The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1896-11-05
A FUNERAL IN PINK.

Pink luncheons, pink dinners and
pink teas are no longer novelty. but 1t
has been left for Minnesota woman
to introduce the idea of a pink funeral,
and it proved a great success, If orig
inality be the chief consideration.
In Mankato, Mimi, there lived
pretty young girl who had just grad
uated from the high school with hon
ors. Her fond parents had arranged
to give her pink tea" in which she
was to make her debut in the social
world. Six of her schoolgirl friends
were to assist at the young debutante's
reception, and they were all to appear
gowned in pink. Pink roses were to
decorate the room, pink ices were to
be served, and the pretty debutante-
contrary to general custom-was not
| to appear robed in the traditional
white, but in rose pink brocade.
| A week before the day of the recep-
ton the young woman was suddenly
| seized with diphtheria, and, after a
few days illness, died. 1t so happened
| that the day for the funeral was ar
ranged on the date on which her re-
ception would have been held. The
day after the girls death her mother
had an inspiration.
adele shall have pink funeral in
stead of the pink tea" she announced
to her husband, and from that moment
her resolution never fal,ered. Her
| husband demonstrated, friends advised,
but she remained firm.
MY darling loved pink" she said,
''and she shall have it all around her
next Thursday, just as she had
planned"
The orders given the florist had been
countermanded, but the mother in
! sisted that the decoration of the draw
| ing room with pink roses and maiden
hair ferns should be carried out ex-
actly as Adele had planned for her tea,
and the room where the corpse lay was
converted into a veritable bower of
roses. The coffin was covered with
pink satin, which reflected rosy tinge
on the marble-like face of the young
| girl. She was dressed in the roSe-col-
ored brocade which was to have been
arms were bare to the elbows and her
hands clasped a huge bouquet of pink
rosebudS and maidenhair ferns. Pink
| roses were entwined in her dark locks.
and she appeared as beautiful in death
as she had been in life
The same color scheme was carried
out in all the arrangements for the fu-
no civ
to have assisted Adele in receiving
were asked to act as pall-bearers, and
| requested to wear their pretteSt pink
! gowns. The hearse was drawn by
four white horses with pink rosettes
on their heads, while the hearse was
covered with pink cloth and its in
side was lined with flowers of the same
color. During the funeral ceremonies
at the young girls home the mother
stood at the head of the open coffin,
and as the invited friends entered the
room she greeted them, then turned to
the beautiful form within the coffin,
saying to each arrival i'll the same
words she would have used in intro
ducing them at the tea:
This is my daughter, Adele"
1t was a strange scene; Tie flower
decked room, the grief stricken mother
and the gayly-dressed throng thai
pressed around tine coffin. Notices had
been sent out equesting those invited
10 the funera. to wear the same gowns
they had arranged to appear in at the
reception. The mother herself wore
gown Of silver gray MORE, and her
face vas so worn and haggard as to
be scarcely recognizable as she stood
beside the remains of her only daugh
ter.-New York Recorder.