Origin Of "bloody Shirt."

llie origiy of t lic expression of "bloody shirt" ia said by a correspondent (o bc f rom a Corcican cuatom, dow oearly obsolete. In the days of the fleroe "vendetta" bloodshed was a common occurcnce. Beforc the lnirinl of a murdered man tlic "gridata" waa celebrated. "Gridata," means crying around. Let us translate t a "wake," The body of Ihc mmdcred was lnid upon a plank, tlion his weaponswere placed near bis band and lii.s blood stained shirt huug over his licad. Around the rade bier a circle of women, wrepped in tbelr black mantles, roeked Ilicniselves to and fro, with vocifcrous wailing. The men, relativea and frlenda of the murdered man, armed to ihe tecth, stood round, niüd witli tliirst fy revenare. Onu of the women - the ivifo, or mother, or sister of the murdered man - wlth a .veil w,,uld snntch the bloody shirt. and. wav inglt aloft, begin the "vocoro" il;ini;iuli tlon howl). Tlie rythmic howling was made up of expressions of lovc for the dead iind altérnale bowls of lmtmlof liis enemies and its ttartling images nnu trehicnaön? 'ou'fsës wereecnoed in t he faces and muiterfaun of tlie armed mournere. liy Lransltfon the phinse "bloody shirt" was applied to the Southern rebeflion.