New-York tribune., 1908-07-12
COLORS FOR MOURNING.
The Use of Black Is by No Means
Unirersal.
By NJ. W. Mount.

The English government has issued a black
bordered mourning stamp. Whether this act is
due to consideration for those who suffer be-
reavement or for the imperial exchequer, IT at
least indicates that the government believes
philatelists never too overcome by grief to be
unable to appreciate something novel to add TO
their stamp collection.
Will the black -bordered postcards which are
expected to follow be decorated with a skull?
Since a mourning stamp was issued, why was
II not purple? For generations purple was the
hue of official mourning in most countries, and
English sovereigns have only recently ceased to
wear il for this purpose. In England as in
America purple is used for mourning drapery
upon the death of person of note, and in the
United States purple is hung with flowers at
the door knocker of a house in which married
person has passed away. In the case of
parent and child, purple and white are more
often seen than black and white, and purple
lines the narrow final bed of most persons not of
tender years.
Violet or purple is the Turks mourning color.
he wears it because it is the hue of the earliest
flower of spring, and to him symboliZes hope on
one side and on the other Violet was
worn by the French kings in token of bereave-
ment, and mention is made OF ii in this connec-
ton at certain periods in Italy and other coun-
tries.
English people of fashion and many in the
United States have adopted white as a garb Of
mourning. Materials worn for this purpose have
been non-lustrous fabrics, such as one selects
Ar black mourning, and, like black, without con-
4asting trimmings except of crepe. Combina-
tions of black and white regarded sec
ond mourning--a dress seldom now. since
yucn a combination is popular among many per-
pons in the way Of ordinary attire.
Formerly Americans wore lavender or mauve
Qight shades of purple second mourning, and
also gray-adopting the hue which indicated be-
reavement among Peruvians until recent times
This nation wore gray. or mouse color, in
memory of their dead. that tint signifying to
them the fading twilight of life, while the Pacific
Islanders who wear it. select that color as
representing the going down of gray hair to the
grave.
Most foreign ENTHUSIASTICALLY those not Of
the Christian rcligion-attire themselves III gar
ment3 cnblematic Of beautiful beliefs when they
sorrow for their dead The Chinese white,
as typical of the purified spirit of the departed
and Of Tie celestial robes in which saints are
clad Something Of the same feeling formerly
inspired people in England to don white in
honor of unmarried girls who had died, and to
carry in their hands bouquets of white flowers
when attending funerals.
In the eastern part Of the United States white
lilies ana! hydrangcas are conspicuous among
funeral decorations, while in the South cape jas
minc t2ardenia1 ana butterfly lilies arc ded
Gated to this use to such extent as to be un-
popular for anything else.
The Romans white a sarb of mourn
ing but whether because it suggested hcav-
eniy pure state for the departed or because they
were known for ages to dcs3iso that color II
would be hard to say. The Spartans, too,
wrapped their grief in white. For long be-