Church Attire by Chicago Pulpit

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jul 17, 1879

Church Attire.

By Chicago Pulpit

CONSCIENCES are much more readily put at ease in the matter of church-going than they once were. Mrs. Jones loses sight of hers in the fact that her old bonnet will look shabby beside Mrs. Smith's new one, although Mrs. Jones' bonnet was very pretty and becoming the Sunday before. Her daughter Arabella does not attend the evening service unless invited by Mr. Agustus, for the reason that Mr. Agustus' coat is always of "elegant fit," and his gloves a "delightful color," and he holds the hymn-book in such a graceful way; and vice versa, Augustus invites Arabella because she is "stylish" and "fashionable," and the "other fellows of his set will envy him." If you do not believe this, stand at your window some fair Sunday morning while the church-bells are ringing, and watch the passing crowd. There is the same pitiful mockery from the beginning to the end. The color of the dress, the multitudinous trimmings, the hump at the back where the waist terminates—all the deformities of fashion in silk and lace are imitated by the poorer class in cheaper materials, and Bridget drapes her shawl in exactly the same way as does her mistress. Join the crowd, and you will hear, as you pass along, that "Mrs. D. has a new silk of the loveliest shade, that it is made"—but you hurry on, and hear that "Miss G. has worn the same dress all the season;" that "Mr. P. has a new diamond pin;" that "he is paying attention to Miss M.;" and that "Miss M. is not stylish;" and so on ad infinitum, were you not at the church door.—Chicago Pulpit.