Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1868-11-20
Flowers at Funerals.
BY HENRY WARD BEECHER.


A correspondent in the West, form
erly residing in Brooklyn, N y, and
there accustomed to see flowers en-
DlOyed freely at funerals, writes us 60
say that he had brought down upon
himself severe animadversion By fol-
| lowing this beautiful custom, on a re-
cent funeral occasion, and he asked us
20 express some opinion on the use OF
flowers at the burial Of our dead.
About fifteen years ago j was called
to officiate at the burial Of a sweet girl,
about sixteen years Of age. Her par
ents stood high 10 society, aud she was
their only child. When entered the
spacious parlors, and went to the cof
fin, the face was so fair that it seemed
to me that the world on the other side
was shining through it. But she
seemed lonely. In her narrow cham
Der she lay, in pure white, without a
single flower. 1 could not bear it, and
without saying word to any one /
left the room. There was, within a
block a garden and nursery, whose pro
prietor well knew. 1 fairly ran TO
his greenhouse, and without salUtati0n
cried out, Davidson, cut me every
thing choice, that is white, that 70 u
have gOt.
With my hands full Of white roses,
tube-roses, orange blossoms, sweet
alyssum, &C., returned and entered
the parlOr. The moment I passed the
door, every one seemed moved by the
same impulse. The father aud moth
er rose up in tears and came to the
coffin. Friends took them from me
and began dressing the coffin with
them, and the mother, with q deep
sigh, said, "Oh this is just what We
wanted. But We we're too full of sOr-
row to think Of them"
Will any one tell me why those flow
ers ought to have been there ? Can
any one refuse flowers TO dying bod
les of those who are disciples Of him of
whom IL is said, Now in the place
where he was crucifed there was o
Garden, AID in the garden q new sep
ulchre There laid they ,Je-
sWs.
For my own part, / shall never cease
to be thankful that John Che only of
all the Evangelists), mentioned that
comforting fact.
After the grim horror of the arrest
night, the fierce cruelties Of the trial,
and the burden and anguish of the
oruoifxion, it is ineXpressibly soothing
to follow the sacred form to the quiet
ude of a garden and lay him down in
cool rock chamber, around which flow
ers hung. There, in the morning
flowers dropping with the weight Of
dew, leaned their heads against ihe
stone, not knowing whose sepulchr9
they made beaufiiuI, nor that the pel-
fume which they exhaled was a uobigr
offering than all the incense Of the
sanctuTy There In a garden amous
green leaves, aud fragrant vines, aud
spicy blossoms, aud lelves murmut
ing in the gentle WIud, he rested au..
waited for the auspIclous day whtr,
lifting his head with renewed life, d.
should life up to new hope and sub
lime destiny every mau on earth
Ifthere were no other reason, q il
enough that friends are ComfOrtcG
What mother but is glad tn see her
innocent child, never so dear and beau
tiful as in death, lying amidst fragrant
hoWors2 Who that has true seH,i-
ment but feels that something is taken
away Of the earthiness Of death by the
presence Of flowers
Must we forever regret death tram
the heather standpoint Shall W.
forever give way to grief without
straint2 Shall we studiousiy cude
or to make sadness yet sadjer, aud
qriefyet more auguishhl2 Shall wo
mufle our selves in black and funeral
smelling crupe, aud sing dOlelnl hymns
and weep out mOurnful prayers, uE45
meanwhile refuse an sense of victory
all hope Of Immortality, all knowledge
that there is no death to a true soul
but only exaltation into better life
81 will not leave you eomiurtlcss
said the Saviour Yet, ten Thousand
Christians have so gloomily bort e
their bereavments that the young AND
men of the world look upon death as
the one awful catastropo of lilo. They
have dressed their hougo 10 Weods,aod
left the oOrso so bald aud bare, 10 thn
bodily dishonoF of death, that men
have no reason 10 believe that Chris;
walks with his disciples In the valley
and shadow Of death,or that he pluck
heavenly flowers and dresses Their
with the hearts Of his followers so
that their griefs, like his own suffer
ing body, shall rest in a Garden.