Evening star., 1883-10-24

ffoni tue Sncaxo inter-Dcean
or oil the subjects discussed by the eleventh
Congress Of Women at Its recent session In this
city none seemed to excite more lively interest
than Mourning Cart" which was under con.
sideration nearly AZ hour and half. The FIRST
speaker, DIR. Julia Holmes Smith, Of this CITY.
read an elaborate paper on the subject strongly
ana elaborately protesting against the mandate
OF fashion which demands the wearing OF black
In attestation OF sorrow over bereavement All
the speakers who followed her spoke in the
same strain. and judging from the applause one
would say that the Association for the Advaace-
ahcut OF woman looks upon mourning garb as
an evil To be abolished and calls upon those
who ser the fashions OF the day to inaugurate
genuine dress reform
MIS- pr. smiths paper was admirable in the
art of putting things. One could hardly come nm
der the infiuence OF its persuasive Rhetoric with
out being strongly moved byit but it's chief fea-
ture was its logic. The objections TO the mourn.
ing garb could not be more effectively vet forth.
Five reasons were given Tor the position taken
namely: L. The reflex influence upon the wearer
OF somher clothing is bad. keeping the attention
undu J! liked upon the SORROW. 2. The inf,u-
ence OF black is depressing npon those about us.
especially children. whose morning Of ne should
be ied with sunshine. 3. Custom makes cow
ards Of us ALL compelling many persons 10 incur
an expense for mourning attire that the, cannot
afford, especially poor widows deprived by
death OF their only means Of support. 4. Much OF
the mourning is worn at the dictate OF fashion
and is Haunting hypocrisy. and thus serves Q
oemoraiizing purpose. s. Ii is like a SEQ
ond burial To take of the mourning Carb Each
point was well taken and ably argued
III was more than accidental coincident that
al the speakers. with one execution where
arrayed wholly in black. The tiny collar alone
relieved the darkness Of the scenery The one
exception wore. a suit of brown There was
nothing strictly funereal perhaps In any part OF
Their costumes. The truth is that black is the
garo OF gentility with man or woman He or
she who avoids colors escapes criticism and
gives the impression of being well-dressed with
out having weakness for dress. ID Is not to
be supposed that any of these protestants
against the conventional black OF mourn-
Ing wore black or brown on the platform for
that special occasion. On the contrary, they
probably took no thought upon the subject OF
personal attire further than to obey the in
stlncts OF good taste. We only speak of it
as showing that the reform In question Is really
not matter of color to any considerable extent.
What is neededis simplicity. Grief. ofall things,
Should avoid ostentaton. Then. too those who
can afford to dress as they please should consider
the duty they owe to that large class. poor WI
dows. No doubt great deal of suffering could be
traced to the social necessity to don part ocular
garb in attestaton OF sorrow for the beloved
dead Gay attire would be unbecoming, OF
course. but ordinary black and neutral tnts are
IN themselves as appropriate in the presence OF
death as the conventional crapes