Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-05-26

| TIE fASHlONS IN 40ukS1N0 DhkSS-THB YKRIOD9 o.
MOURNING USUALLY oBsERvED-FRKScH AND ENG
/ LIsH cusT0Ms-cARDS AND APPROPRIATE FUNERAL
| OBSERVANCE.
ICopyrghted 1881
| Written for THE EVENING STAR
Anew years ago a rather grim piece Of humor
came out in q French paper as to the different
styles OF mourning to be used by those who are not
| TOO deeply afiicted-a lilac silk, trimmed with
black lace, was called '.mitigated afiiction while
| black velvet was the 'luxury OF woer "Orna-
mental" mourning would seem to be q very great
contradiction OF terms, but STILL mourning has its
coquetr1eS Worth, on being asked to dress q rich
American widow, asked TO see her photograph, for
he said he wished to see II she were the ssort OF
woman to relish becoming black" He made up
his mind that she intended to mourn the dear de-
ceased with proper magnificence. The mockery,
the convential absurdties the affectations which
thus lend themselves to car1cature whatatS the
most solemn and most terrible thing In life, the
giving back Of our beloved to God, cannot be too
| strongly condemned There is ghoul-like ghast-
illness In talking about ornamental or "becom.
Ing, or complimentary" mourning.
MEANING OF MOURNING.
what mourning means with US OF the gloomy
Angio-Saxon race, Is that iI is sort of shield from
the world In the period OF our deepest sorrow and
| distress And 1t has thus become a mark OF our
relative or remote friend Mourning is very expen-
sve, and 1t has been the desire OF many philan-
thropic persons to do away with IL in the hope Of
tnus saving many poor family the expense and
trouble at time when the heart could little bear
the burden But 1t is q feeling too deeply rooted
wishes TO bury her dead "dacent" and 10 cover her
own person with the gloomest black. 1t is fortu-
nate for all even for those who feel the most the
death OF friend, that there are conventional lin
It's TO the periods OF mourning, for 1t is always
most sad and trying experience to leave it on. Do
love my friend less? DO l love his memory less?
is the painful, the heart breaking question which
we ask when We take of our mourning. 1t is the
English fashion to ignore feeling and to decide to
take on Grape in six months and that the duration
of mourning shah not exceed a year. A widow
mourning for her husband is the most conventu-
Is dense cloud or black bombazine and Grape
WIDOWS cap, long, thick, black veil and white
transparent cuts at the wrists; such is the
English widow costume and 1t Is copied here
very becoming and d1gnified dress. Many widows
wear 1t all their lives, or until they marry again.
ruined by dampness and dust. Therefore Henri
eta cloth, Tamlse Bayonnaise, Nuns Yelling,
irenadine and lusterlesS American black silks are
PERIOD OF MOURNING.
FOR parents sons and daughters, wear mourn
Ing for year. During the first half year lady
wears Henrietta cloth or serge trimmed with
Grape, with black tulle at wrist ana neck; deep
vel is worn at The back OF the bonnet but not
over the mead or face like the widows veil, which
should cover the entire person. This fashion Is
objected TO by the oculsts, who declare that 1t in
1ures the eye Grape sheds its pernicious dye into
the sensitive nOstrilS producing catarrhal disease
as well as blindness and cataract OF the eye. 1t is
thousand pities that fashion dictates the Grape
veil. The rule In England is that parents should
wear mourning for children less than year. But
IN America year aud a half is allowed. The
mourning Is less deep for husband, but parents
must settle this for themselves AS this is the
most awful and real OF all griefs we can only sug
gest 10 stricken mothers that they should for the
sake OF the survivors try TO tighten their mourning
as soon as they can. The French have much more
cneer1ul Ideas OF what constitutes mourning than
we nave. They shock English and American
women. They have three grades, Deep ordinary
ana half mourning. For a husband black Is worn
one year and six weeks, and the latter is OF very
light half mourning grey and violet. For parent
or child six months OF black, and then two
months OF very light mourning For an uncle or
aunt three weeks Is considered all necessary
In America, where there is such fixity OF rule
woman often remains gloomy monument or woe
Ior seven or ten years, slave TO complimentary
mourning, and then when a real friend dies she
has no power left TO show her feeling by putting
on deeper black.
