Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-02-13
NJ Utiern Mourning.
A CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THE ENvEL
oPE AND A SHEET OF PAPER.

4 A CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE ESvEL
oPE AND A SHEET OF PAPER.
Dear me-" said the Paper, d" / fee
awfully qneer. 80 stiff round the edge.
What is this black band Tor q
Hush :" said the Envelope, don t
you know her husband is lead :"
/ "Well p said thu paper.
"We!l," said the Envelope, chow
stupid you are. The black is mourning
for him, that's ali
"Good gracious ~ sail the Paper.
"does she do it like this? Do Won
suppose it comforts her to see "A black
edge on her stationery? How very
funny "
" It's the proper thing TO do, at any
rate" said the Envelope, sharply
You haven't seen the world, evidently"
But it's not my idea of grief" per
sisted the Paper. IF l were sad
would go away from everybody and
keep quiet
"You are very simple-minded," said
the Envelope. "Who would see you
if you incurred like that? I knew a
widow once who was very angry be-
cause she found card with a wider
black edge than her own. She said
she had told Tiffany to send the widest
that was made, and here was one
wider She almost cried. and measured
the edge to make sure. That was grief,
now"
"Wes it, indeed?" said the Paper.
"Well, times have changed, suppose.
Once when a woman lost her husband
her eyes was so full of tears that she
could not see how to measure black
edges. This is the age of reason, am
toli. All feeling is treated as weak
ness and soothed away by ignatia."
"Oh people feel, I suppose" said
the Envelope, little ashamed, "but
really there are so many things ex-
pected of one now when ones friend
passes away that there isn't much time
for grief. Just look at our poor lady
to-day. at the undertaken came,
upon a matter most painful. It was
we'll, the mountings on the caskct. She
was going to have Mysteries, but
couldn't because he was waiting her
decision. Then the florist came to
know about the decorations for the
house. Then Madame Lameau, with
boxes upon boxes of dresses, wraps,
bonnets, etc., and although our lady
did sigh when sic saw the deep black
tears spoil crepe, you know, and
Madam quickly diverted her mind by
showing Lisette how to drape the long
veil becomingly. Then came the Jew
eler with the latest design in jet, and
her diamonds have to be reset now, you
know, in black claws. After this the
mourning stationery was sent with the
crest in black, and all sorts of cards
and letters had to be written. Then
the servants new mourning liveries
and carriage hangings were selected.
When dinner was served our lady was
so exhausted by all this that she felt
faint and ate a really good dinner to
sustain life. Now 1 should like to
know what time she has had for grief,
poor thing!'
Don't say no time for grief!" said
the Paper, rustling with indignation;
''say no soul for it, and you will be
nearer the truth. When woman can
choose bonnets and jewelry, her hus-
band lying dead in the house, there is
not much sadness in her heart. I see
that she needs the black-edged paper to
express herself. She might as we'll
give up all this miserable farce and en-
Joy herself at once. Let her give a
ball instead of funeral, and show her
DIANE nds in their new claws"
"Oh dear me, do hush J. said the
Envelope. "a ball in crepe and jet
Jewelry; you are not very decent; you
don't seem to understand things at all"
81 don't, that's true" said the Pa
per, and l hope never will, when
women have got to mourning by send
ing out black edges and wearing the
latest things in jet. 1 give them up. I
never shall understand"
Emotional people always make
difficulties for themselves" said the
Envelope, coolly. ~ accept things as
they are, and adapt myself-Hush she
is coming, and crying, too, I declare,
after ALL"
"Well, really Lizette," said a voice
broken with sobs. "you are very
thoughtless. How should I remember,
in my distracted state, to say twelve
buttoned gloves? and here they are
only siX-buttoned; it is tCo bad. But
every one takes advantage of me now.
am alone-forlorn- desolate, and the
sobs redoubled.
Poor thing" said the Envelope.
"What hopeless grief said the Pa
per, pity her. "-PhilaCietphia Press.
Twenty-Five women in tights, and
moving in the social circle laid out in
Gilmore's Garden, are engaged in a
"go-as. please MATCH which at
tracts the usual crowd. If they went
as sensible people pleased they would
go home. The Philadelphia Medical
Society last spring pronounced these
matches as net contests OF walking at
all, but simply systematic depriva-
ton OF sleep for long periods OF time"
and said that il a prison superintendent
should intiict such torture upon pris-
oners a cry of horror would go up
through the land. The revelations in
some of those cases showed that the
walking was not voluntary on the part
of some Of the contestants. The results
in several instances we're disastrous
both to mental and bodily health. De
! tr0n Free Press.