SUNDAY READING

Te Aroha News, Volume XVI, Issue 22214, 17 March 1900, Page 3

SUNDAY READING

ination before God. Lovo of dress, looked at, as one should do, from all points,' has that connected with it which cannot but tend to the soul’s ruin. Its aims and the aims of the Spirit of God lie widely apart. It takes the place of better things, and vanity clinging to you as a cloud will hide the true object of life. Men or women ruled by vauity fritter away their time, like gaudy painted butterflies, live useless, sinful lives, and die forgotten and despised. No good works follow them to the grave, but wns'ed opportunities stand round their bier, while souls of ruined men and wonn n, ere long, will rDe up to curse them at the day of judgment. Who will have the hardihood to affirm, that vanity—the love of dress—is harmless ?

THE FASHIONS

Deut. xxni?, Ist Tim. ii 9

1 By Tarrm. Evekythin’g has its place inthe eternal order, and woman holds (or should hold) the highest place of usefulness. -Man was created first, it is true, but creation was imperfect, and it was necessary for to be created to ensues Butman "‘represents more the animal and woman the spiritual in humanity. He is coarser, able to exercise greater strength of muscles, to forage for food, to do the heavy work of the world ; while woman uPfiner, her temperament more even, her soul more nearly allied to and by her uniou with man creation is perfected. Woman s n ems to be the soothing influence in nature. She has a work to do which man could never attempt. When sorrows come her tears refreshing showers of heavenly rain, and as they mingle wit-kkjd-o coarser sobs- of man, they give h..ii liO-.v oourav-V. is we-i that she

is finer in her temperament for it is her mission to be the mother of those who shall live through all eternity. The making of home, too, is (or should be) woman’s noblest ambition. See her brooding over the cradle of the sleeping infant, or gathering her little ones about her knee to inculcate the lpssons of gentleness and love. She is then absorbing herself spiritual nourishment and strength. A pure minded sweet souled woman is God’s best gift to man. He who acquireth Ruch an one ‘ geteth a good thing from the Pure womanhood is holy—a good only.a little lower than the angels, and mm is enobled by her e •mpanienship. But there are women, and in s .rrow wo have to say it, who ze the grandeur of womanhood ; wh > spend their time thinking of the fripperies of fashion, or how they can best attract the admiration of the opposite sex. And, in the natural ■order of things, a frivo ! ous woman bea useless woman. She hasfailed her work, and humanity would havo been the gainer had she never entered world: Those women who think "the acme of life is to be fashionab'y dressed, to turn night into day, and | seek sleep only when the sun’s rays j

nvo gladdening; earth, who imagine man v^s 1 created, to be their special atl-ror and servitor, and whose idea of marriage is centred on unlimited freedom and plenty o£ money, are the most useless of all the anhnat kingdom. They never nvik r ' good wives (indeed they make marriage a failure) and cannot fulfill the co nditions of good and useful womanhood. They know Jiot how to soothe the sorrows of a hard working and troubled husband, and look upon everything which abridges their personal pleasure ns an affront ►-and an injury. Theso are human butterflies, without soul, or heart, or anything of the milk of human kindness. The are hinderers and not helpers in the progressive prosperity of the worid. There is in short, nothing so antagonistic to the wh le scheme of nature as a useless woman except it he a useless man. The useless woman is a ourse to society, and a lihol on the sex, of which she is, alas, a member. And these are generally the people who lead society. Who plan and follow the fashions ! and the world bows down and worships ! These are they to whom our t< xt applies, and to all others who ape their ways. » c he has lor.g donned man’s hat, her hair is discarded, her head dishonoured aud no more, couuted ‘ her glory.’ She wears his collar, his shirt, his coat, she but needs his pantaloons, -topbeots and spurs, then she shall he .transformed. She is now in the f’Crrysalis stage, a loathesome unappteciablecondition; the semblance only of a man and yet not a woman. Yet rv-ny woman is endowed by her Maker with a desire to be beautiful, therefore it is right and ii nocenfc. Fve doub'less, whon presented to Adam by God, embodied the tion of beauty personified. And it is not sinful vanity to be and to continue charming; but the means used, and the soul absorbing results which often accompany this desire, lead into ways of vanity and sin. Tn its proper exercise it is just as worthy as a woman’s natural love of children. Like every other gift it should excite gratitude, ajid be consecrated to noble use. Beauty of fovm and. grace of vasture should be woman’s aim. Health waists a’-e a device of the devil to keep in londage women who are seeking deliverance from the weakness and misery from which a really healthy mode of dress might emancipate them. Our definition of a natural body includes such outlines and proportions as are shown by Greek sculpture ; and for a woman they are—a small head, slightly drooping shoulders, somewhat narrow, and a body bounded by successive outward gentle curves, softly melting into one another, .the widest parts being at the hips, L'.ence tapering to the feet. Therefore such features of dress as make the shoulders appear broad and high and the body to taper from below the armpit, with lines approaching each other like the 1< tier v, are masculine and not, feminine. Fashion tl o< s not imitate the lines of a natural body. And If'one wishes to be truly beautif ill, <?>o must try to hate and to forget a fashion plate. Love of dress in self perhaps—perhaps we sav—need not become a sin, but for a woman to ape the man by wearing similar apparel is,not only sin, but an ahom-