Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-08-11
Fashions in Mourning.
AN IMPEACHMENT OF THE METHODS OF SOC
"CHRISrIAN BrRIAI"


"CHRISrIAN BURIAL"
The Rev. John Snyder in the Forum for August.
There are certain aspects OF christian burial
which have grown so diScordant with our more in.
telligent forms Of social life that they have become
even ludicrous, and cam therefore, be most whole
somely treated with the caust1c OF ridicule
Among cultivated people their natural environ
ment no longer exists They are more or less dis
tlnctly recognized as survivals. The dignity and
impressiveness they may have once possessed has
passed away. The most conspicuous or these is
covered and described by the comprehensive name
OF mourning" l have heard a brilliant society
belle Borrowing bitterly over the fact that, just as
her most impressive costumes were prepared for a
seasons campaign, the demise OF a distant rela-
tive made IL necessary for her TO Ego into mourn
ing"-a fact which had but the one compromising
circumstance that "Dlack was becoming TO her; .
indeed this final ana determining factor In the
case often enlarges the pale or relation
ship within the limits or which runersal fashion
makes the assumption OF "mourning" imper-
alive. In all the Large cities stores may be found
where the mo- tuary expert can determine TO a
shade the style or dress that constitutes "full
mourning" and where the length OF veil is solemn
ly regarded expressive OF what Mr.. Mould
termed .'fial an elton" There Is ..mourning
1ewelry," ''mourning visiting cards." '1noulning
Stationery" mourning etlquette;" and knew OF
one gentleman who carried his loyalty to these
ing the blue ribbons that adorned his night-gown
selemnly replaced with black. But The gnastly
humor reaches It's climax in The contemplation OF
"half mourning" or second mourn ming" This
symbolizes sorrow vanishing through tue minis
tration OF the milliner and the manIuamaker. IL
is an Interesting but certainly not an edifying
those various stages Of grief winch etiquette de-
mands, from the midnight gloom or costly Grape
through the subdued twiliguI OF second mourn,
Ing, back TO the ulI daylight OF gorgeous color
Read In a modern chamber OF death T. ul's exult-
outcry OF victory over the grave which thrills
and stirs the blood like the Dlare OF a trumpeI.
The apostles glad music is muff1ed by the raven
feathers OF funereal plumeS. Tue black standard
OF deith waves at the household door, The BODY
Is shrouded and cof11ned In the color OF gloom
The windows are darkened. Men, women ana
Every advent1tious aid is called In TO make the
scene as depressing in Its Influence as possble
The undertaker's gnastly art Is khausted 10 ex-
press, automatically, the lowest depths OF a
used TO cut into their tomsIones The skull and
crosS-bones OF the pirates nag. They have aban-
doned this dreadful custom; but only because
there Is such thing as fashion in tOmbstones
not because there has been much change In the
sentiment that determines our funeral customs
Cand1dly and fairly compare the burial customs
OF TINS enlgntenea Christian people with those Of
and say wherein we have the advantage. Our
customs are freed from elements OF Intentional
cruelty. Our graves are not soaked with the blood
OF human sacrir1ce. Our widows are MOI expected
70 burn themselves with their dead husbands.
That h1deouS survival OF ancestral savagery, the
hired mourner, Is absent from our obseQuies. But
IN their ability 70 express the cheerful and conn.,
dent hope OF rational religious faith our funeral
customs are surely as baroaric and as little az
fected by our prevalent enlightenment as those OF
the least developed race or whom we have any
knowledge They Symbolic simply 1e doubt,
despair, agony and gloom that shadow Vie grave.
They express no comfort, breathe no consolation,
SIMPLY repres sent the nssSrai horror with which
the healthful mind regards the thought OF physi-
cal dissolution This OF course, Is the main ar
&c Is utterly out Of harmony with the Christian
ug10n.