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Chapter 28—Relation of Dress to Education
No education can be complete that does not teach right principles
in regard to dress. Without such teaching, the work of education
is too often retarded and perverted. Love of dress and devotion to
fashion are among the teacher’s most formidable rivals and most
effective hindrances.
Fashion rules with an iron hand. In many homes the strength,
time, and attention of parents and children are absorbed in meeting
its demands.
With many it matters not how becoming, or even beautiful, a
garment may be; if the fashion changes, it must be remade or dis-
carded. The members of the household are doomed to ceaseless
effort. There is no time for training the children, no time for prayer
or Bible study, no time for helping the little ones become acquainted
with God through His works. There is no time and no money for
charity. And often the home table is stinted. The food is poorly
selected and hastily prepared, and the demands of nature are but
partially supplied. The result is wrong habits of diet, which create
disease or lead to intemperance.
The love of display produces extravagance, and in many young
people kills the aspiration for a nobler life. Instead of pursuing an
education, they early engage in some occupation to earn money for
indulging the passion for clothes. And through this passion many
young girls are beguiled to ruin.
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In many a home the family resources are overtaxed. The father,
unable to supply the demands of the mother and the children, is
tempted to dishonesty, and dishonor and ruin are the result.
Even the day of worship is not exempt from fashion’s domination.
The church is made a parade ground, and the fashions are studied
more than the sermon. The poor, unable to meet the demands of
custom, stay away from church altogether.
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