The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-06-20
RaCorm OF Funerals.

| l.
'"V WeIcofne the day Of progress and com.
mon sense, and let the customary New
\ Rngland funeral be thing Of, the past
\ WHO has not shrunk. ldm lib stiffness and
parade, And!%hOse possibilities have not
been shocked by 81 publicity! why
need the griet' stricken family be exposed
10 the criticisms Of curious eyes, and
their demcanor and apparel be the COM
ment Of gossiping topGuest Here at the
appointed time 11A M assemble the
relatives, friends, Gna;whOe VernnSy desire
to pay tribute OF respect to the memory
of The dead, OF tOkeH1ast look at the IA
miliar features. Atthe close Of the sim
pie service they dhperso in quietness,
leaving the family 70 themselves; and
later in the day, or perhaps, NOT till the
day after, do they follow the remains 10
their resting place. Everything, isy con-
Quoted quietly, and with the pESpriety be-
fitting the sanCttty aOt the: occasion, q
striking contrast to the parade and hustle
attending The funerals with which ali are
familiar. 70. r., g
The morning paper announces the death
Of Mr.. ]. T. Ks gentleman wen
known in the business community, and
whose family are conspicuous IN the
fashionable circles oil the city. Always
observant to the letter oil all the proprt'
eties and customs In vogue, this will o.
course be funeral a Ia mode. Accord.
ingly cousins and dear friends are DIS
patched In different directions for mourn:
ing goods, and the dfessmakers and
seamstFesses are SUNNI ned to make suit
able costumes for oil the female relatives.
The milliner comes generally to cap the
climax, by fitting q black bonnet to every
womanIss head and gdEaping rom each
Yards of Grape Of such limp neiIa bic
thickness as nearly 70 sti6e7 the Wearer.
Then the house must be put in order, 30
Is TO bear close scrutiny evenat ttS most
remote corner. The florist is sent for,
and his ingenuity Is taxed 10 the utmost
Tor new and appropriate floral dedgns,
and with crosses, crowns, harps and DO
quetg in every vacant spot, and smilax
Iestooned around the room, the air Is 80
loaded with perfume as to be almost
overpoWering. .t-a'
A family consultation must now be held
to discuss questions Of propriety and the
right disposition of friends and relatives
In the funeral procession. A due regard
must be paid 10 the sensitivenes8 Of dis
tant relatives or branches Of the family,
who may never have manifested any
special regard to the living, but whose
right 10 q position near the dead Is I'm.
Questionable. What special qualification
this distinction can afford them, 1t is hard
TO understand; but serious dissatisfactlons
and offences have often been given In this
way to sighted relatives, and the subject
cannot, therefore, be disposed Of without
special consideration. These and all
other arrangements having been perfected,
the time before the funeral being all too
short for them, at the appointed hour the
services take place. Not only do the rel.
atives and friends assemble but many,
also, who are entirely strangers-some at.
tracted by a morbid desire to attend
funerals in general, and some by the de.
sire To inspect the house and furniture,
never accessible to their gaze before. At
the close OF the prayer or remarks by the
officiating clergyman, the most interest
ing part Of the occasion takes place, when
the different members OF the family ap-
pear In affecting tableaux over the coffin,
and give vent TO their emotions in the
presence of this miscellaneous audience.
Then comes the mRrshRliDg into carriages
and the calling OF names, when the pro.
4essional undertaken with his professional
face, dispatches the mourners into their
respective places.
Sometimes the family must fairly
crowd their way through spectators on
esch side, while small boys gather on the
sidewalk and eyes gaze at them from the
closed blinds of neighboring windows.
The necessary delay, the rolling.upot tho
carriages as each falls into line. sometimes
even the fastening down Of the coffin lid,
oil Jar upon the nerves Of the family, who
1t might be supposed have already been
sufficiently exhausted by these trying or
deals. Painting and Mysteries have often
resulted at this time from purely nervous
excitement. II large number OF car.
riages have been provided, people fill
them merely 10 prevent them from going
empty, or, as an old lady once said, 60
'lest for the sake Of the ride" After the
procession has moved away, people often
remain simply 10 take closer inspection
Of the rooms, and examine all for which
the occasion gives them an opportunity.
There are people In every community
who never miss the chance Of attending
q funeral. and who seem go endowed by
nature or habit with funeral. going ex.
preston, that If the customs oil some
countries, were in. vogue, they. would
iiEd themselves Fl constant dem and
as hired mourners. The more dis.
trcssing and narrowing the cirumStan-
ces, the more attractive the occasion.
At funeral, a short time since, where, In
accordance with the religious belief Of the
family, everything was conducted in .
calm and hopeful manner, the disappoint-
ment Of one OF the regular funeral g0ers
was expressed In unqualified terms: This
is the most unintereSting funeral l ever
attended" At recent public funeral,
where the crowd was 80 great that the
people were obliged 10 walk In one way
and go out another, an indignant female
remarked Of another, that shs had already
"hRd four looks at the corpse" 1t Is al.
most needless TO say that those who pos.
sess this morbid desire to attend funerals
are usually women-those, perhaps, who
have limited amount Of recreation, and
who seem 10 realize the truth Of the old
hYmn.book oouplet:
mot all the gay paReants OF earth
Can with dead body compare"
Certainly OF all occasions and ceremo.
nies, the rites over the dead should be free
from curiosity, ostentauon, or even publ.
city, and in the simple improved way Of
Mr. J. BIS burial services, all these I'M.
pleasant associations can be avoided. I'll
will be o blessed relief 70 the family 10
know that they can quietly lay thar dead
10 rest without being the victims Of grim
ceremonies, or objects Of public criticism,
and the unnecessary expense will bespared