Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-04-22

/ fathers illness and alas at the time OF his de-
parture, and it was relief to me that the
hands of dear friends could close the eyes, COM
pose the form and prepare it to be laid away.
Though our friends and neighbors, even those
who were shocked at our wide departure from
common customs, were very kind to US during
his illness and assisted us all possible in the last
affairs they might ever render for the departed,
yet this uncle of mine, q true brother to my
mother and father to me, generously took it
upon himself to make every arrangement
that the occasion demanded, thus relieving us
of the care that weighed heavily upon us and
upon the wish being expressed that he would
oversee during the funeral he said it should be
done if such was our wish. We obeyed the
promptings of our own feelings in this matter
throughout, instead of hypocritically bowling
down to custom. We performed as far as pos
sible our offices during his illness, we only did
the same after his departure. And this is our
sin. Mr. B. says g a funeral without tear is
indicative of more than stole apathy 1t
seems by his dislike to any religion that dries
the tear and teaches men to 6 submit to the
most affecting dispensation of Povidence,"
that he would by far prefer the custom of some
places, that of hiring momners that efficient re-
spect might be paid the dead. Let those do that,
or what is the same thing-pretend whatthey do
not feel because custom demands it-who WISH |
can only thank God that do not suffer rs some
suffer at the death of friends because they know
not where they are gone, whether they are
happy or unhappy, and because they never ex-
pect to meet them again till they too pass
on into the uaknopn and that have no wish
to do what SO may do,
!" Bear about the mockery of woe
To midnight dances the public show"
and deny my religion and its teachings, to screen
myself from the charge of GOODNESS andstoicism
We put Oh no weeds of mourning, because
our souls said 80 he is not dead ~ and for the
worlds good opinion we could not lie in action
more than in words we did not weep and wiring
our hands as though God had come in Judge
ment, for our religion said, God has come in
blessing. He has opened the gate of the High
er Life to the loved and has left it ajar that we
3 may still be united. We did not leave the
funeral Offices to be done by strangers because
we felt that our friend had gone upon jour
, ney to return again and tell US of the life be-
yond therefore we gathered up all that was
left behind and laid it away, rejoicing in the
= thought that he had walked to the knowledge Of
a higher life and would some day teach us and
guide us and bring us into higher knowledge
G of the life to which he passed, and of the
. Great Eternal towards which we are vending
, And for this we are called cold hearted Our
\ resignation, termed apathy, our trust in God
f Stoicism, our religion, crushing and hardening
D to all human affection, But it matters not
4 can only pity those who have not this strength
0 to lean upon, and weep and wall in agony be-
: cause 1" The beautiful are vanished, and re-
v turn not" And | shall remember with the
f deepest gratitude this generous act of one who
n has ever belriended me, and to whom l go free
G ly for favors, because they are freely granted.
o And lean only say that if the friends of the
y deceased suffered regret and modification that
F. we have been true to ourselves by being true to
our highest ideas of respect to the departed, and
carrying our religion into the deepest trials of
d life (and who wants religion that wiH not sup
,, port at such times) we only sorry that they
y could wish us to be hypocrits, to be untrue to
d religion that VIC cannot help Believing, and to 4
mode of action that our souls sanctioned. =
d have made this reply to the article of Mr.
ID B. not as an effort to screen myself from censgye
y but as he has held up the matter to the paibiif
in his way, it is but due myself that place
| beside Tiny owm motives and reasons for the
course of action | adopted and leave Others tC
Is make the decision.
ID intended when commenced, to notice Ger
III tain points wherein he grossly mis- represented
IS. the belief of Spiritualists, but as have gont
ne far beyond my intended limits will leave tina
IN for another number if | can be permitted {
ks place in these columns
# A. w. SpRAGuE
SIS Plymouth, Vt. April, 1858.