The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-10-09

CONCERNING MOURNING APPAREL -!
certainly have no scruple- Of conscience
about il; and | hold M SELF al liberty I,
consult the wishes Of friends, or ether cir
cumstances, though IshouId not consul, my
own feelings or wishes in The occasional
adoption of the custom. The truth il
these trappings of grief seem 10 me indil
iercnt and childish where there is rca
grief, and where there is not, they are :
mockery. IT the mourning garb were Of :
coarser texture, like the ancient snchcloth
there might be something perhaps 10 plear
for its intrinsic fitness; but, as il is, It dill
fers from another garb only in the color
and gratifies the pride Of appearance, the
love Of dress, scarcely less than any othe'
apparel. Besides, if any color were TO be
selected, black would seem to be the mos
Of all unfit for Christian people. Thf
cypress shade, night and darkness, were Fl
objects and images TO be connected viii
death, among those who ssat in the region
and shadow of deaih;' who mourned as
having no hope.' But Christians are for
bidden 10 mourn as they did. Among us.
the rhite used by the Chinese in token Of
their hope that the dead had gone to a pa
rer world, would seem to be filter en-
bem; or the blue Of the Turks, as repre-
sen,ing the sky, whittier they hope their
friends have gone; or, even the brorn o'
the E,hiopians, denotng The color Of the
earth 10 which we return; or, the yelloac oi
the Egyptians, likening the decay OF life T.
the scared leaf Of autumn.
But the principal objections against the
custom Of wearing mourning apparel are.
that it is useless, announcement, and expen-
sve.
For what use does it serve me? Tore
mind me th,t am in affiiciion? do moi
need any such memento. To point me oui
10 others mourner? do mt wish to be
so pointed out. Shall the sable garb be
adopted, then, because it is grateful 10 my
feelings, because il is n kind Of solsce to
me? can gain no consolation from it.
II, then, there is Custom in the com
munity which is no real benefit, and is 3
real burden, it would seem clear infer
ence that i, ought 10 he discouraged. J.
there be any who fear that they shall be
TOO soon forgotten among men when the'
are gone, lei them be reminded tbat ii de.
pends upon themselves, not upon the hsbil-
inents, e their character, net upon their
obsequies, whether they shall he remem-
bared. sThe memorial oi virtue,' saith The
wisdom Of Solomon, SIS immortal. When
il is present, men take example Of it; and
when j, is gone, thoy desire it; it wesreth
crown. and is triumphant forever.'
Tract on the Duties Of Consolation
Pay FOR LAB,R IN IRELAND Horace
Greeley in his last interesting letter from
Galway, gives an exact idea Of labor at its
starving point:
Waking with friend through one ofthe
buck streets Of Galway beside the outlet OF
the Lakes, Icnme where glri often years
old was breakingup hard brock pebbles into
suitable fragments TO mend roads with
We halted, and NJ. asked her how much
she received FOR that labor She answer.
ed, sSiypence a car load 'iIow long viii
it take Won to break car-load?' 'Aboai
a tortnight.'
To Offset trouble, always have large
stock Of hope on hand. This was Mic
awher's plan. The very night he went l.
Jail for debt, he sent 10 an architect TO SET
what it would cost to decorate house with
hanging gardens, .'in case ANYTHING should
turn up" that would warrant the outlay
How much better was this than applying
a razor 10 your juguar, or charcoal fumes
to yonr pulmonary ARA ngements. Things
frequently end better tha they promise al
first.