OUR YOUNG WOMEN.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4210, 17 September 1874, Page 3

OUR YOUNG WOMEN.

(From the iSimdhy Chronicle —Saxx Francisco.) The young womeix of America of the px-esent generation seem to have entirely lost the capacity for enjoying the simple and inexpen-, aive ploasux-es which sufficed for their gx-and-xxxothers. Uxxless they can live ixx an atmosphere of constant excitement they are miserable. Fashion and style, costly dx-esses aud splendid entertaixxxnents, palatial residences axxd ambitious equipages are no longer regarded by' thenx as the luxux-ies of life, but as indispensable luxuries, withorxt whiclx existence becomes a humiliation and a burden. Display axxd extravagance ax-e necessary to enjoyment, and an insane dispositioxr to measure the satisfaction to be derived from axxy pleasure by its cost pervades all ranks of society. . The wealthy give themselves up to the semi-barbarism of ostentatious living, aud people of moderate incomes are drawn into the tex-rible vortex by an inordinate and oftexx fatal ambition. Hence comes the fearful annual cx-op of defalcations, embezzlements, breaches of- tx-ust, and other crimes of a still dax-ker complexion. Hence, in the desperate effort to win fortunes at a stroke, or by a bold risk to avert impending financial ruin, come wild speculations, gigantic swindling schemes, and reckless gambling., To this cause may bo traced half the suicides which have become so common that they cease to shock us. The extravagance of our living is answerable in a lax-ge raeasux-e for the corruption of our mox-als. On the altar of Fashion mexx daily sacrifice their integx-ity axxd women their vix-tue. Unless all exxx-x-ent testimony as to Amex-ican maunex-s and morals in this year of our Lord 187-1 are ( grosnly exaggerated, x-epublicau New Yox-k and x-epixblicau Washington ax-e not far behind the powdered Paris of the Regent d’Orleans or the libex-tine London of Charles 11. And we feel justified in declaring that for this fearful condition of things the women of America, are mainly responsible. As a general thing, mexx are not strongly possessed by that kind of ambition which finds its gx-atification in fashionable ex-tx-avagance and costly establishments. It is not oftexx that a man of l matxxre yeax-s, in the possession of the comforts of life, is so weak as to feel miserable because his neighbor or his friend lives in a more splendid mansion, maintains a mox*e showy establishment, or gives more xnagnificent entertaixxxxxexxts than he ’can himself afford. It is only to the feminine heart that the pomps and vanities are so dear as to make any sacrifice seem slight that is necossax-y to compass them. It was the social ambition of a wife that not long ago indxxced a member of Congress who had home a spotless reputation to sell his influence as a legislator and left him with a blasted character and ruined career. It was the same fatal thirst for fashionable distinction on the part of-a beautiful aud accomplished woman that more recexxtly drove a distinguished lawyer and rising statesman to petty frauds upon the Department of Justice, the exposure of which has blighted his futxxrp prospects. No one who notes the changes in oxxr social conditions aud in the style of living that have been going on for the last twenty yeax-s, and mt re especially since the close of the war,,can l:o blind to the rapid demoralisation ox what are called “the upper classes” of our society ; springing, as the evil uxxdoxxbtedly does, from cex-taixx inex-adicable tendencies ixx human nature, and fx-om causes which are still ixx active operation* it docs not seem easy to •px-esex-ibe a x-emedy. The exhortatioxxs of the pulpit and the press appear to. produce no ■ appreciable effect; and -we have little hope of seeing the current stemmed until that class of American xvomen who, by their social position and their wealth, have the power of setting the stamp of fashion upon sxxch customs aud usages as they will, shall unite to wield that power in x-estox-ing the simplicity in dress and the frugality in living which prevailed in the days of our grandmothers. Whether any such united and concerted effort on the part of those by whom alone it -can be made successful is a thing that can be regarded as among the (hopeful probabilities, is a problem for the solution of which we do not at present feel competent.