CARDS AND NOTE PAPER
are put into mourning for those who wish to ex-
press conventiOnaly their regret for the dead but
very broad borders look like ostentations, and are
In bad taste. A narrow border OF black tells the
story OF bereavement as well as an inch OF coal
black gloom. Friends should call on the bereaved
family within month, not expecting OF course to
see them. Kind notes expressing sympathy are
mOStwelcOme to the afflicted from intimate frteIds
and gifts OF flowers or any testimonial OF sympathy
are mighty priced. But those terrible emblems TO
put on the comm are out OF fashion, always in bad
taste, and coming, as they do just after a death,
they must affiict the family more than they con.
SOLE The period or a mourner's retirement from
the world has been very much shortened OF late
For one year, however. no formal visiting is un-
dertaken, nor Is there any entertaining in the
house. In half mourning very elegant dresses,
trimmed with Jet and soft French Grape, are per-
gold are mourning All pearls and diamonds
should be In black enamel. White Silk, emDroid-
cred with black jet, IS used In England for corrt
mourning, with black gloves. Black kid gloves In
summer are so Objectionable that ladies prefer
the black suedish glove, the silk glove which is
figure the hand.
THE FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS
are generally left TO an undertaken, and the dead
body, so dear to us, must be taken away with
sacred care and religious ceremony. The cofin is
simpler than formerly, covered with black cloth.
white, and has no longer the sad suggestive shape
Indeed what Is called casket Is perhaps as
little horrible as any OF these sad vehicles by
earth. In dressing the remains for the grave
those OF a man are clad In his habit as he lived
generally evening dress, or, II he be soldier or
sailor, Ia his uniform In a woman, tastes differ
The preference Is, however. for a white cashmere
robe, and often a delicate cap. The robing OF the
always be white But there are no absolute rules.
the next OF kin must decide. Indeed, there is no
way OF approaching this subject which is not
exqulstely painful The only thing which we can
urge Is an absence OF ostentatOn; 1t Ill BELTS the
iifeiess clay. Wives should wear mourning for
ICideNCo VI 1uCu uuoUduuS pTtClSely as Lney would
Tor their own as should husbands for the relatives
OF their wives. In England servants are put In
mourning for the head OF the family, and here the
carriage and coachman and fOOtman are put In
mourning wnen their masters and mistresses are in
black. A question has been asked which seems
hardly TO need negative "r cards are LEFT on the
afflicted, should they be black edged?n Certainly
not. unless the person calling happens to be in
black In France long deeply edged letter called
falr part Is sent 10 every one OF the friends of
the family, to advise them OF DEATH In this COM
Try that Is not done. although the fashion is coming
death, saying, The family OF the late Thomas Tur-
ner thank you for sympathy, and Kind fnOuriesn
This Is very proper. 1t Is well to have some es-
tablished rules as to visiting and dress while in
first mourning, In order that the gay and heartless
may avoid that levtty which shocks every one an
appearance OF lack OF respect to the memory of
the dead. No gay young widow should dance In
her widows weeds nor go TO a gay reception in her
VEIL The thing Is incOngruouS II q wedding Oc-
ours In her family to which she may or must 90
she must Lay aside her mourning for the day.
IN ENGLAND
people put on bright red as relief In this coca.
sional outing SO Drightsred is considered mourn.
ing In England. A heartless widow, who instead
OF being grieved at the death of her husband re-
1oced &C 1t, should be taught that society win not
respect her unless she pays TO the memory OF the
man whose name she bears that "homage which
vice pays 10 virtue" cOmmendable respect to the
uSageS OF society In the matter OF mourning and
retirement from the world. Mourning garments
have this use; they are q shield To the real
a O 0fpfn a.,