It is not confined
to the rich and moneyed classes, but extends also to the middle and
working classes.
There never was such a burning desire to be rich, or to _seem_ to be
rich. People are no longer satisfied with the earnings of honest
industry; but they must aim at becoming suddenly rich,--by speculation,
gambling, betting, swindling, or cheating.
General extravagance is to be seen everywhere. It is especially the
characteristic of town life. You see it in the streets, in the parks, in
the churches. The extravagance of dress is only one of its signs. There
is a general prodigality in social display. People live in a style
beyond their means; and the results are observed in commercial failures,
in lists of bankrupts, and in criminal courts, where business men are so
often convicted of dishonesty and fraud.
Appearances must be kept up. Men must _seem_ to be rich. Hypocrites can
easily impose upon those who are willing to be convinced. People must
now live in a certain style, inhabit handsome houses, give good dinners,
drink fine wines, and have a handsome equipage. Perhaps they are only
able to accomplish this by overreaching or by dishonesty. Everybody
wondered at the generosity and style of Redpath and Robson; but there
are hundreds, if not thousands, of Redpaths and Robsons now.
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