, 1873-02-02

| upon the person Of moderate means, whose
| purse may possibly have already been depleted
| BY tho expense consequent upon heightened i'll
there arises another question bearing upon the
| well-being OF those who are left as Wsn as the
sympathizing friends who havo come to the
house Of mourning. With tho whole system
ergy subjected BY the cruel weight Of grief,
never is one in less favorable condition to re-
sist the inroads of disease and exposure. And
| what more royal road could be found
| life than the long, cbeorless N>''' . drive w
| under these conditions to the distant cemetery.
It exposes the delicate and infirm il all seasons
and certainly in inc1ement weather ia productive
| Of positive peril to them and very probable
| danger even to those in good health. This
| New York ladies never 60 to the grave. The
| male members of the family accompany the re-
mains, and such Of their friends as choose to do
so, but from this extra tax upon an already
| oyerburdened system the Trailer se1 arc exempt
! Therefore, If women accompany funeral
| procession, it is . generally conceded fact that
they 60 simply from curiosity or for the sake Of
| the ride. Add to this that undertakers IN al
| it wo may 60 designate them, who make it a
business to attend funerals, aud, whenever they
can secure place, avail themselves of this
| opportunity for
|
Many would prefer this rather than have su-
pcrnu1nerary carriages swell the procession, re-
markabe merely for their emptiness, but it is not
| over-p1easant to know that our desire to do
homage either to the dead or living only
| results in catering to such creatures as
these. That our friends. WHO nre willing
| to set asido the manifold duties of life in order
to join with Us in tue last rites feel it to be an
| unjust demand when VIC ask them to go with us
through snow or rain, no matter what tho
weather OF the Temperature, is manifested in
the fact that private carriages with the curtains
carefully drawn, are often driven, occupant1css,
in their respective places in the drcary process
sion. So it would socrn that even if We choose
to take the consequences ourselves Of this terri
ble drive, vo have no right to expect our friends
to join Us in it, and it would he T. very tenuous
grief that would caro- to associate strangers in
the sad ceremonial. That it is possible to avoid
injustice upon our part, and, ct the same time,
imposition upon that Of strangers, seems very
eesy il nc would only aboliEh this now-abused
custom
CHURCH REcEIytsa-roABs.
Let each church hare annexed to 1t tomb or
receiving-rault, wero tho last solemn ceremonial
could SEQ tho dead deposited thence to be
moved to its distant resting-place. by the proper
persons. This would ut once settle all
necessity of procession, and long
journey to the grave. Those whoso
daily avocations had been interrupted might re-
turn to thom. while the mourners would not be
Telnleu GOWN WILD auultiOuAl EA49 Nv <Ae fo4t
time when they most needed rest.
RECENT INSTANCE.
Those who brief time aince gathered in the
Cathedral to testify their respect for deceased
friend, an6 their sympathy With the bereayed
onee, cannot fail to remember with shnddar the
frightful iucle.aency OF the weather. The fear
full storm rendered 1oconaotion almost impossible,
aud what relief it would have been if there had
only been some place where the remains could
have been laid until that dreadful time had
passed, the tempest had abated, and then quiet
" and with the proper attendance have been cor
ried to their final home. Instead, through all
the fierce whir1 Of that storm, with the bitter
wind penetrating every crey1ce and chilling each
individual through, imperilling the Lives OF all
who formed portion OF it, that dreary process
sion WAS forced to tako its way to .ho distant
cemetery. It would seem that this case alone
would chow the necessity Of some such proSl-
siou but when we realize that this is offrcquent
occurrence, that each such day sees one or more
a,nilar proceGsiona, 1t becomes q matter
Of wonder that simple cing1ng to
old time 6uperstitions, tha: because our
fathers did so, therefore We must. We neg
lcet to mako my better or different provision
for the proper accommodation of our dead.
To those who object to
CHURCH FUNERALS,
and It is certain that many do, there is custom
growing into favor at the East OF having tho
funeral ceremonies performed in tho evening"
THIS also solves the problem Of how to 20 away
with the tedious drive to the distant onrlal,
ia "
solemnity from the hour at which 1t i3per-
formed The still and solemn night. whom tho
cares Of day are ended, and the hurry and hustle
Of lio's busy struggle arc husl,ed into tempo
rary quiet seems hitting time for us to gather
It the house Of mourning: Many who are most
dcsirous to obtain look at the face OF friend
or acquaintance are thus enabled - DO 50,
when, If the ceremony took place during busi-
ness hours, they would find it absolutely i'm
possible to get away without injustice to thcn-
selves or others. Especially is this true in re-
gard to tho masculine portion Of the community,
and many who are anxious to show their
interest and sympathy arc prevented from
go doing in the day time, but could do It With
ont wrong to themselves or others after tho
days labors wore ended. It is practical world
We hyoin, and its problems, be they What thoy
may, must be met mud solved in practical
manner 1t is the living whom it is necessary
to consider and not the dead II ID regard LOT
the living that produces TIE . fespect s4oNn TOT
wnn1d ce ha rcFv false sentient that Would in
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