The Girl and Her Religion

shion which helps make men and women attractive and clothes them with neatness and care, protects them by courtesies, and shields them by conventionalities, but mad fashion. Not

l they made their weird music, sang their wild songs and shouted aloud that they might drown the appeal of the sacrifice. The dark ages have passed. It is the enlightened

S PLEASURE

gs a little. But in a moment she looks toward the bed. Lying upon it, smoothed out carefully, is the result of the sacrifice-a thin silk gown of palest blue draped with a fragile chiffon, trimmed and caught up with crystal drops and tiny rosebuds. It is a pretty thing. Besides it is a spotless white outing coat, rough, and to quote the words of the clerk who helped her select it, "exceedingly modish." There are pale blue stockings and pumps. She did hesitate about the pumps but they were there. The hat was there too. She hoped to go perhaps to two dances, she knew she should go to the theater, for she already had an invitation and there might be another. Besides that she intended to go herself and invite one of the girls if she were able to get all the things paid for before the theater season was over. Last year everything got shabby so quickly and "looked like a rag," before the season was over but she hoped for better luck this time. She rose and put her new possessions away very carefully in the little closet and boxes and turned to the mirror. The hair dresser had shown her a new way to dress her hair and she tried it now herself. After a long time she met with fair success

t her with a pale face and dark circles under her lovely eyes. The rest cure had done much for her but her physician had said another season in town would undo all that had been done. Her mother was loath to believe it. She had always been able to dismiss her husband's arguments and had done so successfully the night before when he plead for a year of roughing it in the west, society forgotten and the things of nature for amusement and fun. "If we drop out now," she told h

ing it. Her father's blood was in her veins and even her training had failed to obliterate all of the hard sen

followed Fashion-she bowed in the presence of Pleasure-and at last sighing wearily, murmured softly, "Well, there is no way out. Mother has set

rinks from the long gay season. But she is only one of many, some very young and strong, and some in the twenties who have

her large, dark eyes snapped and sparkled in laughter or in anger. She went to work. As yet she had thought little about the twin idols. Before the year had passed, she knelt before them. At the end of the second year she had offered in their name, truth and honesty in exchange for furs, a silver purs

nough. That night they had said bitter words to each other, then had repented and he had begged her to be careful, to try for a while to do without unnecessary things for his sake and said that she was more beautiful than any of the more richly dressed women he knew and that she ought to be content. She promised to try. But it was of no use. She heard the call of the idols. She could not resist and bowed down and worshiped them. Before the year had passed she had plunged into hopeless debt and in her mad devotion sacrificed her husband wi

smissed for a slight offense the week before. He did not like the new nurse. His mother did not know much about her. She seemed kind and she was very courteous in her manner. The mother was going in her friend's machine, out to the club-house for bridge. She was a little late and could not stop though the child had looked very pitifu

grew tense and strained as they exchanged their cards. Over in one corner some of

re, climbed over the side of the bed, slipped to the floor, softly opened the door into the hall. His eyes were swollen

child. The doctor said he would live but the spine seemed to b

ll and they could hear the congratulatory words of her friend. She had won. Then she started up the stairs. Le

have passed. But they are not fiction-they picture facts. They are not in the past. The same scenes are being repeated now all over our country

right that young mothers keep their youth and enjoy the society of their friends. But when girlhood erects an altar and in the presence of Fashion and Pleasure sacrifices time and strength, money, honesty, thrift and virtue, then it is sin and the individ

Fashion and offers her best to Pleasure, the poor girl also worship

xtravagant overdressing is clear evidence of the lack of good breeding and good taste; that those who indulge in clothes which they cannot afford and tho

the wild rush for sensational and unhealthful pleasures has always mea

or servants of Pleasure. Free-their faces clear, tinted and rosy with the keen joy of living. Free-their eyes bright with h

cry aloud, "Bow down," and the mass of girlhood and womanhood, beautiful, strong, healthful, loving life, answer and