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Article TO THE EDITOR. ← Page 3 of 3
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To The Editor.
taste and desires were so much above both our fortunes , and whose heart was set upon show , high life , and pleasure , which she could not gratify without ruining herself and me . When I returned home to London , 1 could not but reflect uponthe consequences of public assemblies , balls , concerts , and entertainments : I do not mean with regard to the great expence of them to the Mayor , though I am sure that many of the Corporation cannot spend . so much money in one day , without sensibly feeling it ; but my chief
design isto consider the natural effects of them . on the minds of the wives and daughters of the tradesmen and shopkeepers of the town , as the greatest part of the assembly consisted of such ; for daily experience shews us , that most women are struckwith dress and show ,. are admirers and promoters of elegance , politeness , and magnificence , and have a strong taste for gaiety and pleasure . By going to these public diversions , young women of small
fortunesacquire such a relish for fine things , that a plain and neat dress , a bouse only decently and usefully furnished , and , a plain and simple diet , will not satisfy them ; but when they marry , they must have * nice and polite dishes at their tables , must always drink foreign wines at their meals , their houses must be furnished with some degree of elegance and taste , and the Milliners , shops must be frequently visited , that they may be acquainted with the newest fashions , and con- , sequently alter their own dress as often as a new mode comes in . I
have said nothing here of that pernicious spirit of gaming , which now prevails in every house that has the least pretension to politeness . These extravagancies were formerly confined to , Courts , and the houses of the rich and the nobles ; but since trade and commerce have brought great riches into several cities , they have infected the citizens ; and now they are spread into the country towns ; nay , I am told , that they begin to make their appearance in some yillages , where they have introduced private assemblies for cards and genteel suppers .
What must be the end of this immoderate love of pleasure , dress ,: and show , of this great increase of luxury , of this idleness and universal dissipation , of this spirit of continual rambling apd gadding abroad in idle visits and trifling conversation , which now so generally prevail : among the young women of small fortunes , who are early initiated in them , and are bred up from their childhood in these polite manners ? whatI can they end inbut poverty and unhappiness ?—This is
, say , , one great cause of so many persons breaking ; for " the prices of even the necessaries of life are nearly doubled in . many places within the space of thirty j-ears , and what was then reckoned to be a handsomeprovision , is now but a scanty maintenance ; and therefore temperance , moderation , and frugality , are the virtues that ought to be unirecommended to the
versally youth of both sexes among us . ' ' J- N . ' . .... .. .. - - ' - -. . - : rJ . ' * V
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
To The Editor.
taste and desires were so much above both our fortunes , and whose heart was set upon show , high life , and pleasure , which she could not gratify without ruining herself and me . When I returned home to London , 1 could not but reflect uponthe consequences of public assemblies , balls , concerts , and entertainments : I do not mean with regard to the great expence of them to the Mayor , though I am sure that many of the Corporation cannot spend . so much money in one day , without sensibly feeling it ; but my chief
design isto consider the natural effects of them . on the minds of the wives and daughters of the tradesmen and shopkeepers of the town , as the greatest part of the assembly consisted of such ; for daily experience shews us , that most women are struckwith dress and show ,. are admirers and promoters of elegance , politeness , and magnificence , and have a strong taste for gaiety and pleasure . By going to these public diversions , young women of small
fortunesacquire such a relish for fine things , that a plain and neat dress , a bouse only decently and usefully furnished , and , a plain and simple diet , will not satisfy them ; but when they marry , they must have * nice and polite dishes at their tables , must always drink foreign wines at their meals , their houses must be furnished with some degree of elegance and taste , and the Milliners , shops must be frequently visited , that they may be acquainted with the newest fashions , and con- , sequently alter their own dress as often as a new mode comes in . I
have said nothing here of that pernicious spirit of gaming , which now prevails in every house that has the least pretension to politeness . These extravagancies were formerly confined to , Courts , and the houses of the rich and the nobles ; but since trade and commerce have brought great riches into several cities , they have infected the citizens ; and now they are spread into the country towns ; nay , I am told , that they begin to make their appearance in some yillages , where they have introduced private assemblies for cards and genteel suppers .
What must be the end of this immoderate love of pleasure , dress ,: and show , of this great increase of luxury , of this idleness and universal dissipation , of this spirit of continual rambling apd gadding abroad in idle visits and trifling conversation , which now so generally prevail : among the young women of small fortunes , who are early initiated in them , and are bred up from their childhood in these polite manners ? whatI can they end inbut poverty and unhappiness ?—This is
, say , , one great cause of so many persons breaking ; for " the prices of even the necessaries of life are nearly doubled in . many places within the space of thirty j-ears , and what was then reckoned to be a handsomeprovision , is now but a scanty maintenance ; and therefore temperance , moderation , and frugality , are the virtues that ought to be unirecommended to the
versally youth of both sexes among us . ' ' J- N . ' . .... .. .. - - ' - -. . - : rJ . ' * V