The Washington herald., 1908-08-16
From the New York sun.

Prom the New YGrk SUI.
Though The DEGREES OF fashion have
mercifully lightened our outward sign Of
mourning for those who have left this
world and It Is most unusual at the pres
enJ day 10 see The heavily craped form.
through whose somber folds one would
IND IL impossible 10 trace any sembiance
70 q human face. vet SO firm a hold has
custom upon our lives that in the alb
serce Of some indication Of sorrow. some
badge OF woe. we experience. according TO
our temperaments. a slight OF heavy
shock 10 the sensibiIities.
Modern hygiene for many. years has for
bidden the dense crepe vel. the originator
Of eve and nerve collapse: instead a
small square Of black net with bands Of
crepe takes its place. and not only looks
more sensible, but allows its wearer 10
breathe and properly Use eyes and lungs
as nature Intended
Among all nations outward signs OF woe
and sorrow have always been demon
strared by some pecuIiaritv IN the color
OF shape Of the attire. different countries
adopting different modes OF expressing
their grief
Laid Aside Gold.
Roman women on melancholy occasions
laid aside their gold. purple. and en-
broidered dresses Under the ancient re-
public they wore black robes. but under
The emQerors these were changed into
white. and the women covered their heads
with heavy coverings
The men OF Rome, after they had adopt
ed the custom Of shaving the beard. al
lowed il 10 grow long when in mourning
as a s-gn Of their affection They also
clothed themselves IN black q custom
supposed 10 have been derived from the
ancient Egyptians Sometimes they wore
garments made OF the skins Of beasts
IN Greece, where the beard was always
retained IL was considered a badge OF
sorrow TO shave It.on- 50 opposite are the
customs OF various nations in everything
relating 10 the adornmeut OF the person
Often. too, they cut on their hair and
laid il on the corpse We read They
shaved their heads and covered with their
hair the BODY
Both men and women wore black gar
meuts and laid aside all ornaments. The
women often tore or shaved OF their
hair and they invariably uuf7ie5 and
concealed their faces A veil seems 10
have been a favOrite emblem OF mourn
ms by the women OF ancient Greece and
d Thebes-
White for Mourning.
The Chinese. Slamese. and japanese
adopted white fcr mourning. their super
sritions teaching them 60 believe that the
dead become benefceut Eenu- The Turks
wear blue or violet; the Ethiop.ans, gray;
the Peruviaus. mouse color The span
iards formerly used white serge
Al one time che Jews neither shaved
nor saiCted any one during the mourning
period. they never wore black. their out
ward expression Of woe was 20 retain
upon their bodies The garments they wore
a. the time The relative died
IN Italy the women used white mourn
ing and The men brown, in Syria and Ar
uenia We see them IN blue and in Egyr--
yellow robes. OF such CoIors that strongly
resemble dead leaves In the Barbarv
States old soiIed clothing signifies grief
II Is frequently passed through water and
then sprinkIed with earth 10 give il that
appearance IN Lycis and Argos white
was extensively used. and at DeIos shay
ing the hair was the only sign OF aflic-
ton.
Until the reign OF Charles VIII OF
France fun mourning garments were com
posed entirely OF white cloth. Leopold Of
Germany. who died about 1717. when n
deep afficti0n followed the custom Of the
Jews and allowed his beard 10 grow
Limits Mourning Garb.
The immense expense incurred in
mourning habiliacerts in England as early
as the fifteenth century caused an edicr
10 be framed 10 limit the richness and
size Of the garments allowed 70 the nobII-
ity- as well as those Of the lower orders.
Tle following explanations have been
given for the adoption Of different ooIors
as symbolic Of mourning
White IS the emblem Of purity ceIes-
tiaI blue indicates The space where the
soul ranges after death: yellow (or dead
leaf exhibits death as the end Of hone
and man falling ike the leaf in autumn:
brown is the color Of earth, our common
mother and black, the color OF mourning
now general among the European nations.
indicates eternal night
Black says Rabelais Is the sign Of
mourning. because il is the color Of dark
ness, which is melancholy and the oppo-
site 10 white. which Is the color Of light.
JOY and Of happiness"