Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-09-17
Robsrt DaIs Owen at the Grave Of
His Wife.

The New Harmony Qnd.) Register,
of last Monday, says: "Her funeral
was early on Sunday morning last,
the weather being most beautiful, and
the ceremonies were conducted at the
grave.
s'They were oDened by MI. Owen
himself. He sai0:
81 think it a cOmmendable custom
that, as to funeral ceremonies, the
wishes of the departed on that sub
iect should, al far es 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 il happened that my wife
and / had a conversation on funerals.
She said she would not wish to have
any bell tOlled at her funeral, especial
Iy il there was 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 suffering of any kind.
Music, she said, she thought, fitting;
music, serious and appropriate in
| deed, but also hopeful and encOur-
aging, with nothing of the despOnd-
ing and sepulchral about t; for
gloom seemed to her most inapprO-
pirate. And, what about a funeral
sermOn? 1 asked. 'No,' she replied,
not an ordinary funeral sermon; for
these usually contain unmeaning and
often unmerited praise. But l should
like she added, that some one, who
has the same ideas Of death that I
have, would express them at the
grave Ali this was said incidental
". and I think without the least idea
in her mind that l might soon have
to recall it, for she was in perfect
health at the time, and [, being more
than ten years her senior, ex-
pected to go before her, but it was
otherwise ordered. Then l sought to
fulfill her wishes. I requested that
the bell should not be tolled, there
being at the time a lady, a dear friend
of hers, seriously i'll at my house.
Then I selected, ss suitable for music
on such an occasion as this, a poem by
Mrs. Stowe. entitled THE Other
World and / had a few copies printed
for distribution here. They were
distributed accordingly, and Mr.. Owen
resumed.1 Some friends have kindly
volunteered to aid US. They will now
sing a portion Of that ode. Afterward
I shall endeavor TO say q few words
on the subject Of death. Then we will
sing the remaining portion OF Mrs.
Stoves beautiful verses. And after
ward, if my esteemed friends Rev. Mr..
Mitchell and the Rev. Mr.. Erwin, one
or both, desire to speak, l am quite
sure you will hear them with great
pleasure"
The singing was conducted by Mrs.
Bella Golden, Mrs. Chas. A. Parke,
Miss Louisa Dulos, and Mr.. John ID.
Jones, several other persons joining in.
Then Mr.. Owen said: No article OF
belief, moral or religious, seems to me
as important as the assurance OF inn
mortality. You remember the text:
If there be 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 compare
lively few feel any absolute certainty
about it. Even the most earnest and
devout Christian sometimes admits
how wavering faith often is" Mr..
Owen then related conversations
which he had had on the subject, at
one Time with a well-known Presby-
terrain clergyman of New York, at an
other time with an Episcopal bishop.
The former, a wealthy man, declared
to Mr., Owen, who had been say
ing to him that he (Mr. OVEN,
did not believe more firmly in the
existence of the visible wOrldth than he
did in that of the invisible-that he
1.-THE clergyman would give half what
he was worth in the world to be able
to say the same thing. The latter stated
to Mr., Owen that, assisting at the
death-bed of an aged Clergyman
perfect exemplar, throughout a long
life of usefulness in faith and conduct
the conversation turning on the
evidences of a future state, the dying
exclaimed, "Ah, bishOp-the
the proof! II we. only had it."
Then Mr.. Owen resumed: ~ do not
belieye--and here I speak also for her
whose departure from among US we
mourn to-day-I do not believe more
firmly In these trees that spread their
shade over US, in this hill On which
we stand, in those sepulchral mOnu-
ments which we see around US here,
THAI I do that human life, once
granted, perishes never more. A
death change there is, often terrible
to witress, leaving us behind des0late
and forsaken for a few years on earth, /
but no death. We never 80 down to