Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-03

forms of invitation. They should be in
the third person, stately, formal and
clear, as: Mrs John Brown requests
the pleasure of Mr. Horace Clayton 5
company at dinner, on Thursday, Ne
vember %, at 40 o clock; II Madison
street And the answer should be:
Mr.. Horace Clayton accepts, with
pleasure, the polite invitation of Mrs.
John Brown, for dinner, at 1880 O. CLOCK
on November -
cards from & friend who was married on the 2lst
of November The card reads: AT home
Wednesday evenings in January Now, do
not wish to call. nor do l wish TO be impoiite.
What shall Edo?
Simply send your card.
"W. P. W. asks: rs it proper to rise and
offer my seat in a crowded car TO lady who
enters? Andat church should | pass the plate
for her collection.
Yes: she has of course a right to give
her money to charity if she chooses. As
to rising and giving your seat, il is an
American custom. 1t is Il polite atten-
ton, not a duty, and if a man is very
weary he ought not to be obliged TO do it
So many questions are asked on the
subject of mourning that tits best also to
concentrate the answers. One lady asks
how long she should wear the veil for
parent -
In England mourning for a father or
mother lasts a year. During half the
wear dresses trimmed with Grape are
worn, with black tulle at the wrists and
neck A deep veil is worn at the back of
the bonnet for six months. For nus
band mourning is much deeper. 1t lasts
eighteen months; with the queen it has
lasted twenty five years. For twelve
months the widow 5 cap is worn, a Grape
bonnet and long veil and white cuffs. Jet
ornaments and diamonds set in black
enamel alone are proper.
Mourning for young children lasts six
months, officially although many wear
it for years Dull black kid gloves are
worn in first mourning; after that, giants
de Suede or silk gloves in summer
In America widows wear deep mourn
ing for about two years. Others wear it
for life Children wear mourning year
for parent; it is then liShtened. Com
plimentary mourning is black silk with
out Grape: an absence of color. An
American is always shocked at the light
ness and cheerfulness of French MOURN
ing There etiquette prescribes one year
and six weeks for a husband-siX months
of deep mourning, six months of ordin-
airy, six weeks of lilac and white.
For wife, a father or mother,
SIX months is enough. Widowers are not
expected to be as inconsolable as widows
are. For grandparent, two months
and a half of slight mourning. For a
brother or sister, two months. For an
uncle or aunt, three weeks of ordinary
black. The period of a mourner's re-
tirement from the world has been very
much shortened by the customs of
France. In America, however, no for
NAL visiting is allowed for year, nor is
there any gayety in the house. Cards
and note paper are put into mourning by
those who desire to express convention
ally that they have lost a friend, but
very broad black borders are ostenta-
tious In light mourning, jet or black
silk was once mourning, but it is so much
used now for dress that it is doubtful if it
is mourning.
The discarding of mourning should be
done carefully and by graditions. 1t
shocks persons of good tase to see n per-
son who has had a great grief suddenly
jump into colors as if they had been
counting the hours. IF black must be laid
off let IT be done gradually; let its retire
ment be slowly and gradually
shaded off by quiet costume, as the feel
ing of grief, yielding to the kindly in
fluence of time, is shaded off into resigna-
ton and cheerfnlness. We do not forget
our dead, but we mourn for them more
patiently with feeling which no longer
partakes of anguish.
A deep mourning dress in a place of
public amusement is an anomaly and
should never be seen at wedding. The
common decencies Of life should prevent
a frivilous person from engaging in
amusements Immediately after the death
of a relative. But if a wedding is to be
celebrated the mourning could be put off
for that day. NJ E. w. SHERWOOD.