Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-11-08
from Brooks Daily Monitos.l
MOURNING APPAREL.
But now lac s ucad waeieore -ho I'D last Can bring
t,,

Bu, now lac s uead wherefore .hu lid last Can bring
hnn back az H.
These remarks against mourning apparel,
are admitted with tHo sncerest kindness to-
wards the afflicted. These Iappings Of gIief
seem indifferent and childish where taeTe 10
real grief: and where there is not, they are =
mocKery. The principal objections against
me cusiomo oi wearing mourning apparel, are,
that II IS useless, tncotrenient and erpe,Istce.
For what use does II serve To remind me
that am IN aiihclon do not wish to be %
pointed out. Shall the sable garb be adopted
then, because it is a KIND Of solace 10 n,s I
can gam no consolation from It.
But II the custom is useless, its inconven-
lenCo forms still greater objection. II 10 IN
convenient, because II throws the care OF pur-
chasing and making clio Les, upon family, at
the very moment. when on every account It
most needs seciusion and qule,ness- when,
worn out with caro-, ana val ching. and sorrow,
ii needs retirement and relief There IL 4
shocking unseeml n,s.. had almost said q sa-
crege, IN turning the house of death INTO q
snop lar the VI s>u.aner bo thai has ever
Witnessed MIA. Is passing on one uf these oc-
cdsOns who that has seen the bi0keu-ifeart-
cd victims of aliil,,;op brot ght .Orih 10 10
dressed w as pugeants and harrassed with in
quires about mru nine gowns and AoonDets, or
heart, inseri9ingIed wih thelr sigbs and tearss
paltry and VAN dIscussIuhs about the ad JUST
munt of mourning caps ind nbboDs Who, /
say, has not felt that all this lie neon, cnicni,
ill-ilmed and unbecoming, beyond what any
ior'o # language can express!
But the groa,esl objection after all, TO tEe
USE OF mourning apparel, is the expense -
That tha expense presses heavily upon the
pour, Is matter very well known, and be-
lie,e, very generally regretted. But this 10
h., h.. h,l &c
the community. None but The opulsnt, in
fact. can aiio' d il. There are few families in
The country, with whom The expense Of mourn
ing apparel does not form burJensone addi-
ton TO tie bills of the merchant Besides, this
- The most expensive kind of apparel, ond
there Is always on these Occasions from haste
and the natural ImpIovidence Of an afflicted
mind about worldly things-there is great
deal OF extravaganza and waste. And inore
than all this expense come at u time " hen Of
all times, il can be least easily horne. It
comes IN addition to all the expenses Of sick
ness, the paying Of attendants, and The char
gcs of the physician. 1t comes, p"rha ps, at
tie very moment "ben the main support and
reliance 0i a family is taken away. When the
husband, the father tne provIder, is cut off,
when he has departed from the world wiih 10
feeling OF distress 20 deep, as that he was to
leave destitute those who were dearer 10 him
than life then 1t is hat the desolate and de-
prved, under false notion OF sho ing respect
To- him, are obliged by the customs oi society,
to abridge the already narrow means on which
they have To rely. How many are the cases
in which considerable portion, aud even tho
whole of what remains for the widow and tho
iathe!oss, is experd,d, not N providing for
THEN wants ,bui i'll m rely Srroying them for
their desolate CONDITION.