Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-05-28
Concerning Mourning Apparel.

other circumstances, though L should no.
consult my own feelings or wishes, in the
occasional adoption of the custom. The
truth is, these trappings of grief seem IL
me Indifferent and childish where there 1.
real grief, and where there is not they are
mockcry. If the mourning garb were OF
a coarser texture, like the ancient sack
cloth, there might be something perhaps tc
plead for its intrinsic fitness; but, as it is
it differs from another garb only in the
color, and gratifies the garb Of appearance,
the love Of dress, scarcely less than any
other apparel. Besides, if any color were
to be selected, Wtek would seem to be the
most of all unfit for Christian people.
The cypress shade, night and darkness,
were fit objects and images to be connect
ed with death among those who sat in
tie region and shadow of death ;" "who
mourned as havingno hope" But Chris
tains are forbidden to mourn as they did.
Among us, the rAite used by the Chinese,
in token of their hope that the dead had
gone to purer world, would seem to be a
filter emblem; or the Jlue of the Turks,
as representing the sky, whittier they hope
their friends have gone; or even the Jrorn
of the Ethiopians, ,denoting the color of the
earth to which we return; or the .yellon of
the Egyptian, likening the decay of life to
the scared leaf of autumn.
| If an ostentatious display of grief has
any merit or propricty among Christians,
we must fall very far behind the Orientals,
generally. Indeed, | can conceive of moth
ing more truly mournful than their Gus
toms. Gas soon as a person dies" says
John, d" the females in the family with
loud voice set up a sorrowful cry. They
continue it as long as they can, without
taking breath, and the first shrek of wall
ing dies away in a low sob. After short
space of time they repeat the same cry,and
continue it for eight days. Every day,
however, it becomes less frequent and less
audible" till it dies away entirely.
But the principal objections against the
custom of wearing mourning apparel are
that it is useless, inconvenient, and expen-
sivc
For what use does it serve me p? To re-
mind me that | am in affiiction l do
not need any such memento. To point me
out to others as mourner? l do not
wisi, to be SO pointed out. Shall the sable
garb be adopted, then, because it is CRATE
full to my feelings, because it is a kind Of
solace to me can gain no consolation
from it.
But if the custom is useless, its incon-
venicnce forms a still greater objection.
1t is inconycnicnt, because it throws the
care of purchasing and making clothes up
on family at the very moment when, on
every account, it most needs scclusion and
quietness-when, worn out with care, and
watching, and sorrow, it needs retirement
and relief. There is shocking unseemli-
ness, l had almost said a sacrilege, in turn
ing the house of death into shop for a
dress-maker. Who that has ever wit
messed what is passing on one of these oc-
casions-who that has seen the broken
hearted victims of aflliction brought forth
to be dressed as pageants, and harassed
with inquiries about mourning gowns and
bonnets, or heard interminglcd with their
sighs and tears, paltry and vain discuss
ions about the adjustments of mourning
caps and ribands-who, l say, has not
felt that all this is inconvenient, ill-timed,
and unbecoming, beyond what any force of
language can express!
But the greatest objection, after all, to
the use of mourning apparel, is the expense.
That the expense presses heavily upon the
poor is a matter very well known, and, l
believe, very generally regretted. But
this is not all: it presses heavily upon the
body of the community. None but the
opulent, in fact, can easily afford it. There
are very few families in the country with |
whom the expense of mourning apparel
does not form burdensomc addition to
the bills Of the merchant. Besides, this is |
the most expensive kind of apparel; and
there is always on these occasions-from
haste and the natural improvidence Of an
afflicted mind about worldly things--there
is great deal of extravaganza and waste.
And, more than all, this expense comes at
a time when, of all times, it can be least
easily borne. 1t comes in addition to all
the expenses Of sickness, the paying Of at
tendants, and the charges Of the physician.
It comes, perhaps, at the very moment
when the main support and reliance of
family is taken away; when the husband,
the father, the rrovider, is cut off; when
he has, gone from the world with no feeling
Of distress so deep as that he was to leave
destitute those who were dearer to hm
,Lo,, I:eo, tl,on Il &c that the desoIate are