or flippant or sloppy in manner, without giving
the impression to all beholders that one's spirit is posturing, tripping,
or dancing on the grave of sacred memory.

This may seem exaggerated, but if you examine the expressions, you will
find that they are essentially true.

Draw the picture for yourself: A slim figure, if you like, held in the
posture of the caterpillar slouch, a long length of stocking so thin as to
give the effect of shaded skin above high-heeled slippers with sparkling
buckles of bright jet, a short skirt, a scrappy, thin, low-necked,
short-sleeved blouse through which white underclothing shows various
edgings of lace and ribbons, and on top of this, a painted face under a
long crepe veil! Yet the wearer of this costume may in nothing but
appearance resemble the unmentionable class of women she suggests; as a
matter of fact she is very likely a perfectly decent young person and
really sad at heart, and her clothes and "make up" not different from
countless others who pass unnoticed because their colored clothing
suggests no mockery of solemnity.

=MOURNING WEAR FOR MEN=

The necessity of business and affairs which has made withdrawal into
seclusion impossible, has also made it customary for the majority of men
to go into mourning by the simple expedient of putting a black band on
their hat or on the left sleeve of their usual clothes and wearing only
white instead of colored linen.

A man never under any circumstances wears crepe. The band on his hat is of
very fine cloth and varies in width according to the degree of mourning
from two and a half inches to within half an inch of the top of a high
hat. On other hats the width is fixed at about two and a half or three
inches. The sleeve band, from three and a half to four and a half inches
in width, is of dull broadcloth on overcoats or winter clothing, and of
serge on summer clothes. The sleeve band of mourning is sensible for many
reasons, the first being that of economy. Men's clothes do not come
successfully from the encounter with dye vats, nor lend themselves to
"alterations," and an entire new wardrobe is an unwarranted burden to
most.

Except for the one black suit bought for the funeral and kept for Sunday
church, or other special occasion, only wealthy men or widowers go to the
very considerable expense of getting a new wardrobe. Widowers--especially
if they are elderly--always go into black (which includes very dark gray
mixtures) w