Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-06-19
Mourning Apparel.

certainly have no scruples of conscience
about it; and hold myself at liberty to con-
suit the wishes of friends, or other circumstan-
ces, though I should not consult my own feel
ings or wishes, in the occasional adoption of the
custom. The truth is, these trappings of grief
seem to me Indifferent and childish where there
's real grief; and where there is not they are q
mockes mop1aiRg garb were Of coaru-
ei@sgzluls, = - nC sGokclotb, there might
something perhaps to plead for its intrinsic
fitness; but as it is, it differs from another garb
only in the color, and gratifes the pride of ap-
pearance, the love of dress, scarcely less than
any other apparel. Besides, if any color were
to be selected, black 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 connected with DEATH among those
who "sat in the region and shade of death"-
"who mourned as having no hope" But chris
tans are forbidden to mourn as they did. Am ong
us, the white used by the Chinese, in token of
their hope that the dead had gone to pure
world. Turks as representing the sky, whittier
they hope their friends have gone ; or, even, the
brown of the Ethopians, denoting the color Of
the earth to which we return; or the yellow Of
the Egyptians, likening the decay of life to the
scared leaf of Autumn
If an ostentatous display of grief has any
merit or propriety among Christians, we would
fall very far behind the Orientals, generally
Tndood o,p conooivo oF po+,;no rooro truIv
mournfu than their customs. " As soon as
person dies" says John, " the females in the
family with loud voice, set up a soTowful
cry. This they always continue as long as
they can, without taking breath, and the first
shrek of waling dies away in low sob. At
Ter a short space of time they repeat the same
cry, and continue for eight days. Every day
however, it becomes less frequent and less au'
dible, till it dies away entirely"
But the principle objections against the
custom of wearing mourning apparel, are, that
it is useless, inconvenient, and expensive.
For what use does it serve me? To remind
me that | am in affection? | do not need any
such memento. To point me out to others as a
mourner ? / do not wish to be SO pointed out
Shall the sable garb be adopted, then, because
ii is gratsfalrssvsa "a .bccs,lse it is
kind of solace to me? can gain no eonsoIa-
ton from it.
But if the custom is useless, its inconvenience
5 forms still greater objection. It's incon1eu-
lent, because it throws the care of purchasing
and making cloths, upon family, at the very
moment when on every account, it most need
seclusion and quietness--when worn out with
= care, watching and sorrow, it needs retirement
q and relief There is a shocking unSeemIiness,
- had almost said a sacrege, in turning the
house of death into shop for dressmaker!-
Who that has ever witnessed what passing on
. one of these occasions-who that has seen the
=. broken-hearted victims Of afllction brought out
! TO be dressed as pageants, and harassed with
! inquiries about mourning gowns and bonnets, or
- heard intermingled with their sighs and tears,
=. paItry and vain discussions about the ADJUST
- ment of mourning caps and rbbons-who, say
has not felt that all this is nconvenlent, lll-umed
= and unbecoming, beyond what any force OF Ian
20 guage can express
Is But the great objection after all, to the use
"' Of mourning apparels, is the expense. lhat the
IL expense presses heavily upon the poor is mat
III ter very well known, and, believe, very gener
u aIlv regretted. But this is not all, it presses
u heavily upon the body of the community. In
le fact none but the opulent can easily afford IT,
ID There are very few families In the country, to
Il 1 ooFp does
IL form burdensome addition to the bills OF the
s. merchant Besides, this is the most expensive
y kind of apparel and there is always on these
e occasons-from haste and the natural lmpru-
10 dence of an afflicted mind, about worldly things
II there is a great deal Of extravaganza and
o waste And more than all, this expense comes
at time when of all times, it can be least easl-
: " borne 1t comes in addition to all expenses
: of sicknes, the paying of attendants and the
: charges of the physician.
d 1t comes, perhaps at the very moment. when
l. the main support and reliance of family is Ia
q ken away. When the husband, the father, the
ot provider, is cut off-when he has departed from
the world with no feeling of distress so deep as
that he was to leave destitute those who were
dearer to him than life-then it is, that the des.
olate and deprived, under false notion of show
> ing respect to him, are obliged by the custom oi
20 society, to abridge the already narrow means on
u which they have to rely. How many are the ca.
~ ses in which considerable portion, and even
70 the whole of what remains for the widow and
c = atheress, is expended, not in providing fol
u their wants, but in merly arranging themselves
= for their desolate condition.
y If, then, there is a custom IN the community
NJ which is of no real benefit, and is real burden
r it would seem clear inference that it ought tc
I'd be discouraged. If there be any who fear thai
~ they shall be too soon forgotten among men
nd when they are gone, let them be reminded thai
ch depends upon themselves, not upon the habill'
ey ments of their friends upon their character, nj
a upon their obsequies, whether they shall be re-
" membered. "The memorial of virtue" saith
III the Wisdom of Solomon, lis immortal. Whel
ms it is present, men take example of 1t and ~nei
it is gone, they desire il it weareth crown
e. and triumpheth forever. Trad on the Dt''ss o
re-. Consolation.