Page:Book of Etiquette, Volume 1, by Lilian Eichler.djvu/115

 for any except very intimate friends and relatives to be present. Very often the request "Kindly omit flowers," or "Please omit flowers" is added to the announcement of a death. In this event it is still the privilege of a friend to send flowers to some member of the family or to the family as a whole after the funeral ceremony has taken place.

Where there are servants, one should be stationed at the door to receive cards and messages. Otherwise this duty devolves upon the person who is taking charge. The servant should wear a black gown, white collar and cuffs and a white apron and white cap with black ribbons. If a man-servant is stationed at the door he wears a complete black livery.

With the growing taste for privacy and simplicity, many of the foolish demonstrations of grief, expressed in outward display, have been eliminated. It is now a very rare occurrence for the room in which the dead body lies to be filled with wreaths and masses of flowers, for people are beginning to realize that this is a relic of ancient and savage burial customs, and that it is not so much a manifestation of grief as a display of vanity. Of course it is a pretty way of expressing sentiment to send a floral offering to some one who has died; but modern principles of good conduct acclaim it better taste, and certainly more dignified, to express these sentiments of regard in some other way. A short expression of sorrow appearing as a semi-public announcement In the newspaper after the announcement of the death may be offered by a group of friends or business associates but it Is not good form for a member of the family of the deceased to insert such an