Young girls need not wear mourning as long as an adult does, nor do they
wear crepe, unless it be a hat with crepe trimmings, or one with ribbon
bows and face veil with crepe border. It seems as unnecessary as it is
unkind to put young children into black.

[754 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]

French Mourning.--The French, with characteristic cheerfulness, greatly
abridge the mourning attire, dividing it into three grades, deep, ordinary
and half-mourning. For the first only woolen materials in black are
employed; the second, silk and woolen; the third gray and violet. The wife
laments her husband for a year and six weeks,--six months of deep
mourning; six of ordinary, and six weeks of gray and violet melancholy.
The bereaved husband, on the other hand, is let off with six months of
sorrow, three in deep mourning, three in ordinary; he has not to pass
through the gray-and-violet stage at all.

Six months is also the period for parents, evenly divided between deep and
ordinary. One gets off with two months for brother, sister or grandparent,
and three weeks suffices for a mere uncle or aunt. Good taste decrees
mourning should be discarded gradually. From black one may go to quiet
costumes in dark colors, gray being an approved hue.

Mourning for Men.--Custom sets more lightly upon men than upon women in
the matter of mourning. Here, as elsewhere, the details of etiquette
devolve upon women. A widow would incur censure if she married within two
years after her husband's death; indeed, if her marriage followed soon
after the expiration of that term, Mrs. Grundy would infer some
surreptitious courting had been going on. A man, however, may marry again
after a year has elapsed. A widower would abstain from society and the
theater for six months. A parent is mourned for a year.

The correct attire for men is a black suit, black gloves and tie of
grosgrain or taffeta silk, and a black band upon his hat. The tailor
adjusts this hat band with scrupulous nicety to the depth of his
affliction. It is deepest for a wife; it diminishes mathematically through
the gamut of parents, children, brothers or sisters.

The widower is not expected to wear mourning for two years, unless he
prefers to do so. If he goes into the niceties of the garb he will wear
black enamel shirt studs and cuff buttons, and a plain black watch fob.
After a year he may wear a gray suit, retaining the black accessories.

The custom, followed in some circles, of w