Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1892-11-03
A DEFENSE OF BLACK.
Reasons why Women In Mourning wss
tho Signs OF Grief In Public.

Reasons why Women In Mourning Wear
tho Signs Of Grief In Public.
In an article entitled Against Wearing
Mourning" 1t Is urged that some civilized
nations mourned their dead in remote and
solitary places while wenring ths garb Of
woe. To-day" continues the writer,
''such a garb is worn In the streets. the
shops, the lecture room and the concart
hall. We even meet It in some Of those
shadings Of graded grief prescribed By tbs
rigorous dictum Of fashion assisting at
afternoon teas and those other functions OF
insipid entertainment which make up the
somewhat un-Christian year OF this end OF
| the century. How Gun any one who has
ever known the crushing but refining
grace OF sorrow bear this wretehed tray
esty which seems to measure to the public
eye its successive stages Of consolation"
AS u matter Of course the protest applies
more particularly TO the wearing Of mourn
ing by women. Now, whatever civilization
has done for women 1t certainly has not
perpetuated the Spartan type. On the con,
trary, the spirit which dominated the Spar
tan mother, leading her to put out Of ex
istence her sickly or doformed babe, IL ut
the present day neither admired nor en-
couraged. More popular attributes are q
| spirit of love and tenderness toward the
weak and helpless; liberation Of tho foibles
of others. Therefore, although from the
standpoint of a small quota Of the human
family-a quota, by the way, quite unable
| to tolerate any effervescence Of sentiment
the wearing Of mourning seems mean
ingless, vulgar practice, there Is much
| larger contingent with whom It is an eX
preston of the purest, tenderest sentiment
Marion Crawford says, "Of women there
is no general statement which IL trus. >
Admitting there are women who assume
the garb of woe merely to follow fashion:
dictates, it must also be admitted there is
large majority who do so actuated by
more praiseworthy motives The remova
by death of u near and doar one-perhap'
the nearest and dearest-eomes like the
shock OF an earthquake upon many WON
an The very foundations of her being art
stirred; her little world is hideously trans
formed; perhaps an entirely new regime o.
eXistencs is presaged. Under such circum
stances putting away the gay gown
adopting the somber one, is n positive re
lief-indeed almost positive necessity
no matter when or whore 1t is to be worn
OF course the mode Of living ongenderet
by modern civilization, wherein womel
occupy so prominent place, makes n sea
son of absolute privacy and retirement i'm
possible except for the favored few. Em
ployer and employed, entertainer or enter
tanned, mistress or subordinate, must, as 1
rule, keep up with the procession, do he
part, or perhaps be dubbed useless and 1
burden.
Under. these circumstances the habili
ments of mourning must of necessity b
seen in the street and in business circles
but their adoption serves useful purpose
inasmuch as the wearer secures certain
immunity from attending the gayer ant
more public forms Of social entertainment
SO repulsive to the L,avy hearted.-Cor
New York Sun.