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

and although no penalties arc provil.
cd Tor failure to obey yot The penal.
ties are provided for failure 10 obey.
We, the people AT largo invariably
make II point of complying with the
cdlct. During the six months that
followed the death of Queen Victoria.
there was scarcely n man. woman. or
enid in The land. from the richest to
me poorest, who aid not don some
token OF sorrow for her loss.
Formerly court mourning in Eng.
land Included The display of hatch.
ments.F The hatchmcnt consists of n
large blnck frame. inclosins blac,I
ground, upon which were PAINTED the
q nus ana crest Of it's owner ana n
was hung lozenge fashion on the IA
cade of his house. generally midway
netween the second and third story.
as near ms possible to- the center Of
me buildings Sometimes the lqacl,
nackSround was powdered with drops
oil soli. To represent tears and adorn.
ed with skulls and crossbones Mt the
cofncis. Up tn the beginning of the
victorian etas no one was entitled.
ei'her by usage or by etiquette. TO an
escntcheon OF, this kind on the / ont
OF MS mansion unless his ancestors
on each side for four generations bacl,
possessed' nrmorial rights But when
London was invaded by all those mar.
venus WHO now occupy such n con.
spicuons and Influential position In
hnglish society, and win disregard
ior cnsiolm hogan to display on every
preteNt Indictments adorned with the
most prenosterous coats of arms. on
which tho quartorings were conspic.
uous only by their absence. the fash
ION degcnerated into vugaritv and
ridicule. and today is almost entirely.
abandoned.
Queer Funeral Customs.
ono of the Qucercst features In con
ncction with this court mourning
abroad is the species of grim comedy
which provides that a royal nerson.
age shall la regarded as alive until
finally laid in the tomb. II is nm Ell.
quette which belongs To byaone are
ana savors of something akin to mock.
cry. Thus It is not until the Ior1
chamberlain breaks his wnnG OF of.
ice owe the coffin of his roval mas.
Ter or mistress MS II Is being lowered
INTO the vault or tomb. that he ana
aii the members of the household are
retrieved of their duties. and at nearly
every european court il is customary
10 ms day fOc the illustrlous dead 10
hold sort of levcc or reception inst
petpre their iniermcnt when all the
great officers of state and members
on the court pass one bv one before
me corpse, bowing low. and kissing
us cold and Clammy hand.
Even stu more strang a.e the GER
emonies that used TO l,s enforced in
france when that country was still
subject 10 monarchical regime Dur.
ing the entire forty DAYS that the
body OF the sovereign Law in state in
the Cathedral of Saint Denis. tho
court ceremonies wee carried OH
within the abbey as though the mon
arch rprince still lived, the royal
table would be set every night in the
refectory. and the Grand Master of
the Ceremonies. when dinner was
brought un, would y oceed in full uni.
form tn the ohancel of the church.
where the corpse lay rigid and cold.
and with 4 low obeisancc would eX-
~ NfaiNr tstt 80
cording TO Your Mnjesty's order"
Then the Chamberlain standing on
duty beside the corpse. would respond
with great dignity His Majesty has
been pleased TO dine already. and de-
sres to remain unlisturbed' Where
upon tho Master of Ccremonieswould
back out. with the three customary
! low ol@isanccs to the dead. and would
order the meal TO he taken away.
In conclusion. it may be mentioned
that the admission Of the Empire Of
Japan into the concert of G eat Pow
ers has resulted in source OF con.
siderable ybarrassment to the vari.
ous royal families Of Europe. lust in
hconnection with the question OF
mourning. The court of Toxic is ex.
trcmely punctlioljs about going into
mourning on the occasion of the death
of any foreign sovereign or royal per.
sonase; in fact. 1t has been known 10
80 into mourning FOR European royal.
/ ties ms many as eight times in one
year When. however the Mikados
mother died sometime ago, and her