ON WEARING MOURNING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 621, 25 September 1909, Page 17

ON WEARING MOURNING.

' Damo kargaret.Morell.ilackeniie's,will contains a clause which will appeal to. hundreds of, people (says ..tho "Ladies Pictorial''). '.Her ohildren are to wear/white and 'nia'Uve. instead of block as mburning fbr her; and they aro".t.i gi)'uut'.'an\o'ng'their friends and to places, n amusement.': It ii amazing that' such : ihjunoV_ tibns.are not mbre frequent.. One 6f the most' dommon femarkS'.at a.timo of BoiTow-is that:': 'is "very bad to sit and brood"; and. yet social, cc-rivbhtibns vemove 'almost-all possibilities' of. going out arid distracting "■. the' mind.:. ■. Dani) Ma'cKeteil; realised this j she gbes 6h to say/y----ani iiOt'afraid of their forgetting me,, and' "l. want th'eni to bo happy." -Aftfcral),■wh'at'plea-' sura can it bo .to the "dead for. thb living to: abjure theatres and- society 3 That sbnio-sign-bf respect for the solemnity of death is advisable ■ all will agree; .but nowadays theconven-, - tions surrounding mourning are in :.dan;ei>'Oi. i becoming, hollow. ':- .':'-'', ■ ..', i" ■. V The ''principal .advantage,:- theoretically,. of! : . mourning' is .that: it prbtects its.'wearer 'frem • painful Questions.: So 'S: 'does; it 'protects Let fnrin'just-'those peo'pl6 who are Sensitive enough never- to -ask -questions lihht-'ma'y. be.-painful, dnd it oven acts as a lightning conductor-tor. the probings of,the, thick-skinned:. "1 see you aro inmourning. Whbnl'isit for?" -is ; a question that isfrequently.aslietl;'The"whble'■hutstibn.of mburhing.is illogical; we tare supposed to rejbice for the'translatibatb a better stab of those who are dear .to-ua.y Of course wo feel sorrow, as a matter, of fact,, and not. rejoicing, at all. : It'is the converse of the case of tin famous ■preacher, who. stood t'p and address.;;! his congregation, tl us:. "You haVo' 1 just'finished singing;together,, with eyery'appeaiancß .of -conviction, 'Id Lite to be an.Anga.l.'. That's ; nqny, Sense. You wouldn't like anything of .the kind. Yofl take .'endless precautions, .everyday ,'ta prevent it.' -If you want to ,be\ angels, why don't you let yourselves bb inn over, or.starve-,-What you really- want io'.do is/to live as iont;, as you can and be. as happyas possible. That«: *hat,l-.)vant. Life's the important thing whim Tfr6'r6 iiliyfii" .-■'■.' i ■■.' .' ■ Same : Mackenzie' 'realised' that: ; Life's. ths, important thing; and* as Stevenson .'las pointed: but, our great task is tb be:happy,'.not:to givei'U'unnecessarily to T sorrow, ana cetrtaihly iibt Ho'stay, at home, draped in black, '.and.-nurse bur.woes. : : .- '....'•'• • "."■..:' ',' - - ■'■■: . ;