THE ETIQUETTE OF DEATH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 417, 28 January 1909, Page 3

THE ETIQUETTE OF DEATH.

■ The'refusal of-the; Chinese-Emperor''to die ;in : ''his,-rohes.;of-state'will seem"highly, eccentric" to -jhis. suhjectSj - writes; an English; .paper, i: Even quite; inferior people;' \yheh at.the; point' ofdeath,'put 6n or: are!.;put into.'their;best clothes, so that' : the'y 'may iut'a good figure' in;the; next world.. Eventhe forlorn ; criminal about.to ;be executed' fs : first dressed ;in-a/clean-suit.- ; One: writer on ".Chinese", customs says ..'that: sometimes men's, paper, shoes are. :jiut :ori-.the,;feet'. of .women-,corpses"/ 1 so ;that' in the other' world they may be ! on'.the same (as ;-Tom, Hood might have'said), as .men.'-' A.middleclass body .will', be dressed in a "dozen :gar'merits, • bne-over,; the otlieri', ;This '-formal dressing is': me'-reason for, the. great .'size.!of; Chinese; coffins. ..One. class of. Chinese .at least' will -sincerely-mourn, the.'Emperor's de»tlH-the barbers.-. .For one hundred'days after the proclamation of the' death no is allowed to :shave the front part;of" the head." '.-These people get a close shave, as, soon as- they hear of the'death.. -In: most parts of ; China blue is the mourning colour. The Emneror, iii Chinese formal language, is not allowed to "die": like other people.; He "crashes.".. A: prince .is said. to. "de-. mise";' Ministers of State, to "stop"; officials to '-.'.'resign'-.their dignities." Common .'people alone "die.'' The same .'■'■ love -, of euphemism 'shows'itself, in other ways. '.A coffin, is spoken of as "the timber; of age ; or "longevity boards," and'when _ a: man insures he does not. entitle his survivors'to money'but-himself; to' grave ■; clothes','and. "a charming.retreat','—-that,is., a Jo; the barbers as mourners should be added 'the actors,: for the one hundred • days' prohibitioh extends to the performance, of plays;- :