Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-13
But night and silence still
Against Wearing Mourning.

In last months North american a writer "a
woman contributes paper against the wear
ing of mourning.
The custom is outworn," she urges; sit is
an anachronism in the nineteenth century. 1t
is unchristian; it clouds the spiritual signifi-
canoe of the resurrection with the ever-present
expression of temporal loss. It is cruel: il
forces helpless and innocent people into action
which entails privation and unnecessary suffer-
ing. And it is essentially vulgar. for
it presses private affairs upon public notice: il
thrusts claims of fashion and friyolity upon a
time which most greatly moves the heights and
depths Of being and it forces its superficial
woridliness into the fiercest throes which can
ever rend human nature. Why, then. do we
still wear mourning?"
1t is temptation to reply to this writer's
query with the return one, why may we not
still wear mourning?" From time immemorial
bereaved humanity has sought expression OF its
woe in its outward habiiiments. One age wears
sackcloth and ashes, another puts on robes of
emblem Of grief, that one black. The texture
or color does not matter. the circumstance alone
| is important.
The fact that the wearing Of mourning il a
symbol Of paganism signifies little. MANY of
our customs originated in widely diverse times
from the present, and possessed q significance
that has been long lost sight Of or quite per-
verted. We do not wear mourning today to
typify the despair Of the heather; we wear il as
| part OF q new condition of things. There is
no change such as that which death brinRs, no
upturning Of life and home such Is follows in
its wake. To alter our customs and garb is not
shock but falling in with the strangeness of
all the rest. And to call wearing mourning s.es-
sentialIy vulgar" seems harsh, and is, besides,
untrue at least for the reason which il alleged
A custom that is 30 universally accepted and of
such long standing cannot be said to be ''press-
ing private affairs upon public notice. vul-
carly any more than to wear a travelling dress
en- route to the cars. ANY conspicuousnese
which the mourning garb may have possessed
has long vanished. One of the first things
mOurner notices ID that half whom he meets is
in mourning, which 10 Q sudden discovery. The
mourners have been about him before, but he
has not remarked them.
Another count in the indictment Il the often
false outward show" Of mourning apparel.
There oil customs ought to be foresworn. Must
happy women discard the bridal veil and Joyous
pageant Of flowers and music because Others
stand at the altar, decked out In the same bray-
cry, with breaking hesrts or with insincere
vows on their lips? While the world il peopied
with natures false and true and conditioned by
varying circumstances there can be no sweep
lug, fnveriable law. The average must be taken
q guide, and the average mourner fnds, and
ting on the garments which custom decides be-
long to the time Of grief. There il touch of
nature IN 1t which has elements Of universal
sympathy. The pauper mourner draws her
rusty black shawl around her with subtle fesI-
ing Of hnship a. she passes the other mourner
In her crepe and ables. Through the minds Of
each runs the thought, death has robbed NJ
both. and the momentary insight into each
ot9ers graef does neither any harm.