The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1855-03-23

/ neral Was over. HdNt pdtI tue rent ui d SIlatl
house, and secured the widow and her young
family from actual want, until she could look
for and obtain some situation in which she
could earn a living for herself and them, must
all be sunk in conforming to a useless custom,
upheld by pride and vanity in the name Of
grief.
''IIow will the funeral expenses ever be
paid g" exciaims the anxions, weeping mother
''When il is all over, and the mourning bot,
there will not remain single copper to find US
in bread" The sorrow of obtaining this use
less outward show of grief engrosses all the
available means of the family, and that is ex-
pended nIon the dead which might with care
/ fnI management, have kept the living from
starving. Oh, vanity of vanties there is no
| folly on earth that exceeds the vanity of this
There are many persons put off their grief
when they put on their mourning, and it is
miserable satire on mankind to see ihrsa sonhrt--
clad beings in festive halls mnging with the
CAV and happy, their melancholy garments af-
fording painful contrast TO light laughter, and
eyes sparkling with pleasure.
Their levity, however, must not be mistaken
! for hypocrisy. The world is in fault, not they.
Their grief is already over,-gone like a cloud
| from before the sun, but they are forced to wear
! UidSh l0i 2iNtI lttIiF. ttF dft u dF ~ ittt
nature, which teaches them that ''no grief with
man is permanent" that the storms Of to-day
will moi darkrn The heavens Tomorrow. 1t is
complying with lying custom that makes
! them hypocritrs and as the world always
judges by appearances, il SO happens that by
adhrring to one of its rules appearances in this
instance are against them.
Nav, the very persons who, in the first grnu-
| 4 IL
moderate their sorrow, 10 dry their tears, and be
comfortyd for the loss they had sustained are
among the first to censure them for following
the advice so common and useless. Tears are
as necessary to the afflicted as showers are to
the parched earth, and are the best and sweet
/ est remedy for excessive grief.
| To the n.ourner would say, weep on ma
ture requires YOUR tears. They are Stut in
mercy by Him who wept at the grave of his
friend Lazarus The man Of sorrow himself
taught Us to weep.
We once heard very beautiful volatile
! young lady exclaim, with something very like
glee in her look and tone, after reading a letter
she had received by the post with its ominous
black bordering and seal-'sGrandmam is dead
We shall have to 90 into deep mourning. I
am 50 glad, for black is so becoming TO me ~
her surprise a, this indecorous avowal when
the young lady replied, with great noirefe-''T
never saw granduama in my life. ] cannot be
expected to feel any grief for her DEATH
eperhapS not, said her aunt. 'sEut why,
then, make a show of that which you do not
feel O.
"Ch, It's the custom of the world. You
know we must. 1t would he considered shock
ing not 10 20 into very deep mourning for such
near relative"
The young lady Inherited a very nice eea-
cy, too, from her grandmamma and, had she
spoken the truth, she would have said, 81 can
not weep roy"
Her mourning, in consequence, was OF the
deepest and most expensive kind, and she really
did look charming in her Glove Of black Grape
bonnet as she skipped before the glass, admir-
ing herself in it, when it came home from the
miIliners.
In contrast TO the pretty voting heireSs, we
knew sweet orphan girl whose grief for the
dratll of her mother, to whom she was devout-
" attached lay deeper than this hollow tinseI
show and vet the painful thought that she
was too poor 10 pay this mark of respect 10 the
memory of her beloved parent, in manner
suited 10 her birth and station, added greatly 10
the pognancy of her sorrow.
4 family who had long been burthened with
cross old aunt, who was martyr to rheu
matte gout, and whose violent temper kept the
whole house ia awe, and whom they dared not
Offend for fear of her having her wealth TO
Strangers, were in the habit OF devouty wishing
the old lady happy release from her suIrrngS. /
When TINS long anticipated event at length took |
place, the very servants were put into the deep
Tf,a+ spiarnn ShouII 1
saw lie-waS this
The daughters Of a wealthy farmer had pre-
pared everything to attend the great agricultu-
raj provincial show Unfortunately, grand |
father to whom thev all seemed greatly attach /
ed, died most iuconvrnently the day before,
and as they seldom kept a body over the second
day in Canada he was buried early in the
morning Of the one appointed for their journey,
They attended the remains to the grave, but al
ter the funeral was over they put off their black
garments and started to the show, and did not
resume them until after their return. People |
may think this very shocking, but it not
the laying aside of the black that so, bot
the fact oftheir being able TO 60 from the lone
illness Of the grave 10 scene of gaiety The !
black clothes had nothing to do with this want
of feeling, which would have remained the |
same under black or scarlet vestment.
A gentleman in this neighborhood, since
dead who attended public ball the same week |
that he had seen lovely child consigned 10
the earth, would have remained the same heart
less parent dressed in the deepest sablrs.
No instance that have narrated Of the bus |
ness-Ike manner in which the Canadians treat !
death is more rdiculously striking than the fol-
loving