The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-11-01
Funeral Professions.

In the country, where miles intervene be-
tween neighbors, the duty of properly consign-
ing to its last resting place the body of some.
fallen friend, is an event which influences the
whole vicinagc, and il is customary for all to
join in the ceremony, at whatever expenditure
of time and trouble. If possible, the Ohsequics
are arranged to fall upon the Sabbath, in Or
der that the scattering community may better
leave their homes and assemble at the house of
the mOurners and usually so anxious are the
afflicted that the funeral should take place on
that day, that they often endanger their health
by keeping the body IN the hOase or manifest
almost indecent haste after death to bring the
conclusion of the matter within the cycle of the
sacred hours = E&ls+sE
Not 80 in town, where acquaiDtanees are
crowded closely together the funeral falls on
any day which is most convenient or necessa-
try, and the slowly-moving procession is met in
the bustling streets at all hours. lx&
There are various orders of these solemn
sights. We often see two or three carriages
without hearse, all with closed curtains, and
we conclude that the first contains the bearers,
with little infants coffin resting upon the
front seat, and that the others are filled by the
friends of the bereaved, perhaps the bereaved
themselves.
Again we encounter a hearse, and few car
riages. The inmates of the latter are sad and
grave, but not mOurnerS, and We conclude that
they follow the scnselesS form of some one with
whom they have often walked in life, relieving
by their presence and care, those whose hearts
are crushed, from adding to the trials they
have already suffered that bitter one Of wit
Messing the closing of the vault, or the filling
of the grave, over the remains SO suggestive of
the loved and the lost !; feeling in their great
grief, that they had rather part from that form
at the same Threshold where they had so Of
ten welcomed it, and not visit the tomb, until
they had become better able to think only of
the departed as having passed to brighter
world.
But these funeral professions are not of the
common variety. 1t is usual to see line OF
vehicles extending from the house half mile
or Il mile down the street, commencing with
the handsOmest turnout of the best livery, and
descending through the different grades, to the
dirtiest of the hacks that run 10 The dcpOts,
and ending off with tOp-buggies, and perhaps
little wagons. Instances are not rare, where
more money has been lavished to get up a
show of this kind at the funeral of some citi-
zen than was required to keep him alive for a
whole year. The object of the display is gen.
orally conceded to be, that as it passes the
principal streets, which it never fails to take
in its course to the cemetery, the question may
be raised, Whose funeral is that?' and that
somebody may say, "rhcy have given him a
decent burial, anyhow"
There is one feature of this sort of funeral
display which is revolving. Too often the per-
SONS who fill tine numerous vehicles exhibit in
their department so little sympathy with the
ceremony at which they arc assisting, that be-
holders are shocked, and i f,vOrte opinion
is correct that departed spirits revisit earth
not few can be anything else but indignant
to notice the coadac. o. those who arc carried
through the town after their poor bOtsaes. I'm
mcdately after the carriages that are filed ap-
pareMly with mourning babilimeMs, We often
e those of which the occupants are chatting
and laughing bowling to acquaintance on the
sidewalks, or leaning forward to catch every
phase of the moving panorama of which they
form q part. In Others may sometimes be de-
tectcd what can be nothing else than Il detach-
cd coSriss,ip economically filling up the good
opportunity; and so on through the line until
the top-bhggies and the little wagons come
along, when couples may be seen taking their
cOmUTt with feet Oh the dash board, while the
smoke OF tobacco floats Out from the buggy
top. 1t would scarcely I've worse should we
behold in the lii,e Wagons that bring up sse
rear, the bottle passing freely, and cards cnli-
vcning the tediousncss of The slow march,
Dem. P.css.