The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-09-22
From the N. o. Daily Picayu1lc
THE COFFIN SHOP.
"The gravedoth cape, and do,ing death is near.

"The grave doth cape, and do,ing death is near.
OF course while nen continue to die as has been
prevailing custom time of mind among ordinary
ortals, there must be coffin makers. Still II does
seem be vile and heartless business We cannot
easily drive from the epulsive image of man
cooy waiting for his neghbor TO die so that trade
may come into his shop Yet the sentiment, or rather
the natural sensation (perhaps prejudice should be
the word Is wrong and hurtu to all who follow ho-
nesly such line OF trade. You may quite Justly
fancy the doctor looking out of his door for neigh
Dor TO get sick, or lawyer anyiousiy watching to
find Ioguery among his friends. he
fact is, must all have coffins, and, Therefore,
there must be coifin-m kers well ,ther trades
men.
But there is always such an air Of desoaton about
a coffin shop, and, situated in busting thoroughfare
the singular contguity of life and death never
fail to impress disagreeably the passer by Here
seems gaping tomb filled with dismal assoca-
tons of the grave, aud perhaps, next door is la
vern, where may be heard sounds OF merrlment and
jolity.
We pass almost ,ntnually shop Of the kind, and
have failed to look in when crossing the door.
1t would seem though the glance was matter of
course and of necessity lerigriDated through
the neighboIhood. We have become familiar with
all the objects and arrangements of the interior We
can tell if coffin has been removed since we passed
the day before. 1t is seldom, too, that you soul
about coffin shop. The tenants are always away IN
the back rooms where you may sometimes hear knives
ana plates ratilnS, OF cHldren rompng al play away
behind the old dusty cofiins. This have frequent
y heard, in passing the shop we MENTION and the eff
feet of it upon feelings very strange and un
usual. The idea of hearing merry and buoyan
childhood making such place resound with gay eyr
dence of life and joy, while every object in sight told
of mans gloomy and certain doom, has in it some
thing singular and startling enough.
And then the odd connection that you often
observe, by the strongly opposite pieces of fur
niture in immediate contact. The cradle and
the crib are close neighbors Of the coffin
The mechanic makes them. You may
see, at one time, in cabinet makers shop
things forming complete and curious train of asso
ciation from earliest infancy TO the period of inia
bic mortal decay. There is the child's cradle, the
bedstead, the table, the clock case, and the coffin -
Our whole progress through life is attended by the
of these things. They familiar 10 notice
during every step we take along our pilgrimage
Pleasure and pain, JOY and sorrow, and excite
men all the changes and varieties that make up life
are connected by household association with articles
manufactured by the coffin maker. Wisdom may be
in the reflection The bed upon which we repose,
the table from which we eat the clock in which
our flying moments recorded by the time piece
all rest side by side with wooden boxes in the
coffin shop