The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-08-30
TOMB STONES.
BIZ MRS ANN II. BULLA.

A retreat from buSffe a the NoFku, 10 wan
der away among the homes of the dead i an in
structive and beneficial recreation. II has ten
dency 10 inspire thoughts OF pseasnraeie melan
chov and religious natare- II reminds one of the
uncertainty Of LIFE, tnrns thoughts from earihs
foliies and its vain pursuits e calmly reflect ard
contemplate the sories OF ihe mystic future -
We are here reminded OF the absur;lities which -
universally prevail among our people. look ont
upon the world with regret and establishment TO
think tina. beings like ourselves, endowed with
sense and reason, with the corresponding organs
of love hope and veaeratiou. With all the horrors
or gories Of death, in which ever light Ne have
been tau~ht 10 vie " the change, constantly before
our ewes will spend this short life in the Amos,
constant grasp after and accumulation of wealth
regardless of the wants OF Others heapng mp that
which must inevitably be given mp ID short
period instead of cutivating, enrichng and alo,n-
ing The mind the immortal part which val live
forever.
Here amid thes, silent seepers. we real upon
the marble slab. the naElcS aud ages Of those who
Younger in wears than Ourselves v no. perhaps ike
Us. had looked forward 10 a long life OF happiness
but in TIE very midst Of hope and pleasure passed
away While again tarn and read the names
Of some " no had died i venerable old age. and on
their head stones are Inscribed some Of their no.
bic deeds the usefulness of their lives and the good
they rendered to mankind, thus leaving behind
name of honor, and an example for future ger
erations-
The thinking mind is then awakened 10 sense
of goodness and thtre is aroused in the breast a
kindly feeling, wish TO do good, and folio. in the
footsteps of the just. In the church yard all feel
iGgs Of malice and envy forgotten and tears of
forgiveness, sympathy 10 all, freely flow. There is
buried in the grave all wrongs and hatrd-one is
as likely to kneel beside those who in life they
looked upon enemies, and offer up a prayer for
the departed spirits, as their nearest friend
But what have we to say of the Hicksite ard
Orthodox church yards? w hat respect have they
Sba-v ba
satisfaction is there to be found in viewing their
resting places? We usually find grassy heaps
partly trodden down, and in some places, by part
ing the grass and weeds there may be found
small lettered stone. the cherished spot of some
unpreludced feeling person. Bat even this in the
church by many is disapproved. What be
their motive, their object in thus making Ike the
graves of all, that the fond mother, in few
years, may look III vain for the loved spot Of her
departed child, the child for the mother and the
husband FOR his wife &c. The thinking mind is at
loss to conceive. 1t cannot consistently be be-
cause they look upon it as superiuity-a useless
expenditure, while many of their houses fur
nished gay and costly and they tide to worship in
a carriage glittering with brass and silver. and
flowing tassels and costly broadcloths and rust
ling robes. 1t cannot be 20 render everything SO
plain and drabical, while their sons and daughter
cannot be told many of them, from the most
fashionable. If it be to render the dead more
easily forgotten that will doubtless be productive
OF more evil IMAM good re DEAD are more Ire
quently too soon forgotten than too long remem-
bered. Let the husband remember his wife, as it
will tend to soften his heart, make him more mind
full and treat more kind and justly her motherless
children. Let the daughter remember her pous
departed mother, that she may be induced 10 ac-
cept her good aud noble precepts and be benefit
ted by her dying words of love. Let the not
forget his generous father who perhaps has spent
life time of toll and difficulties, and left him in
easy circumstances. Let the hayward son, too
be not forgetful of his Christian mother, that when
in moments of temptation and sin, he NAV seem
to see her angel face and feel the presence of her
hand resting tearruy Oh his head, to stay his own
from evil. Let US all remember departed
friends, that we may sometimes repair to their 81
lent abodes, have our hearts Rsved and lifted up
from the things of this world, TO contemplate the
life beyond.
1t is not meant that should always be going
about with mournful faces deplorinr the lost as
that would render life wretched indeed; but that
they should sometimes have place in our minds
in hours of solitude II will have a tendency to
correct the feelings make the thoughtless more
mindful of the present aud regardfai of the forth
coming
There is no wish to rashly censure, for we re-
gard with careful feeling the name OF Quaker, for
in one Of their lonely burying grounds IN far-of
State, sleeps the form of a never to be forgotten
mother; but at her head permitted no friend
v lettered stone; so We have the chilling thought
to know that if should ever visit there her
narrow bed may not be found. And here near
by, rests father, but Inscribed slab is there
that his children in after years, might there re-
pair and be more forcbly reminded of his love
his care, and his soul-fet counseling words.
Some years back there was a young man of sur
passing grace, lofty mind and noble soul, but
alas. disease laid upon him his remorseless iron
grasp, and he sank beneath its weight. Friends
gathered around the bereaved family among whom
kind Quakers. offering consolation. They
invited the father to bury his dead with them and
the father asked permission to plant there a stone
and il was granted. The generous father some
time after was passing the church yard, with his
affectionate heart already swelled with grief, when
10, what sight there met his bewiliered gaze
Could any sympathetic feeling mind, whose
heart not stone, look u Ton il with other than
sense OF shame and horror? There was the
stone upon which inscribed the name of the
loved aud lost, the last earthly bestowa of affec-
ton torn from its place a7d east rudeiy the
public road And this monstrous sasrilegious
deed was done IN the darkness of the midnight by
one or more of those who sat upon the high seats
among the elect. The stone, though plain one
was few inches too high TO sat their orthodox
notions. Were these persons aetaafcd BY rel-
gious feehng-a wish to do good? Was it feel
ing of love and tenderness that caused them to
awaken afresh-to rend asaRder the already griev
ed hearts of those parents? Was j; feeling of
sympathy and compassion that caused them TO
wound, and TO flow anew the tears OF those sis
terss Was ii wish to deal mercfniy and right
eously with all mankind that induced them to
arouse feelings of revenge and hatred in the
breasts of these noble minded brothers? Was
this the kindly way to induce others to do that
which We believe to be right Let the free-thnk
er, the sober minded the unprejudieed and truly
good answer.
Some years ago one of those bigots, under the
shades of night. the time which nearly all dark
crimes committed entered a graveyard and
knocked down and broke to pieces ali the tomb
stones and this scarcely deserved TO be called hu
man being is permitted 10 at large. while the
highwayman is seized and confined
But two or three years ago. in the State Of
Iowa, husband lost his young and lovely wife, -