Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1847-12-15
A GRECIAN BURIAL.

a GRECIAN BURIAL.
When a soul departs, their Iamcra-
tations arc terrible, but they sorrow fo
! the survivors only as for the dead, they
count him in all things a conqucrcr; Sc
they place the laurel garland on his brow,
and in his hand the balm of victory
They uncover the face, that all may
see what a majesty Of most serene re.
pose is stamped thereon, and they sing
a hymn Of thanksgiving as they bear
him away to his rest. remember when
lIley buried that bright-cyed Greek
maiden, snatched suddenly from earth,
when her young heart was light as her
face was fair; they arraycd her, so rigid
and motionlcss, in The gay dress she had
never worn bur for some great fate or
gala, as though this more than any weic
a. day of rejoicing for her; and thus
attired, with her long hair spread out
over her still bosom, all decked with
flowers, they laid her unconfned in her
grave. At her feet they placed small
flask Of wine and a basket of corn, in
accordance with ,an ancient Greek su-
pcrslition, which supposes that for three
days and nights tine disembodied spirit,
fingers mouI ming round its tenement Of
clay, the garment ofits mortality, where
in, as a pilgrim and a stranger on the
earth, it lived and loved, it sinned and
suffered As soon rs the first symptom
of decay announces that the course Of
corrupiionis is at work, they believe The
purer essence deparIs to purer realms.
Before the grave was. closed. whilst for
the last time the warm radiance OF The
sunset cast glow like the mockcry. Of
life over the marble face of the poor
young girl, heririends, as a last precan.s
ton, took measures to ascertain that she:
was actually dead, and noti a swoon.G
The means they. always took to ascer-s:
Etain a fact, which. elsewhere Vonldjbes
ensured by a doctor certificate us
Etolching i'm the extre mi, the person.
w6ony whiIstsaIive, itsvas Known the
deceased loved besr,2 2the;mother, ors:itii
may bc the young betrothed, whoZhadl
hoped to place on her head the gay bri.
dal crown, instead of the green laurel:
garland of death, advances and calls her
by name, repeating after it the word
ella (come) several times, in tone Of
the most passionate .entreaty; if she is
mute to this appeal, if she is deaf to the
voice that was dearest to her on earth,
they no longer doubt that she is dead;
they cover up the grave, lift up their
eyes to the heaven where they believe
her TO be, for the Greeks do not hold
The doctrine Of purgatory, and having
made the sign Of the cross, they depart
in silence TO their homes.
From The Correspondence Of the E1cning Ne'rs.
WASHINGTON, Dec. l lS47.
The Season-Arriual Of Mcmters-Who
will be Speaker ?-Candidatss for the
Cierkship, etc.-7Hs FrcmOnte TriaL-
its cost-The Message.
This, the first winter month, was
,shered in with Sigh, fall of snow; but
it soon disappear, 4, as doth the frost,
under the effect of,hc solar rays.
There will nearly, be full attendance
members Of Congress. (of the House
cspcciaily,( on the first day Of the sos-
sion; for bath Wings and Democrats, as
the majority Of the former is small, will
enter INTO a spirited contest for the
Speakcrship and other officers. The
hotels arc already filling up; every arri-
val of the Southern boat and the rail-
road train from The North and West
brings an accession of members.
The most prominent Of The candidates
for Speaker who receives sixteen do!lMs
day, are, Mr.. Winthrop, Of Massa-
chuset's, and Mr.. HiIIard, of Alabama.
MIR. Winthrop, although not an cvowed
aboli:ioGists, is friendly to the fanatics.
This is Objectionable to the Southern
Wings, andh he cannot, therefore, rely on
their votes. But Mr.. Illlard, being
from the oouth, IS not similarly 0DnoX-
ious. Between choice of what the
Southern Democrats consider evils, if
driven 70 the alternative, no one can
doubt which they will prefer. So much
for the Southern vote. And there are
not few Wings from other sections
who would infinitely prefer Mr.. HiIIard.
What is much in his favor with the
Democrats is, that he was the only Wing
who voted for the revenue bill of rS46;
and while Mr.. Wyntlrop, with thirteen
others, voted against the recognition of
an existing war on the part Of the Uni
led States with Mexico, Mr.. Hilliard
voted for it. These. are arguments in
favor Of Mr.. Hilard to-day. Mr.. Caleb
B Smith, Of Indiana, is also spoken of
for that high station. On Friday ight
a caucus Of tho Wing members will be