Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-05-03
CONCERNING MOURNING APPAREL.

certainly have scupes OF conscience about it and
hold myself liberty consult the wishes Of friends, other
circumstances though should not consult my feelings
wishes in the occasional adoption of the custom. The truth
is these appings of grief seem to me Indifferent and childish
where there real grief and where there is not they
mockery If the mourning sarb of texture,
like the ancient sacc there might be something perhaps
plead for intrinsic fitness but, il is, it differs from
another gab only in the color, and graes the pride Of ap
the love Of Dress scarcely less than any other a
pare Besides, if any color were to be selected, black
would be the of all unfit for Christian people,
The cypress shade, night and Darkness fit obects and
images to be connected with death, among those who sat
in the region and shadow Of death who mouned hav
ing hope" But Christians forbidden mourn they
did, Among us the te used by the Chinese IN token Of
their hope that the dead had gone to Y1rer world, woud
TO be filter emblem the blue o the Turks,
presenting the sky, whittier they hope theft friends have gone;
Or the brown Of the Ethopans denong the color of
the earth to which we return Or the yeoD of the Egyp
ans kening the decay Of life to the scared leaf Of autumn
II osenasus display Of grief has any merit prcpey
among Christians, fall very far behind the Oentals
generally. Indeed, conceive Of nothing truly
mounful than their customs. 'tAs person dies
says Jahn "the females in the family with loud set
up sorowul cry They continue it as long they can,
without taking breath, and the first shrek Of wang dies
away in low sob. After short space Of time they repeat
the cry, and continue for eight days. Every day,
however, it becomes less equen, and less audible ill dies
away entirely.
But the principal objections against the custom Of wearing
mourning apparel are, that it useless nconvenen and
expensive.
For wha. use does it serve me To remind me that am
in siicion do not need any such memento. To point
to others a mourner do wish to be point
ed out Shall the sable gab be adopted, then, because it is
grateful to my feelings because is kind OF sosce to me
| can gain no consolation from il.
But if the custom useless, its Inconvenience forms still
greater objection. is nconvenen because throws the
of purchasing and making clothes upon family at the
very moment when every account most nees secluson
and quietness--when out with care, and watching,
and sorrow, needs retirement and relief There shock
ing unseemDess had almost said sacriege, in turning the
house Of desth into shop for deess-maker Who that
has witnessed what is passing Of these occasions
who that has the broken. hearted victims Of affection
brought forth to be dressed Pagcants and haassed with in
quiries about mourning and bonnets. or heard inter-
mingled with their sghs and tears pay and vain discussions
about the adjustments of mourning caps and rbandswho,
say, has not felt that oil this nconvenient, ined, end
unbecomng, beyond what any force Of ansusgs can ex
press
But the greatest objection, after al the Of mourning
apparel is the expense. That the expense presses heavily
upon The poor matter very well known, and believe,
very generally regretted But this is all presses hes
Willy upon the body Of the community None but the opuent
Ia fact easily a1rd It. There very few families in
the country with whom the expense Of mourning apparel does
not form badensome addition the bills Of the merchant
Besides this is the expensive kind Of apparel and
there always these occasonscm haste and the nau.
raj mprovidence Of sliced mind about worldly things
there great deal of extravaganza and And more
than sll, this expense time en-, Of all times, II
be least easily borne II in addition TO oil the
penses Of Sickness the paying Of aeudsns and the charges
Of the physician. Il comes, perhaps at the very moment
when the main support and reliance Of famyf taken away
When the husband the father the provder, is cut off when
he has departed from the world with feeling Of distress
deep that he TO leave destitute ho.e who dearer
to him than fe then il 10 that the desoate and deprived
uods false notion Of showing respect TO him, obliged
by the customs Of society," abdge the already narrow
which they have rely. How many the cases
In which considerable portion, and the whole, Of what
remains for the widow and the fs,herless is expended not in
prdvsing for their wap, but in merely druSrng them Tor
ttc,; des,ate condition.
IT, then, there custom IN the comfnursy which ID no
Zeal benefit and real BURDEN would rcem clear infer
that ought tobe seoursged hce be who fssr
that they shall be forgotten smesg when they
gone let them be reminded that depends upon them
selves upon the habimenis Of their friends upon their
character upon their obeques, whether they shall be
membered The memorial Of vae," sah the wisdom Of
Solomon, els immortal When is present, ske ex-
ample Of and when IL s gone, ey desire il it wesreih
crown, and rumpheth forever"-Tract the Duties Of
Cm1soLofion &e. published in 1896.