The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1853-08-17
From the New York SUM-
Fashion in Funerals.

1t has become questionable in New
York for ladies to attend funerals to the
grave. Even the mother may not ac-
company the little lifeless form of her he.
loved child beyond the threshold without
violating the dread laws of Fashion. II
is no new thing for fashion to usurp a
despotic sway over the best and nurest
feelings of the human heart. 1t is no new
thing in the world for the greatest of all
tyrants to forbid the expression of feeling
or the display Of emotion. 1t is not new
that Fashion has set aside modesty, every
humanizing law Of nature; but it is some
thing new that, in the republican city of
New York the mother may not pay the
last tribute of affection at the grave of her
child, nor the sister drop a tear in the
grave AS ali that is mortal of a brother is
hid from the sight for ever.
We have said they may not. Oh,ye,! !!
they may, if they have the courage TO
brave the scornful remarks Of the high
Priestosses and devotees of Fashion. They
may, IT they can disregard the whispered
remarks or the earnest expostulations Of
those who are more concerned that the
natural emotion shall have free and
healthy vent. But how may we have sense
or nerve to despse the tyranny of Fashion
Alas! too few have the courage to trample
on the demon that mocks at their grief
and aims at corrupting their principles bv
encouraging their vanities.
Whence originated this conspiracy
against nature and religionl 1t has
nothing American republican, or Christian
about 1t; and yet it seems to be imported
here from professedly Christian country.
Queen Victoria could send only her car
riage to join in the funeral ceremonies Of
the Duke Of Wellington. Her carriage
represented her grief as well as her re-
sPect. 1t was an empty tribute. We'll.
American lddies--women are growing
scarcer-must, we suppose, be in fash
ion with the English Queen and the En-
glish aristocracy. 1t is not fashionable
in England Tor ladies to attend funerals
to the grave. Even fashionable gentle
men send but their carriages and servants
in livery; and have we not an aristocracy
as vain as that Of any country, as foolish,
and more contemplate and more ludcrous
in their fashionable anticsi
We feel sufficiently provoked at the
vices OF Fashion, when we see it DESTROYING
all sense Of shame and decency, in per.
sons claiming to be virtuous and respect
sble-wheu we see the morals and tastes
Of fashionable life in Paris ard London
.aaueaciag The mora!s and tastes Of .he
men, women, and youth Of this country,
and when We see the modest plainness of
republicanism disappearing before the
most immodest and lacivious innovations
in dress and social life which depraved
ingenuity can invent-but when we see
fashion with its poisonous infections
stalking into the House Of Death, and
Kissing its foul and dreaded contempt at
the grief, the tears, and the clinging af.
fections Of the breaved, not rage so much
as horror seizes the mind, because we
feel in contact with fiend, fresh come
from the internal regions, whose breath
chills and withers the tenderest sensibili
ties.
! Oh, Fashion, thou plague spreader! thy
victims are countless millions. Enemy
OF man, potent agent Of the Evil One
curse OF civilization, enemy of vir-
tue. religion, aud human happines
nothing is too sacred to escape thy pol
luting and destroying touch Thou 80
lparatest the infant from It's mother
breast; thou divorcest the child from tn,
care Of the parent thou driest up th,
natural affections; thou standesl by th1
altar 20 turn true devotion into hypocrisy
and after haunting thy deyotees through
4 life, thou enterest into their death-chan,
bers, hoIdest thy reyele over sheir poo
clay, conveyting the solemn rites Of 81
= pultpre into . revoluting farce. Rssde
art thou q slave to Fashioni