The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1849-11-01
COMM UNICATED.
Ear The Pioneer.

We carry CurtStidhs IOOkeu upon ueatu ~
a joyful event; they dressed in white, scat
tered upon The grave the fresh-pIucked flow
er, and their epitaphs, too, were all market
by touching simplicity. Their symbols
were no, frightful deaths heads, nor weep
ing willows, nor "ghastly skeletons will
scylhe and hour glass, nor spectral riders o,
white horses" but palm leaf or wreath
signifying victory over death and crown
beyond this life, or ship under sail signi
flying "heaven- ward bound"
When the catacoml,s Of Rome in which
the prosecuted primitive christians took re
fuge and lived for many years, were opened
IN the sixteenth century, more than three
thousand slabs were discovered, and now
form the ceiling Of a portion Of the Vatican
Museum. Some Of the inscriptions upor
graves of "liltle ones" are well worthy Of
the imitation Of cheerful, and enlightened
Protestant Christianity.
Among others are these Lawrence to hi.
sweetest son Seyernus. borne away by an
gels.''
Z" Marcus, an immortal boy. You have
already begun to be among the immorta
ones How endearing is such life TO you
How gladly will your mother, the church Of
God, receive you, returning to this world
Let US restrain our signs and cease from
weeping"
Why should we not return to the customs
of the primitive church? Why cover an
| infants coffin with black, and why cIo,he
the parents with Grape, and darken the
house? Why have long address, or burl-
al service at its resting placer Is i, not high
time to put away the Hea!henish customs OF
/ Ancient Rome!
Most heartily is the poet Longfeliow to
be thanked for a portion of one chapter in
the romance, Hyperion, and it is to be hoped
that it Will he perused and re-perused until
all sombre features will be removed from
an iafaat's burial. 1t ia as follows:
"lt was Ssn..ay morning, and the church
bells were al, ringing together. From all
the neighboriug villages, came the solemn,
Joyful sounds, all mingling into one harmo.
NOUS chime, like the sound of some distant
organ in Heaven. Anon they ceased; and
The woods, and the whole village, and the
very air itself seemed to pray, SO silent was
! II every where.
Two venerable old men, went up the PEI
pit stairs, as Moses and Aaron went up
Mount Hor, in tho sight of all the congre.
CATION.
Paul Flemming will never forget the ser.
mon he heard that day. (lt was discourse
occasIoned by the death Of little child. J.
"He said nothing Of the terrors of death
nor of the gloom Of the narrow house. He
to!e bis hearers Of the holi-
ness Of childhood ia Heaven, and how the
beautiful Lord Jesus was once little child
aad now ia Heaven the spirits OF little chill.
dren walked with him aud gathered flowers
in the tie,ds of Paradise. Good old man
/ In behalf ofhvnsashty thank thee Ger thess
benignant words! And still more than ! the
bereaved mother thanked thee, and from
tina, hour though shs wept in secret for her
child, yet
''She knew he WAS with Jesas,
! And she ask ed him not again.
After the sermon, Paul Fiemming walked
fort. alone into the churchyard. But few
moments afterward came funeral process
sion. Parents, old and young
followed with burning tapers in their hands
A young girl carried in her arms a dead
child, wrapped in its little winding sheet
The sexton took the child from the girr,
arms, and PA, it into coffin. lThe pro
cession returned to the church.)
Flemmng saw the toothiess old sextor
treading the fresh earth into the grave Of th
IIiule child, and asked the age Of the deceas
el,. Struggling bis shoulders he replies
&" Only an hour or iwo. 1t was horn in tn,
night and died stls morning early"
The sexton went on with his work, ant
Fiemming fingered among the graves, ga
2iug with wonder at the strange devices, D.
whici, man has rendered death horrible an
the grave loathsome.
After some remarks which we cannot en-
dorse, he remarks "The designs Of Hoibei
are well known. The most striking anon,
them, is that, where. from group of chil
dren sitsing around a cottage hearth, Deaf
has taken one by the hand, and is leading
out of the door. Quietly and uRresistiag
by goes tie little child, and in its countenanc
no grief. but wonder only; while the othe
children are weeping, and stretching fort
their hands towards their departing brother
A beautiful design j. is, 10 ali save the skel
I,eton. An Angel had been better, With fold
ed wings, and torch inverted" :