thy native place!”
I adopt the Episcopalian prayer, and say: ”Good Lord, deliver us!”
MENTAL IMPOVERISHMENT.
Extravagant costume belittles the intellect. Our minds are enlarged or they dwindle just in proportion to the importance of the subject on which we constantly dwell. Can you imagine anything more dwarfing to the human intellect than the study of dress? I see men on the street who, judging from their elaboration, I think must have taken two hours to arrange their apparel. After a few years of that kind of absorption, which one of McAllister's magnifying gla.s.ses will be powerful enough to make the man's character visible? What will be left of a woman's intellect after giving years and years to the discussion of such questions? They all land in idiocy. I have seen men at the summer watering-places through fas.h.i.+on the mere wreck of what they once were. Sallow of cheek. Meagre of limb. Hollow at the chest.
Showing no animation save in rus.h.i.+ng across a room to pick up a lady's fan. Simpering along the corridors the same compliments they simpered twenty years ago.
BARS HEAVEN.
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