Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1844-03-01
THE LITTLE CHILD'S GRAVE.

A correspondent of New Orleans paper
writing from the interior Of the Island of Cuba
says:
"Some time since, visited tho grave yard at this
place While there, saw three funcrals-one was a
man, the other two children. Happening to be near
one OF the children, looked at it, for the coffin was
open) and was much surprised at seeing the face of
healthy and rosy appearance \ by-stander seeing
my surprise, remarked that 1t was customary 10
rouge The fares Of cbidren just before buridi What
mockery What hypocrisy! pillow was placed
in the grave, the child was taken out of the coffin,
and It's head placed upon it, the shroul placed over il,
and the earth then thrown upon it by the friends,
and then left TO its last resting place. Dl its bend
rest more TRANQUILITY on its pilow!-Dd rouge make
its face farer or proter, more acceptable before
the Throne OF God 2"
Why is it mockcry to rouge the face OF the
child Why is it hypocrisy! Who that 'rca-
sures up the memory of the little one that God
has called away from the flock but delights to
retain the recollection Of its most pleasing looks
the smile that fingered along the lip; the last
glance the eye gave as its lid dropped in death
the gently budding teeth, just pocring through
the ruby Of the lips; the fine blue vein that lays
along the check, and swells over the marble
front; the silly lock Of hair that comes slopinr
down the temple--thesc seem marked unon the
mind with the eXactness and fidelity Of Daruer-
reotype presentation. And if the slight tinre,
which wasting sickness has driven from the
check Of the little one, is recalled by art, does
it not help the figure, and keep alive in memo
ry, the perfection Of that idea that parental fond
ness husbands in the heart as its treasures of
memory-that which is 10 make Heaven more
heavenly, when the family shall be re .gathorcd /?
And what hypocrisy is there in that! Do men
deceive the worms :
Did the rouge make the face more accepta-
BILE before the throne of God :" What cues.
ton for a cynjc TO ask How unpaternal, how
unchrstian! Surely the heart must have sick
ened when it asked that question. Bat if roug.
ing the check is Hypocrisy perhaps the docoYcy
OF sculpture is no less so. The little while
robe; the crossed hands, cold and white as way ::
the lid drawn down to cover the fading eye bail,
whose hue is marking all the white OF the sur.
rounding orb the little procession that rocs
forth 10 the grave, that very train that follows
weeping all these arc part Of the hypocrisy.
And then when the little form was lifted from
its coffin and laid in its cold bed. and a pillow
II
asked did lis head rest more TRANQUILITY on its
pillow ~!
Who that has sat in the broken circle at home,
when all were thinking, but none ventured to
speak, of the little child just laid in the grave !;
who has not felt chill creep over him at the
thought that the cold earth was above, around,
and below, their lovely lost one : and then the
idea Of pillow and shroud would bring momen.
tary comfort TO the aching heart, far preferable
the babe nsensbe to cold and pain,
No, the head is not easier for the pillow, and
the face will not he more acceptable before the
Throne, for the rouge. But those who deck out
the infant make it beautiful for their love of it
here, and their hope of its destiny herealter.-
L. s. Ga.eHe.