The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-08-09
Disp,ais at Funerals.


ful men and women, including many
of those who had achieved great dis
tinction In the world, have given di-
rection concerning their burial after
death. they have almost uniformly re-
quested that their funerals should be
simple and inexpensive, and as p"l-
vate as possible. Instances of the
Kind are constantly being published
ring among the learned. the dIstin-
guished, the refined, and even among
the wealthy and aristocratlc- In view
of such examples, that have such
sound reason and SO much common
sense to back them, it is surprising
that our funeral ceremonies continue
to be so long conducted on the pre-
vailing plan. There is nothing what
ever to recommend the present GUS
tom, except the idea that the living
are thus paying a grateful and accept
able tribute to the dead. This idea,
however, is in many cases an errone-
Gus one, and always hurtful one. 1t
the deceased person could have any
voice In the matter, 1t would be
found In large proportion OF cases,
that the costly and unmeaning parade,
often at the expense Of the necessa
ries Of life to the survivors, would
be anything else than desirable and
grateful. A reform Of the whole sub
ject is one of the most desirab
things in our social economy, especi-
ally SIS it happens just now that those
least able to bear the expenslveness
of the existing custom, seem impelled,
by some means, to carry it to the
greatest extremes.
A few years ago We happened to be
present at the funeral where the de-
ceased person was member Of "A
widely known and highly esteemed
family, and the circumstances attend
ing the death being of very serious
character, there was large attend
ance of sympathizing friends. The
funeral ceremonies, however, were
quite simple and very impressive. be-
cause Of their simplicity. Every thing
was done before leaving the house.
The pastor of the deceased made
brief but touching and most appropri-
ate address. There was prayer, then
the leave taking. and then the assem-
blage retired. None Of the ladies or
the children of the family went to the
cemetery. Three carriages, contain
ing the male relatives and few
household and near friends. all males,
made up the entire funeral cortege
They witnessed the placing Of the
coffin, containing the remains of the
beloved one. in the vault, and the flu
neral was over. Yet this was case
which, on account of all the attend
ing circumstances, the deep and strong
affection existing between the de-
ceased and those left behind to mourn,
the large circle Of sympathizing
friends, the social position Of the
family, gave strong temptation for an
ostentatious funeral 1t was resisted, |
however. The family were we'll aware
that their profound grief did not need |
the Endorsement of such a display, |
and they well knew that this quiet |
and simple mode Of interment would |
have been in entire accordance with |
the refined tastes of the deceased if |
she could have been consulted.
Among the advantages Of this sim |
pie form of funeral service we may |
mention 4 few. First. II avoids the
distressful and sometimes agoniziDg
scenes peculiar to our modern funer- |
ais, where heart broken mother. a |
bereaved widow, or an almost dis |
tracted orphan stands by .to see the |
idolized child, the fond and almost
adored husband, or the beloved parent |
lowered into the yawning grave. t
These things are fearful for the stout |
est manly hearts to bear, but they al /
most murder women and children. /
Such affecting and dangerous occur |
rences are avoided where the ceremo- t
MES are brought 10 close at the resi- |
dence, and only few male friends to !
go to the grave yard. Next, it avoids |
the injurious consequences of keeping /
a large concourse of people standing |
on the damp ground while long dis I
course is being delivered, and elabo- I
rate ceremonies are going on at the .
grave, and all the other risks of being I
exposed to the weather with uncover |
ed heads, in Winter or Summer, IN /
Sunshine or IN storm. Ii avoids, too, |
the unbettting scenes SO frequently /
observed when promiscuous assem-
biage of persons, having widely diff |
ferent notions of the proprieties of |
such an occasion, gather into the car
rlages, conversiDg all the way in a |
Jocular manner, on every subject but |
the ail-lmportant one of death and |
Judgment And fnally-although we
have by no means exhausted the list
it avoids one of the most expensive |
features of our funeral system. the
employment of immense numbers of |
carriages. This last is a matter that |
should have more weight than it is !
likely to receive at present, but IT
should be weighed, for very often
families load themselves, without |
thought, with burden of unnecessary |
funeral expenses under which they |