Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-10-20


Grape. ana black wells
An visiting cards while court
mourning is in progress must have
! black borders, aud the same rule an.
plies 10 note paper ana cnvclops. in
watch connection Il may he pointed
OUT that the use OF black edged paper
! and black sealing WAX for corresron-
dcnce is of Italian origin. dating from
the beginning of the seventeenth cen.
fury Thus. among the family papers
OF I'M ancient Scottish House there
was found recently an invitation to
a funeral dated January :. 1853, writ.
ten on paper edged with black: while
Addison, in his comedy OF The UNI.
inner; or the Haunted House" which
twas produced In HIS in London,
, makes II butler say. Sir. believe
we have paper tina; Is ii, for your
lpnrnosc: my ladys mourning paper
that is blackod mt the edges 'rhen
too Allan RAMSAY IN poem writ,cn
in i7lS. has the following stan2a:
Thou sable lprdcrcd sheet. bcgone,
Hnrbor TO thee | must refuse
Sure thou canst welcome find from
none
Who carry such umgratcfu news.
In Russia MS in many of the other
monarchicnl countries of Europe tho
failure To comply with the official or.
dcrs for court mou-ning entails royal
disnleasurc that may take the form
of exclusion from court ana from all
functions and entertainments nj which
oyaliy is present, and boycott ON
the part OF all those connected with
the court and Governments II the of
fender happens 10 hold any office. he
is liable TO dismissal: while If it Is
a foreign envoy who has neglected TO
defer to the commands of the LORD
Chamberlain. his Government will re-
ceive hint to recall him, on the
ground that he is no longer persona
grata,
stiff Rules In England.
In England, however, court mourn.
ing Is statutory. There nro not mere
~ official regulations, but laws of the
land. which render court mourning oh.
liuatory and provide for the severe
punishment of any peer of the realm.
or dignit07y of the crown. vino fails
TO obey the sumptuary hohests of The
monarch in connection with tokens of
mourning. These were enacted sew.
oral centuries ago.
The only occasion OF which thov
have been invoked In recent times
was when tn late Lord Darnlev. the
eccentric and wrong headed of
nohlemon. at the time OF the death
of Princess Marx. Duchess of T1ck,
made public announcement of the
fact that he no longer intended To MS.
snmc court mourning when The latter
was dec"ccd J." the Lord Chamberlain
he official Gazette in the name
OF the sovereign. Had the Earl mere.
Is abstaned from putting himself and
household in black, no one would have
made any romark; hut the communi-
cation of his intentions to the press
called down upon his head the wrath
of the authorities. who actually inau-
surnted stems With view OF imposing
npon him through the tribunals the
fine and Imprisonment provided by
law II was the present King how,
ever then P.ince of Wales. who with
his customary good sense caused tho
proceedings 10 be dropped. on the
Ground that the offenso OF Lord Darn.
10y was from modern point of view
one rather against good taste than
against law
Under ordinary circumstances. court
mourning in England is ordered by
the Lord Chamberlain. ana VARIES in
duration from cisht days To three
months. the length depending upon
the Importance of the royal personage
whose demise ip thus observed. and
upon the dasrec of his o. her relation.
shin TO the rcigning house of Great