Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1867-08-07
wHATrT COSTS TO DIE.

The NeiO York O6ssrVcr shows how
costly a thing it is to die in the city of
New York. It says:
We have had our attention called, by
several correspondents of late, to the
extravaganza of funerals and there sp-
pears to be some degree ofjustice in their
structures. A physician who was com
missioned to convey the remains of a
gentleman dying suddenly in this city
to his home in New England, informs US
that he was obliged to pay nearly three
hundred dollars to the undertaken for
his services and attendance before the
coffin was placed in the train for trans
portation.
Anotherwrites that ina country town,
where it was formerly customary to pro
vide with simplicity and economy for
the last repose Of the body, while the
neighbors bore it on q bier to the church
yard, now it has become the fashion"
to send to a city, ten or twelve miles
distant, for a showy burial case: a hearse,
and carriages and the usual aocOmpani-
ments of a metropolitan funeral. In
cities, the simplest funerals are often
heavy burdens upon families in mOder-
ate circumstances, and the "items" of
the undertaker's bill, which delicacy and
propriety forbid the bereaved from dis
putting, swell the amount to serious pro-
portions.
1t is, indeed, costly thing to die as
well as to live, in such a city as New
York, where We have known Of child's
simple obsequies costing more than
twice as much as the previous three or
four years of its happy life.
In some countries it is often the ruin
Of families in moderate circumstances
for the father to die all the members
Of the household, including servants,
must be provided with full mourning
those that attend the funeral are pro-
yided with suitable badges of grief;
costly entertainment Is served for the
refreshment, and long trains ofhalf- filed
or empty carriages follow, in mock SOL
emnity, the nodding plumos Of the hoarge
to the cemetery.
We regret to notice the importation
Of such wasteful and eItravagant GUS
toms into this country. Some years
ago, the Roman catholic bishop of New
York prohibited the usa of more than
six carriages at funerals in his jurisdic-
ton but the prohibition has either been
removed or tits disregarded By his flock.
as the long lines of hacks that daily
cross to Cavalry cemetery will bear wit
ness.
In this connection We quote some re-
marks from the National Fr8emac0B,
bearing upon tie subject, and heartily
endorse the concluding paragraph as
containing the teaching Of Christianity,
as vol as Of masonry, upon this mat
ter:
"a bill Of funeral expenses for a New
York brother, who died away from home,
was shown US a few weeks ago, sent by
the lodge ofa distant jurisdiction, amount
ing to six hundred dollars. We have
heard Of tho funeral expenses Of broth.
ers amounting two, three, four, Eve, six,
and even nine hundred dollars. In the
first case mentioned it was intended to
honor the lodge in New York, whence
the brother hailed. In the other cases
it was done, we doubt not, out Of true af-
fection and regard. Butt is, nevcrthe.
less, mistake, and should be Intelligent
ly corrected.
'Plain, quiet, unobtrusive funerals are
always the best taste. Masonry also
teaches that charity suggests to spend
less money in mere outward demonstTa-
ton, and give mora to the widow and
orphan deprived ofa protector andfriond.
Honor the deceased brother by shedding
tears of affection over his grave, By imi-
tating his virtues, and oheFishing his
surviving family"