Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1865-12-15
Cemeteries


passing gave wards ~ invariabiy took 20
our beck. nor did -e slacksn our pace M
a: -e ~ere fairiy o.; Of sight % tbese rvst-
ing PLACES Of he dead. This i snd0ubted-
u ths eAPerience 81 tbOusan.ls ~ha ~ere
boys thirty CT forty wears ago Nor can
~e mnch wonder. that Only a liitlc more
than tbrd Of csntury ago. these super
ssIiiou. notions prevailed. CernSteries ~ere
then generally heated in some lonely. IN
inviting. drearv corner. where the dead
w~rc huddied into mother earth 80 compact
" snd with 50 little order OF rvCularits.
With a rude Scncc. CO fenccd st AID sur
rounding the spot. that Il actually APPeAred
like Golgotha. 20 be Stunned. and by the
Young actually feared. And then associated
with these lonsly abode. -ere the tradition
AIRY hobgobblin stories OF spirits. ard
strange and unacrOuntable sights and sounds
handed do~n from sire 10 son. from one
generation TO another. Fliy scAr ago
our fathers hal scarcely conceived the ideA
Of beauiifying The rvgious q ihe dad they
had no idea that the pail q terror ~hich
hung over these then gloomy regions cOuld
be lifted on. and TIE terrors 81 the grave
driven away By the genius Of christian
civilizations Those Who live A. the present
day are witnesses that az this has been
done.
The people o. our cities ssd large towns
have ~iihia ic~ YEAR. selected some beau-
tifal SPOT. auay from the din and bustlc q
active life and the noise and sho~ q the
world. and therc expeaded their Thousand.
and tens q thousands 90 ornam~n; ard
bcauiiiy a. and render "a ar offrnrfire spot.
Tee grounds Nrc ski.liuliy LAID out MO
csrriagc-~ays. thoroughfarvs and -alks. or
nament-d 9TH shade tires. svcrcrccrs.
sbrubbcry snd fo~trs. To add o. thc
symn,etrical bcauty OF The plaCc. lots ar
graded and built Up. nth all the taste -hich
would chsrarterize a home for the living
Il ~ In these bcautiful rvtF,ais that alter
hfe's ftful scenes arc DER 80 q" wrap around
Is The drsP~ry q death and De- down 10
pleasaBt drvams.- Reverence for The mem
ories Of our departed friends = one of the
highest types ct an enlightened cisiiizaticn /.
and that uo-r rational. christian act can
Nc perform. than to '' rob the grave q -
terror BY shedding around IL iLe radient
light Of ihis age OF progress and reform.
IL cannot - denied that the beau: fol
cemeteries that skirt oar citie, and villages
IN sou's sequesf-red grove have a hal
losing indoence upon The living The
Christian. philosophic mind loves O. steal
a~as from tbe avarice. The pornp ard shc~
% the busy World o. these sacred retreats
even Il they arv bot rude and rustic NINA
tsrcs a some Mount Anburu or Gr~cnsood.
and ihere bold silcnt commuuion VIII God
and d-parted loved ONES lIo- many use-
ful lessons b. can there learn. The broken
shah aduonIshes him how easily the brittle
thread Of iisc car BE- rent IN twain. The E,tle
lamb. that hcs quietly sleeping upon the
heAdstone q sou,e o. little grave bring.
fresh 90 has mind the beautiful consolir-
words. 'oi such = The Kingdom q Heavcn.-'
the to~ering obeii-k points auav % that bet
ter ~orii. -bcru d,alh . swallowed %
In victory. While the httlc nscmcuioes Of
affection wtich meets his eyrs m every d.
rcciion chiseled into The cold nsrble. feaeh-
- him ihe greai practical lesson. Co 81 l.re
that ~len BE- - gone. the same insigni,s
az hlal Affection nav pefpetuafe his memo
=, NJ one can Visit one 90 ti~sr sar-.a
reirrsis. -i'hsss coming 49,, better man.