Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-09-20
BARBAROUs MOURNING CUSTOMS.
Some Suggestions I'm the Line of
Reform as Regards Dress, Etc.

of the female mourner; but the widow
dress positively amounts to mild form
of suffice, and would seem TO hint that
the idea underlying various heather
rites as to the conduct OF women is not
absolutely extinct among us.
There would still seem 10 be a lurls-
ing feeling that il a man dies it Is de-
sirable that some sor. OF Punishment
should fall on the wife, or ut least she
should be sacrificed in some way, so
far as is possible without being too
much out OF keeping with the theoret-
zeal liberty of the age. Ii is, in actual
fact, n survival OF the outward express
sion OF the inferiority Of women. for,
rs will be further pointed out later on.
the inferior always expresses grief for
the superior. The superior does not
notice the death OF the inferior in this
manner The dresss of n widow may
be said to possess every bad and unhy-
gienic quality OF wOman's dress (and
these truly are neither few nor impor-
tant) intensified four-fold.
1t is always made both extra long
and clinging, SO that exercise is even
more impossible than ever. 1t is usu-
ally very heavy, and it is surmounted
by a species of head-dress furnished
with one or two according TO taste)
long streamers hanging aimlessiy down
behind. These streamers make it
difficult TO turn the head partly be-
cause they are comparatively heavy,
but more particularly because they are
rough; and the dress alone being
Grape or some material. they catch 10
it, and have 10 be continually pushed
at with the hands 10 prevent the cap
being pulled OF. Streamers of the
same sort are also carefully fixed to the
bonnet so as to insure the walking
dress being as wretchedly uncomforta-
Bile as that worn in the house
Now, if it be taken for gcanted that
most women are sorry when their hus-
band dies-and / think. for the credit
OF humanity, we may accept this hy-
pothesis-there could not very well be
any less desirable form OF dress.
AT any time it would be depressing.
but for one already low in spirits it is
simply barbarous, and its utter
needlessness is thrown into stro ne re-
lief by the fact that there is no special
dress for widower. As II wife can be
her husband than IL husband is TO his
wife. if a distinctive dress is unneces-
sary in one case ii is also unnecessary
in the other.
The only reason ever brought for
ward in support of a special dress is
quite inadequate. for it is TO the effect
that widow might meet some one who
might allude to the late husband, not
knowing OF his death.
Such contingency is highly i'm
probable in these days OF newspaper
and universal gossip; and. even should
such a thing occur, its effect would be
less injurious than the daily and hour
ly wear or the warst form OF dress that
human ingenuity can invent.
Another custom which is entirely
sustained from the above cause is that
OF drawing down all the window blinds
OF the houses, both OF the immediate
family and of the near relatives. from
the day OF the death until after the
funeral is over. That this is only done
to comply with an empty form is suf-
ficently shown by its beginning. OBJ
served only in the case OF windows that
can be seen from without. 1t is per-
fectly we'll known and admitted that
living all those days in shut-up and
darilened house is most injurious. de-
pressing as il is TO both health and
spirits, yet people go on doing it, mere
ly because they can not bring them
selves TO act on their own true con-
victions for fear Of the thoushtless re-
marks of strangers.
There seems also good reason to fear
that the fashion Of surrounding the
coffin with flowers will presently be
carried 10 such an extreme ms TO become
n serious Inconvenience. This danger
already appears to have struck some
persons, as obituary notices in the pa
pers are occasionally followed by the
words: mo flowers"
There are many people who, while
thoroughly disappearing OF mourning
Gas the term Is now UNDERSTOOD,
would still wish to have some mark TO
show they have lost n relative, and for
this purpose nothing could be better
than the small black band worn around
one arm. For the wiaowers and wild
ows alike it might be made with q mar
row edge OF white or gray: for other
relatives il might be either all black
or have an edge OF red or blue.
This would have the effect of making
IL more easily visible on dark clothing
and get over the difficulty If difficulty
it be--of any chance illusions. The
expression here of dark clothing need
not be held TO contradict the preceding
recommendation of making no change
i'll the everyday dress, for in this
country most people, both men and
women, habitually wear dark clothing.
Even women have usually three
dark dresses in their wardrobe for one
light one. and an obtrusively gay
colored dress is rarely worn, except
for special occasions. These brands
should only be worn for quite near
relatives. else they would become "a
meaningless as is the present farce OF
complimentary mourning.