The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-07-13
Fashionable Grief.
The Mourning Widows Second Yea


Dressed in the deepest and blackest of
Grape, ia the richest of silks and the
most coquettish of widows caps, says
the London Journal, the bereaved one
finds that her lost husband has made
but little difference in the routine of her
daily life. Probably the principal change
she feels from his loss is one In her in
come, and men have ere now been
known designedly to eurtail the finances
in such instances in orderto ensure that
they should at least be missed in some
degree.
But if the fashionable widow is easy
IN purse, she is rarely sad at heart She
knows that she is, for the time, at least,
prominent point and an object of at
tention in her own circle. She is aware
that her cap becomes her, and that she
looks younger in her weeds than she
had looked for several years before
She is not long before she looks round
her for some diversion from the strict
retirement that her world is supposed
to enforce upon widows. 1t is, in real
ity, far from strict. She can 90 abroad
with few chosen spirits, and who that
sees her laugh and chatter, tlirt and
amuse herself, as she does, could i'm
agine that she is a widow of but few
weeks standing?
Even if she remain in England, she is
at no loss to find ways and means of
entertainment. Her caUdlieri serUenti
have by no means all disappeared,
though some few have taken fright,
who were yeryneryous as to matrimony.
They are afraid she might marry them.
Her suite is thus reduced, but those left
are all the choicer spirits, and there is
invariably friend who, being married,
has her own set of admirers, and be-
tween them the two ladies can usually
muster a very pleasant party. There
are visits to the play. paid incog., the
incognito in this instance consisting of
leaving the widows cap and heavy
Grape at home. There is music hall
or two much frequented in a quiet way
by fashionable London ladies. Our
widow makes her party, and goes to
these, accompanied by her frisky friend,
Poor Harry would never hear of my
going" she says, land this will be an
excellent opportunity"
There are trips to Brighton, and pleas
ant little evenings there, unsuspected
by the world. Places further afield than
Brighton are visited, and "a little quiet
gambling helps to make the months fiv
around. The year of deepest weeds
and strict seclusion is soon over, and
few who have seen the quiet face in
public, under that most proper if most
coquettish of caps, could have guessed
how merrily, for the most part, the DAYS
have gone.
The second year is that in which the
widow is really happy. The somlfe
depths of her mourning cast aside, she
enters the world again and reopens her
jewel-case. Even with very becoming
widows cap on, life is more or less a
blank to woman if she cannot wear
and With That Fehswedr drdEae6ft deag6t are tie tfhsy tfj
not worn? Visions of dresses in delicate
half tintS, pearl-grays, soft layendera,
mixtures of white and gray, or black
and white, float before her mind, soon
TO be realized.
Her years absence from balls and
parties and crowded rooms has renewed
her beauty, and the same retirement
has frightened her eyes and tinged her
cheeks with the freshness of enjoyment
with which she prepares to reenter the
world. Now indeed is the fashionable
widow dangerous and seductive crea-
ture. She knows that she is prettier
than ever, and the consciousness, MAX
ing her more certain of coming vieto- |
rles, gives gentle softness to her man. |
ner. Beware of widows in the second |
year! Always dangerous, they are then
more SO than ever.
There are, OF course, widows indeed, |
whose grief does not wholly consist in
yards OF Grape, jet jewelry, and white
crimped cap. These are apart from
those of whom l have been writing, and |
with them the fashionable widow has
nothing to do, While they brood over
heir loneliness, she revels in her free
iom. They look on into the coming
7ears with blank sense of drearv loss.
While she looks forward to the future
With as much happy anticipation as
he ever could have done to her mar
iage
Light-hearted as a girk she feels
'ounger every day, and from her own
,oint of view there is no more enviable
'eing to be found in this world than a
-oung, handsome, rich, and lively wild
w, whose heart is not inconyenientlv
oft, nor her feelings too acute to pre-
ent her going through life 0well pleas
q and careless and extracting from
as much of the pleasure and Is little
I the pain as may fall to the share of
ny mortal creature.