Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1871-09-21
AFTHE GRAVE.
A Singular Scene Dale
& Owens Address at the Funeral
of his Wife.

OW5AS aOOIOSS DIT til6 uA0Id4 /
of his Wife.
From the New Harmony tInd) Register.J
Her funeral was early on Sunday morn
ing last the weather being most beauti-
full, and the ceremonies were conducted al
the grave.
They were opened by Mr.. Owen him.
self. He said:
Il think it is commendable custom
that as to funeral ceremonies, the wishes
of the departed on that subject should, as
far as possible, be carried out, when these
wishes are known.
During Mrs Owens illness, she said
nothing in regard to her funeral. But
some two or three months ago it CHANGED,
as men say-though there is no such
thing as chance-but it happened that my
wife and / had conversation on funer-
ais. She said she would not wish to have
any bell tolled at her funeral, especially
if there were any sickness near. She
thought sick persons sometimes suffered
by hearing it, and she did not wish her
death to be the occasion of gloom or suf-
fering of any. kind. Music, she said she
thought fitting; music, serious and APP
propriate indeed, but also hopeful and en-
couraging, with nothing of the despond-
ing and sepulchral about it; for gloom
seemed to her most inappropriate. And
what about funeral sermon?' l asked
No. she replied, not an ordinary funeral
sermon; for these usually contain I'M
meaning, and often unmerited praise
But should like she added, that some
one, who has the same idear of death
that have, would express them at the
grave"
Cali this was said incidentally, and l
think without the least ides in her mind
that might soon have to recall it; for
she was in perfect health at the time; and
|, being more than ten years ker senior,
expected to go before her, but it was 9TH
erwise ordered.
"Then | sought to fulfill her wishes /
requested that the bell should not be
tolled, there being at the time lady-a
dear friend of hers-seriously i'll at my
house. Them l selected as suitable for
music on such an occasion as this, poem
by Mrs. Stowe, entitled The Other
World, and had few copies printed
fer distribution here"
| [They were distributed accordingly, and
Mr.. Owen resumed
"Some friends have kindly volunteered
to aid us. They will now sing portion
of that ode. Afterward l shall endeavol
! to say few words on the subject of death
Then we will sing the remaining portion
of Mrs. Stoves beautiful verses And
afterward, ifmy esteemed friends, the Rev
Mr.. Mitchell and the Rev. Mr. Erwin
one or both-desire to speak, l am quite
sure you will hear them with great pleas
ure"
The singing was conducted by Mrs
Bella Golden, Mrs. Charles r. Parke
Miss Louisa Duclos, and Mr.. John d
Johnes, several other persons joining in
Then Mr. Owen said:
NO article of belief, moral orreligious
seems to me as important rs the assurance
Of immortality. You remember the text
If there is no resurrection of the dead
then is Christ not risen; and if Christ be
not risen, then your faith is vain
"Few deny this; but comparatively few
feel any absolute certainty about it.
Even the most earnest and devout Chris
tians sometimes admit how wavering faith
often is"
Mr.. Owen then related conversation!
which he had had on the subject, at ONT
!; time with well known Presbyterian cler
!, gyman of New York; at another tim,
with the Episcopal Bishop. The former
"a wealthy manufactured to Mr.. Over
who had been saying to him that hi
(Mr Owen) did not believe more firml,
in the existence of the visible world thar
/ he did in that of the invisible-that h
1.-THE clergymauD would give half what h
, was worth in the world to be able to sa,
the same thing. The latter stated to MI
, Owen that assisting at the death bed of al
f aged Clergyman perfect exemplar
r throughout long life of usefulness, il
RI faith and content-and the conversation
turning on the evidences of a future state
: the dying man exclaimed: "Ah, Bishop
+ the proof, the proof! five only had i'll!
i Then Mr.. Owen resumed:
J
II did not believe-and here I speak al
r so for her whose departure from anon,
, us we mourn to-day do not believ
: their shade over us, in this hill on whicl
! we stand, in those sepulchrai monument
: which we see around US here-than l d
|. that human life, once granted, perishe
r never more. A death change there i:
e often terrible to witness, leaving US be
5 hind, desolate, but no death. We neve
go down to the grave. We can not b
! confined within the tomb. It's a cast-o
}. garment-sacred, indeed, as are sacred al
d mementoes which memory connects wit
t those we have loved and lost-but yet
h is only cast-of garment, encofined, t
n which are paid the rites of sculpture.
"She believed, as believe, that the or
life succeeds the other without interval
: save brief transition slumber, it may b
:, of few hours only. Neither of us coul
;. believe in the old idea-almost discarde
in modern times-expressed in such lint
: as these:
".That man when lain in lonesome grave
S. Shall sleep in deaths dark gloom,
~ Till the eterI al morning wake
d The slumbers of the tomb
"Sucn is not Christ's doctrine. IT
&c rday'-he said to the repentant thiefon t
< cross-'to -day shalt thou be with me