The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1871-03-14
SPANISH FUNERAL CUSTOMS.
1T JOHN HAY.


In all well.to-do families the house OF
death is deserted immediately after the
funeral. The stricken ones retire to some
other habitation, and there pass eight
days in strict and inViolablc seclusion.
On the ninth day the great masses for the
rspose of the soul Of the departed are said
in the parish church, and all the friends
of the family are expected to be present.
These masses are the most important and
expensive incident Of the funeral They
cost from two hundred TO one thousand
dollars, according to the strength and fer
Vor Of the prisons employed. They are
repeated several years on the anniversary
| of the decease, and afford most sure and
most dourishing revenue TO the church.
They are founded upon those feelings in
separable from every human heart, vanity
and affection. Our dead friends must be as
well prayed for as those Of Others, ,and who
knows but that they may be in deadly
need Of prayersl To shorten their fiery
pcnance by one hour, who would not fast
for week? On these anniversaries a
black bordercd advertisement appears in
the newspapers, headed by the sign Of the
cross and the Requiescat in Pace, an
nouncing tkat on this day twelve months,
Don Fulano dc Tai passed from earth
garnished with the holy sacrmnents. that
all the masses this day celebrated in such
aud such churches will be applied to the
benefit Of his spirits repose, and that all
Christian friends are hereby requested to
commend his soul this day unto God.
These united efforts at stated times are
regarded as very efiicaclous.
a luxury Of grief in those who can af.
ford It consists in shutting up a house
where death has taken place aud never
suffering it to be opened again. once
saw beautiful house and wide gardens
thus abandoned in one Of the most fash.
ionabe streets in Madrid | inquired
about il and found it was formerly the
residence Of the Duke Of ----. His wife
bad died there many years before, aud
since that day not door nor a window
has been opened. The garden gates were
red and rough with rust. Grass grew tail
and rank in the grayelled walks, A thick
lush underground had oyer-run the flower
beds and the lawns. The blinds were
rotting over the darkened windows.
Luxufiant vines clambefod over all the
messy doors. The stucco was pcaled
from the walls in great unwbolesome
blotches. Wild birds sang all day in the
safe solitude, There wss something inn
pressive In this spot Of mould aud silence,
lying there 20 green and implacable Ia
the very heart Of great aud noisy city.
The Duke lived III Paris, leading the rat
Ting life Of mau Of the world lie new
er would sell or let that Madrid house.
Perhaps III his heart also, that battered
thoroughfare worn By the pattering boots
of habilie aud Bois, and the quarter
Breda, there was a green spot sacred to
memory and silence, where TO football
should ever light, where 40 living voice
should ever be heard, shut out from The
worlds and il oAres and IT, pleasures,
whore through The gloom ofdead days he
could catch glimpse Of white hand, =
fash Of a dark eye, the rustic Of trailing
robe, aud feel sweeping over him the old
msgic Of loves young dream a0ftenIng
bis fancy 10 tender regret and hls eyes 10
, happy mist,
"ills TIA, shiek kepi tbs hsart of Lasa green
Before tie useful hoaAle of ths rtiB
~ Ahaafic H1aiAiy