Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-10-18
The Mourning Garb.

The expression Of grief in bereavement is
found to be characteristic as well of nations as
of Individuals and given the funeral customs of
any people one might almost predicate the
degree OF advancement in civilization, and to
degree, the creed. Among primitive peoples
the ceremonial expressions of grief are simple
eXaggerations of the natural emOtions-a care
lessness to usual comfort, dstracting agony,
fasting. wringing the hands, tearing the hair.
beating the breast, etc. Hawaiians cash the
body and cut off an ear or knock out front
tooth as proper toilet for grief, and when
king dies the nation pretends Madness and all
manner of crime is committed as a ceremonial
expression Of the sorrow which is supposed to
have driven them frantic, but such wild grief is
short lived; Long live the King" is cried on
the morrow and the madness of JOY superyenes
The New Zealanders daub themselves with red
paint, but wear this CHASTITY mourning decOra-
ton only short time. Dahomey mOurns
longer. and keeps up the friendly intercourse
with the departed, killing slave now and
again that the soul may tell news of those left
behind. The karems regard everything pertain
ing TO death with horror; clothes, books furni-
ture, every article which the deceased has
used is committed to the flames; to touch any
article belonging to the dead would be as fatal
as the poisoned tunic of Nessus not only to the
body, but the soul. These burn their dead, and
hired women mourn awhile; when their how
lngs ceases there is an end of all signs Of grief
The Philippians expect the dead to return to
the earth and tor a short period wear brown
the color of the good mother who has received
once more her own to her BOSOM fitting show
OF sorrow, since from the earth the dead come
no more. These have no hope In future life.
Some sort of Disagreement seems essential to
the Oriental idea OF mourning. They dscOlOr
the face. allowing hair and nails and beard to
grow, casting ashes on their heads and wearing
sack cloth. From the South Sea Islands
hint of nOSSIblo consolation in ba-
reayement, for their mourning dress is
black and white, expressing botn sorrow and
hope. Without state religion there yet seems
to be among the Chinese certain looking for
ward to a better life, and this common hone
arising as it does from different motives and
different religious creeds, is illustrated In
their dress after the death of friend. They
express mourning by sewing white stripes on
ordinary garments, wearing white shoes and
painting white stripe on the door post of
the dwelling These symbols are marks of
shall we say woe? Nay, rather hope, for to the
followers of Buddha there is far In the future
the blessed Niryana, when the material part
having been purged away and various transmit
grations endured, the soul is at last absorbed in
the bosom OF the Deity. All rejoice that the
loved one is gone to be among the gods with
whom he is remembered in their worship. The
Chinese followers of COnfucius live practical
lives, and, avoiding all thought Of the future
endure bereavement stOcally, wearing the
white stripe as matter Of form. IT'S custom
with this people to make preparation for death
as we do for the disposal OF property. for the
dead becomes as gods to be wOrshipped, and so
It's gain to die. coffin is considered quite a
proper gift from q son to a father and 1t is told
that traveller attending funeral at Pekin
found the coffin covered with an elegantly en-
broidered silk sheet. wrought ard presented to
the deceased years before by his devoted wife,
How many of US would enjoy such testimo-
NAL? The mourning of white stripes Is worn
only few months. The fashions in Japan
are similar to those of China Persia mourns
in pale brown, the color of withered
leaves: while sky blue, which whispers of
hope that the deceased has gone into heaven, is
the mourning color for Syria, Cappadocia, Ar
menia and Turkey. The Mohammedans are for
hidden to wear mourning at all, or to wall at
the grave, for ''are not the good rewarded after
death, and doth 1t not behoOVe the true be-
lever to say, even in the presence of bereave-
ment, Allah. II allah. God is goOd.'" Black
and brown were the cOlOrs chosen by the Greeks
and Romans, but were worn only ten months.
Egyptian and Burmese use yellow, signifying
exaltatiOn. since these. as indeed nearly all ma
tons, enjoy the sweet hope of life beyond the
grave. The Norsemen and the Gauls in their
mythOligies, the Druids in their weird rites the
South Americans who build gorgeous temples
10 the sun, from whom and In whom and to
whom are all things the Red men CT America,
who are glad to join the departed chiefs in the
Great Hunting Ground" each and all tell Of
the sweet hope of Immortality, OF life better,
purer, fuller than any conceived Of here, each
ID measure rejoices with the dead who are
blessed. 1t remained for the Jews and the
CHRISTIANS to choose black as their mourning
and joy.
our love Is all our own. Cannot grief be so?
iis an 1mpertinenee to ask, do you love your
child your husband, your parent? Yet let
either Gle, and fashion demands an accurate
measurement of grief by means of crane or gar
mentS. nv ObiQctionS RI fhay vii Of n,on
ing earo, OF what color soever, ares LIST. The re-
lex influence on the wearer is had il the sorrow
IL expresses is real. I'd. 1t is undesirable to
surround children and invalids with the symbols
hn ax-n to. tori l,,t,