Des Arc weekly citizen., 1867-05-11

cheerful, kind hearted, manly farmer. X *****. Decorating the Grave with Flowers I There is kind of pathos and touch i ing tenderness of affection, which lan- guage cannot reach, and which is caleu- lated to perpetuatc a kind of soothing l sympathy between the living and the i dead.
 They speak of cords of love, too strong for even the grave to break asunder. The practice, no doubt, gave rise to the ancient custom which pre- vailed in the East of burying in gar tlens, and is one of which conduces to 1 the qualification of the best feelings of our nature. It prevailed generally, in and about the Holy City, and among l the Medes and Persians, Grecians and Romans. The Pcrsians adopted it from the Modes, and the Grecians from the Persians.
 In Rome, persons of distinction were buried in gardens or fields near the { public roads, Their monuments were decorated with chaplets and garlands O.! flowers.
 The tomb of Achilles was decorated with ariarahth; the grave of Sopocles with roses and ivy; that of Anacreen with ivy and flowrets. Baskets of vio- lets, lillies and roses, were placed upon the graves of husbands and wives; and white roses on those of unmarried fe- males. In Java, the inhabitants scatter flowers over the bodies of their friends. In China thc custom of planting flow CTS en the graves of their friends, is Of very ancient date and still prevails The natives of Surat strew fresh flow CTS on the graves of their saints every year.
 In Tripoli, the tombs arc decorated with garlands of roses, of Arabian jes- samine, and orange and myrtle flowers.
 In Scbwytz. village in Switzerland, there is. n beautiful little churehyard, in which almost every grave is covered with pinks. In the elegant churchyard in Wiriin, ill the valley of Salza, in Ger many. the graves are covered with lit tic oblong boxes, which are planted with perennial shrubs, or renewed with annual flowers and others are dressed so on fetc days. Suspended from the ornaments of recent graves, are little vases filled with flowers, in which the ornaments are preserved fresh. Chil- ! dren are often seen thus dressing the graves of their .mothcrs--and mothers wreathing garlands for the graves of their children.
 A late traveller, on going early in the morning into one of the churchyards in the village of Wirfn, saw six or seven persons decorating the graves of their friends, and of some who had been in- tered twenty years. This custom also prevails in Scotland, and North and South Wales. An epitaph there, says: .sThe village madens to her grave shall bring | uS ltNEFttit Edfluiiu, taVt cPtiHSs Selected sweets in emblem of the maid,
 Who underneath this hallowed turf is laid.
 In Wales, children have snow-drops, primroses, violets, hazel bloom, and sallow blossoms on their graves. Per- sons of mature years have tansy, box and rue. InsSouth Wales no flowers are permitted to be planted on graves except those that are sweet sccnted.- Pink. polyanthus, sweet-williams, gill lihowers, carnations, mignionette, hys- sop, camomile and rosemary. The red roses are appropriated to the graves of good and benevolent persons.
 In Easter week, most graves are new | ly dressed, and manured with fresh earth. In Whitsuntide holidays, they are again dressed, weeded, and ifneees- sary, replanted. No person ever dis turbs or breaks flowers thus plantcd.- It is considered sacrilege.
 In Cabul, burying grounds are held in great vcneration, and called "Cities of the Silent" The Jews called them Houses of the Dead" The Egyptians visited the graves of their friends twice a week, and strewcd sweet Bazil on them--and do to this day.
 While the custom of decorating graves and grave-yards, with flowers, and ornamental trees and shrubs, has prevailed so long and extensively with ancient and modern civilized nations, some of the American aborigines will not permit a weed or blade of grass, or any other vegetables to grow upon tho graves of their friends. With few ex-. captions, there has hitherto been in our country a strange remissness on this subject which would surprise the say age. Graves and churchyards arc left to the course of gradual delapidation and decay, which ever follow in the train of moral degradation.
 ----------< - >----------- ' gSy- "Philura, dear" said loving 2 I. n. I l.