The last solemnities, those of death and burial, have among the peasants of the Latin Cantons something violent and passionate in their character. For several Sundays after the funeral the women, dressed in mourning with a head-band across the forehead, meet in the cemetery around the grave, and, in a mournful and harrowing concert, renew their tears and lamentations. The nearest relations carry the coffin; little children follow, dressed as angels, all in white, with crowns on their heads; then come the _white penitents_, dressed in their death-shirt, or the robe of the brotherhood. White is the mourning color, and persons with whom you meet with a broad white band on their dress have lost a member of their family. The picturesque costumes of the Swiss peasantry, which formerly were the pride and distinguishing marks of the several Cantons, have almost disappeared; their use being confined to holidays, festivals, or as advertisements at public resorts. The Bernese have their snow-white shift-sleeves rolled up to the shoulder exposing to view a sinewy sunburnt arm, the dark-red stays laced with black in front, silk aprons, silver chains, and buckles, colored skirts just short enough to show a home-made white stocking, a heavy gaiter shoe, a beehive-shaped hat, and long yellow hair in a single plait hanging down nearly to the heels, along a back made very straight by the habit of carrying pails of milk and water on the head. In French Switzerland long tresses, trimmed with black ribbon, descend on each side of the neck, a narrow dark bodice restrains the waist, the bosom is covered by a chemise plaited in a thousand folds and whiter than snow, a short and ample under-petticoat leaves the leg exposed above the ankle, and red garters full in sight. These costumes really have nothing to recommend them except their peculiarity; there is something very irresponsive in them, adding nothing to the beauty of person or grace of bearing, but simply tending to make the wearers, like Lord Dundreary’s girls, “look more or less alike, generally more alike;” none of them are pretty except on paper, yet even the ugliest of them all, worn by the homeliest women, help to make up the sum of national peculiarities and add to the picturesqueness. The men affect immensely broad pants, a large round coat high in the collar, short in the waist, with two little ludicrous tails in the very small of the back, and a soft beaver hat pushed sideways on the head; the complete appearance is sometimes suggested of a walking porpoise. The present ordinary male and female dress is somewhat sombre, little use of bright color is made, and regard is had for that which will wear best and require least washing; the material is either undyed homespun woollen cloth or coarse blue frieze, and the garments are clumsily made, stiff and heavy.