The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1826-09-18
NENERATlON FOR TIE
DEAD.

Amongst the customs that had
peculiar ettaetions for me, was tn,
tcnder veneration paid. externally
at least, tn the dead the church
yards being kept with an attentive
decrncy which we, in vain. look
Tor in many other countries. There
is something extremely simple and
pleasing in the ided.as srll as in the
practice. of strewing flowers and
evergrecns over the graves OF de-
parted friends and relations. Eve
ny Saturday, some Of the survivors
perform the established duty ut the
f'mily grave. This consists of clca-
ming it of all weeds, repairing the
mould. dressing the vcrdure, mend
ing the little fences Of white tiles or
shells that surround it, and, in short
putting it in order against the Sab
bath then the whole parish are To
be eye-witnesses of the pious cares
of each other. | have seen graves
so diligently cultured. as every week
to have been planted with the chou.
cest flowers Of the season: others
have been ornamented with the more
permanent shrubs. and the little
hilloCks sacred to infants have,liter-
ally. bestowed on them
All the incense of the breathing Spring -
Several good purposes are am.
swered hereby. Twill recount some
of them to You in the words of IA
Pcmbrokeshire widow. whom late
~ saw decorating the graves of her
husband and a child, their first born
who died in the same year. The
following is faithful copy of our
conversation.
Your employment must be very
interesting to YOU.
1t is our way in these parts, Sir.
Some think it "A trouble | hay.
no pleasure now that equals if, yet
| am sure to have wet eyes all the
time it is doing
The relations then at whose graves
you are performing this sadly pleas
ing duty, must needs have been We
ry near and dear to you.
They could not be more so.
This was the best husband. and the
most honest man in Wales aud
the roses and violcts. which | have
just been setting at the head and
feet of this grave, are not sweeter
or prctter than the poor little girl
who lies under them. But they are
in a better place, and ought to be
happy, and SD | am
Here she swept very bitterly.
see y0nder, an old man entering
the church yard with a large bun
die of young plants which he can
scarcely carry.
That man is in his ninety third
year. and has buried all his family.
The last was grandson, to whuse
grave he is now going. and. "hirh
he will make like garden
before he leaves it. Almost all that
end of the church-yard are hls dead.
and he is very neat and nice about
the graves oil ali, but the grandson's
fine most
Then he was the favorite of the
family as the last and youngest.
perhaps. he was the poor old mans
Benjamin.
'On the contrary, he loved him
the least, and some think, that an
unlucky blow given by the old man
was the cause of the young ones
death, but it cannot be proved, SO
he escapes but by his care about
The poor young fellows grave, our
townlolk imagine his conscience
smites him though, for that mat
ter. we all dress our dead here, whe-
Their we love or hate them, it is quite
scandal to let Saturday pass
without making every grave as clean
as ourselves for the Sabbath
1t is very commendable custom.
and | wish with all my heart,it were
adopted in England. where. too gen
orally speaking. the repositories OF
the dead are shockinsly violated.
Horses, cows, sheep. are often sui
fered to feed upon the grave nay,
the parson himself frequently turns
his pad to fatten on his deceased pa
rishionars. This you will say, is
being pricst-riddcn wilma vengeance;
still worse, the hogs(b II half the pa
rish are allowed to rootle up the
earth and bones.
Blessed be God, the house of my
dear dear babe and husband, do not
lie in England =
And as to cleanliness in other re-
spects. that article, so properly an