The Holly chieftain., 1897-08-13

what he chooses TO brand as dogma ana
prejudice? And why do We conserya-
tives submit meekly TO such on
slaughts? because belief in the Bible
as the revealed Word of God is almost
1000 years old. the skeptic's fulmina-
tion against "bigotry and superstition"
is heard respectfully. The disciple Of
a new school of medicines has free
course for his deuunciation Of the reg
Ulur practitioner as ''poisoner" and
butcher" and should the old-schOol
doctor recriminate he is branded as mar
row and discourteous to a seeker after
truth. Is the American Athenian so
welded in turn to each new thing as to
take for granted. at the first blush of
opposition. that the wrong must be
with that which is established and con-
ventional?
In the present instance. neither of
the two women present who were wear
ing mourning garments retorted upon
Mrs Blunt in kind. Perhaps the ten
der thoughts of those who were gone,
that came to each with the daily put
ting on Of the memorial raiment, were
too sacred to be tossed from tongue to
tongue.
So. II was DR.. Wynnc. in n love OF
gray-and-pinli costume, whose calmly
judicial accents poulticed the panied
silence succeeding the cpithets vulgar
and vile
The custom of wearing mourning
has the recommendation Of couven-
iencc, at least. j prevents many NOR.
/ tifying bIunders. If my acquaintance.
I Mrs. John Smith, whom encountered
at a drygoods counter this morning,
had worn the conventional weeds, |
should not have hoped audibly that Mr..
smith should not suffer from the heat
this summer as he did last year when
( | met him at the scashore. And
/ after waiting for the general laugh TO
| subsidc-"you would have discerned
nothing amusing in the death of a hus-
/ band and fathrr. bad never heard
| Of his demise, OK, il | had, had for.
/ gotten it. Mrs. Smith would have
| spared herself Exquisite pain and me
a bad quarter Of an hour. by signify
/ ing in her apparel the change in her
condition"
Il had a still more djsagrccublc cN.
| periencc lately" rhimcd in Miss Kobb
An old schoolfeIlow who lives N Gin
{ cinnati called to see me in passing
/ through the city. She was handsome.
| ly dressed, but not in black. and did
/ not at once notice that she was palcI
and more quiet than she used 10 be
| So when she said. rcgretfulIy: You may
. l I l.. D. IL n.
/ tiers last ycar-ouc in May, the other in
| September ! answered, gnyly enough;
/ You couldn't have expected TO keep
/ such pretty girls long. Who were the
I fortunate men"
she threw out her hand in Il gesture
/ | cannot describe, it was 50 eloquent of
/ grief and horror.
Don't, Barbara! ! mean that both
/ Of them died.!
/ a mourning gown would have been
! a protection TO her. and also to her
friends"
/ Mrs. Williams spoke now for the first
time. She buried her husband six
years ago, and has never laid aside her
mourning.
/ You have used the right word. Miss
1 Robb. The dress which tells that a
great storm had swept over ones life
averts careless remarks that would be
cruel, and is lien upon the sympathy
Of the verieSt stranger who has known
. sorrow for himself. And what is called
the sentimental side of the question is
not without weight. When | was girl
of H. | saw my sister die. II happened
that. as We stood about her bed, | was
the only person present who had not on
{ black or dark gown. | wore Il pink
lawn. The incongruity of the brigh,
color with the somber east of my emo
tious and the awful scene left an i'm.
preston upon my mind that was con
| yiction. In sorrow. one shrinks as in
stinctively from brilliant colors and
ornaments as from gay society. They
Jar upon the aching heart. The wound
ed creature longs to hide its hurt in Q
dark. quiet corner, until time and di
vine grace bring healing or strength &c
endure and 10 live
Another and a longer break in tn,
talk followed. Mrs. Blunt rallied for {
new. but gentler. attack.
There may be--there must be-
something that appeals to human ma
ture and the finer affections in what
strikes me as heathenish, or so great {
multitude would not adopt the Gus
tom. But what must be said of suct
slavish subservience TO times and sea
sons, such scrupulous observance ot
measurements and shades as we hav,
heard described here to-day
Mrs. Williams made answer:
THAT there is difference between
genuine mourning and being merely
in mourning The House Wife.
THE APPIAN WAY.