A Tale of Two Skivvies

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of relief, it was the epoch of irritation, it was the season of Support, it was the season of Neglect, it was the spring of elastic, it was the winter of jersey, we had convenience before us, we had exasperation before us, we were all going direct toward Comfort, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest sensations insisted on its being received, for good or evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. For many, the choice was clear when these superlative comparisons arose. And this conflict of comparison sprang from two households, both alike in dignity, but distinct in fundamental conviction. For to one, there was no greater claim than that of stability, which some have called restrictive, and its devotees held in contempt the negligent audacity characteristic of the liberty the other called its creed, which some have called reckless, lacking the security that sufficient support would undoubtedly provide. And while this age-old feud between houses—or let us call them parties—ultimately precipitated a third provision that attempts to offer the best of both, it seems