The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-08-13

the house. Black is often worn for a
husband OF wife two years; for parents
one year: and for brothers and sisters.
one year--a heavy black is lighteucd af.
ter that period. Ladies are beginning
% wear small black gauzc veil over the
face. and are in the habit of throwing
| he heavy Grape back over the hat. 1t is
always proper to wear quiet black dress
when going to Il funeral. although this is
| not absolutely necessary.
Friends should call on the bercaved
| family within month. not expecting of
course. to see them. Kind notes express
ing sympathy are most welcome to the
afflicted from intimate friends and gifts
of flowers. and any testimonial of SYmpa-
! thy. are most proper.
! Cards and note paper are now put into
| mourning by those who desire ronvcn-
| tionally to express their regret for tie
dead: but let us enter il protest against
very broad borders of black. which look
like oStcntation. No doubt all these
things are proper. but a narrow border Of
black tells the story of loss as we'll as a
| broad one. Also let the fashion of hand
| kcrcheis which are made with two
! inch square o. white cambria and a four
! inch border of black be deprecated. \
! gay young widow at Washington once
| seen dancing at a reception. Il few months
| after the death OF her soldier husband
with long black veil on. and holding in
| her black gloved hand one of these hand
kerchiefS, which looked as if it had been
dipped in ink. d" She should have dipped
it in blood said 4 looker-on. Under
such circumstances we learn what mock
cry there is often under mourning veil
The mourning which soldiers. sailors
and courticrs wear has something pathe-
tic and telling about it. y flag draped
with Grape, Il gray cadet sleeve with a
black band, or Il long piece Of Grape
round the left arm of Il Senator, 4 black
weed on a hat, always touches us. 1t
would seem to say that the lighter the
black. the more fully it expressed the
feelings of the heart. If we love our
| dead there is no danger that we shall
solemn black" is not needed. We wear it
in our hearts, and we always shall.
For lighter mourning jet is used on
Grape. and there is no doubt they make 4
very handsome dress. Ii is a singular
fact that there is a luxury oI woe.
| and that there * a certain comfort to
some people in wearing very handsome
black WORTH on being asked to dress
| an American widow whom he had never
seen. sent for her photograph, for he
said that he wished to see whether she
was the sort of woman to relish a be-
coming black
Very elegant dresses are made with jet
embroidery on Grape, but lace IS never
mourning.' Even the French. who
! have very light ideas on the subject. do
not trim the most ornamental dresses
with lace during the period of even sec,
ond mourning. unless they occasionally
put the wollen yak lace on a dark cloak
or mantilla. During il very dressy half
mourning. black lace mag be Worn on
white silk. however. but this is question
able. Diamond ornaments set i'll black
enamel are allowed even in the deepest
mourning and also pearls set in black.
The initials of the deceased, i'll black
brilliants or pearls. are now set i'll loclletS
and sleeve buttons or pins. Gold orna-
ments are never worn in mourning.
White silk embroidered with black jet
is used i'll the second stare of court
mourning, with black gloves. Deep red
is deemed in England a proper altcrna-
| tive for mourning blac,. if the welrcr is
called upon to 90 to a wedding during
the period of the fist year 5 mourning.
Therefore at st. Georges Hanover
Square. one may often see widow dress
| ed in a superb red brocade OF velvet. AS
sisting at the wedding of Il daughter or
son. who will. the moment after the we'd
ding. return to her solemn black.
The question OF black gloves is one
which troubles all who are obliged to
wear mourning through the heats Of
Summer. The black kid glove is pain
fully warm and smutty, dishguring the
hand and soiling the handkerchief and
face. The Swedish kid glove is now
much more iii vogue, and the silk glove
is made with such ncatneSs and with
such number of buttons that i! is
equally stylish. and much cooler and
more agreeable.
Mourning bonnets are Worn rather
larger than ordinary bonnets. In Eng
land they are still made of the old-faSh-
Toned cottage shape, and are very useful
i'll carrying the heavy vail and in shading
the face. The Queen has always Worn
this style Of bonnet. Her widows cap
has never been laid aside. and with her
long veil of white fallin. down her back
when she appears at court. it makes the
most becoming dress that she has ever
Worn. For such Il grief is hers there is
something appropriate and digniied in
the adhering to the mourning dress. 1t
fully expresses her sad isolation: for a
queen can have no near friends. The
whole English nation has synpathized
with her grief. and commended her black
dress. If any woman should be forgiven
for wearing perpetual mourning, it is
one who has lost such a husband as she
had. Nor can we criticise the grief that
causes a mother to wear mourning for
her children. If it is any comfort for
her to wrap herself in Grape. she should
do so. The world has nothing to say to
those who prefer to put ashes on their
heads.
But for the mockcry Of woe. for the
conventional abSurditcS and Alterations
which so readily lend themselves to carl
cature in the name of mourning. no con-
domination can be too strong. There is
ghoul-likc ghastliness in talking Of or
namental," or complimentary" or "be-
! coming mourning. What connection
is there between that decaying form in
the earth and the luxurious Jet embroid-
| cred Dress
People of sense of course manage to
make the difficult dress tributary to re-
spect and regret. without indulginY in
| either extreme We see many pale
| faced mourner whose quiet black mourn
.l,.u... tnllS liz. IL