Omaha daily bee., 1906-07-29
By Edmund Russell.

M 'G Hla Rl5'''. 49,
atheist for It expresses ann hlla-
uon, midnight gloom, the total
deprivation of light and JOY.
An absolute scientific reason exists Tor
the repulsion we feel
Color IS a phenomenon produced 10y the
reflection and absorption that dislntt CRATES
light when Il strikes an object
According to the mixing OF pigments the
primary colors into which light can De
divided are red yellow and blue. There Isl
some discussion as to primal rays out mat
need not concern us here.
Things called blue, for example, absorb
the red and yellow and turn blue back 10
In green the red ray disappears and blue
and yellow mix to form the secondary
coior-and so with ali. -
When the entire ray Is absorbed we ge'
back nothing-all Is lost-no vibration re-
turns.
The bOttomless pitt
We call this nothing BLACK, and elect
TO almost universally cover ourselves
with It,
White is reflex undivided vibration In
perfect relation--light, love. harmohy-the
choral song-the ultimate ecstasy
II Is this that should envSop and upllt'|
in times OF grief and symbolize cur highest
faiths.
The women of Sparta and OF Rome wore
white, as did the ancient queens OF france
Mary Stuart was called ihe White
Queen because she wore this traditional
yesture for her husband, Lord BARNEY
sarah Bernhardt-real queen OF France
ATTENDED the funeral IT Victor Hugo IN
white mourning.
The Princess Dolgourouh after the death
Of the Tsar OF Russia might often be seeA
al white.
and white Iolets.
The ancient Egyptians mourned in the
sere and yellow.
Persians take the pale brown of the
wlthersd leaf
Ethiopians swathe gray brown-color OF
dust to which dust returns
svrians choose sky blue-symbol the
loved have gone to heaven .,o
South Sea islanders ma mixed cousola-
ton in black and white
Purple is Papal mournlng-most unbe-
coming color, both to wearer and every
thifn around 1t. - ,.,--
Tru,v royai, Il associates with nothing.
one must be born to the purple to claim
II.
On Good Friday the princes Of the
c,hurch--the Cardinals-put of their scar
let In memory OF the robe cast on the
shoulders of Christ In mockery as King
on the Jews" and trail In purple to the
Sstlne Chapel -,
Ives mind to plan. power to execute. heart
one must supply much golden radiance
70 make the chord complete.
II is the color Of q bruise'
Gorky considers emperors the sores OIL
As one step from black purple has been
adonted for half mourning Ridiculous
heartless expression!
Tmnglne a widow sending wireless wire
20 her husband in the shades:nD Don
mind your sufferings earning I'm nan
mourning for you
I, must be associated with splendor. the
texture of velvets whose sheen gives va
riety of tone and Increases richness with
crimson depths and amber ights-the
orchid tones OF violet.
The imperial violets OF France were d.
luted purple. as the French are diluted
Romans.
This apartness is shown by most royal
things. The neur de lys, the diadem the
peacock feather and ermine keep their
rank even when found In the ash barrel
Their exclusiveness Is absolute.
They never become common.
II common people wear them they make
A very regal woman / know ~ always
arraved in purple and amethysts Her
cigarettes are tipped with purple. she
nuts A purple three cent stamp on her pnr-
ple paper and when you open one or her
letters a teaspoonful Of violet sachet pow
der falls all over YOU some one mas asN "'su
whether she or MRhomet invented the
saving IF l had but two loayes OF bread
would sell one and buy Violets.' l am
sure II Mrs. Morgan had only two cents
she would call a cab and order 50 worth Of
violets-to BE- charged.
For ares In India the color of mourning
has been yellow. also tbs color OF holiness,
for the yogi who must not wear anything
that might be OF the slightest use TO man,
picked the rags from burning CHAT ana
burial mound where mourners had rent
their garments and united them 10 make
his scanty covering.
When the Brahmins grew IN pride ana
poWer to position above kings ana IN
turn the lowly Buddhists rose, they stopped
no longer to the ashes, though they sun
wore symbols of humility.
SIR edwin Arnold once showed me
rnaahist covering, the yellow robe" 50
often referted 70 In. The Light or Asia,
which was conferred upon him by the
buddhist priests OF ceylon, where later
received a similar garment
SoInm,nous drapery OF saffron yellow
which examination proves 10 be made Up OF
MANY squares OF the same material.
true 70 letter, not 70 spirit that II must
n. "a thing OF shreds and patches" the
modern priest buys a nice new square OF
yellow cloth, cuts II up into lltue pieces
ana sews them together again
TVunen buddhism travelled TO Japan the
rome turned to cloth OF gold, which later
became enriched by brocade and embroid-
cry
Those who possess even the most expen-
siye OF Japanese priest garments will ind
them made Of many bits Joined again IN
pattern with apparently needless labor.
pursuant 10 this legend.
The yellow robe also symbolized the en-
trance OF the departed spirit into the great
yellow light Of DeVakhan, where Il waits
Tor another Incarnation.
This theory Is not strictly Buddhistic
but was appropriated by his followers
from Vedic Brahmanism.
Buddha himself never taught anythinR
about reincarna ton, which was 10 him. q
70 Voltairs, simply lie mystere.
Even his Nirvana Is usually wrongly in
terpreted a. Il only referred 20 becomine
one with the universal soul In this life
The yellow robe makes a picturesou.
splash Of color in the streets OF Colombe
UAAsr ths giant tara uSsA u y WOg1