Connecticut western news., 1874-12-04
Salisbury NIOnuml eMtse

wife or the Iale JOQQ U. COluOgs Auu tu6 other to the memory of Churchill Coffing, John c Cofflng's third son. For more than twenty five years the Grecian Sar- cophagus monument of Quincy granite to the memory of John c. Cof1ng has been an object of surprise and admiration to all who have enjoyed the opportunity of see ing it. Surprise, because so fine specl- men of monumental art should be found in a country town so retired, and admiration for the intrinsic beauty of the work. It is tue noblest specimen of this style of monu- mental art ever executed by the most dis tinguished monumental sculptor in this country, the late Robert B. Lannik, of New York. He often remarked with pride that his only reproduction of this pure and imposing style was erected in the pleasant town of Salisbury. The two new monuments are widely different in character and material, yet they make most interesting variety and harmony of form and color The monument to Mrs. 1 Coffing Is an Etruscan funereal urn in bronze, resting upon pedestal of the same style of art. This urn is more than three feet in height and is ornamented on it's neck and handles with the portrait-heads of eight of Mrs. Ceilings living great-grand children, and also with tasteful compost tion of morning glories and lily leaves. On it's face are the words, -FOUR MOTHER in raised letters, and on the opposite side are engraved the names of the children and their orship to the family. On the various sides of the pedestal are en- graved appropriate inscriptions of Mrs. Cof1ng's four children. The monument to Churchill Coffing is an ornsmented re- clining Latin Cross, and is in form, color and relative position to his fathers monu- ment, a delicate and feeling memorial to 8 highly cultivated and elegant gentleman It is made of the same material as the ped estal of the urn. dark grey. almost black,
 granite, found on an island in Lake Cham
 plain. It's color, lasting qualities and ya-
 rlety of effect in working, make it the
 most acceptable and dignified material
 for the cemetery of any we have eyer yet
 seen in this country.
 The combination of style, color, and ar-
 rangement of these three monuments
 make cemetery of themselves. and awak.
 en us to new and more extended ideas of
 what place of the dead should, ard may,
 by the exercise of proper thought, be
 made. We have hitherto believed that 8
 simple head stone was sufficient to mark lxI,, 1,oh N1n off fho1 n,ol
 gest those sentiments which belong to the
 memory of departed friends, or that the
 formless shaft of cold and silent granite,
 taught enough of the dismal lesson too
 often brought to our attention by stern
 and severe misconception of our Puritan
 faith. There appears to be, however, a
 humanity in cemetery, religion of the
 dead and warm and affectiOuate senti-
 ment should be expressed in the forms
 erected to their remembrance. The tomb
 is one of the great institutions of human
 ity; it is an alter, before which the most
 solemn professions are made, the most pro.
 found sentiments are born, and from
 which rise the purest hopes of the heart.
 The cemetery is part of the world. It is
 8 temple of tears and remembrances,
 where sleep in blessed dust, the venerable
 bodies of those who have built the cities
 of the earth, who have peopled the same,
 who have enlarged the limits of know
 ledge, who have served their country, who
 have worked and suffered before ns and
 for us. How sacred the inheritance! The
 whole world is alliance here. All men are
 in accord in the sentiments of the grave.
 School of consolation and foresight, it
 eleyates the mind without ceasing, abo we
 the tumults of this life; speaking Tn SOL
 emn accents th1se austere lessons of which
 we have 80 uch reed, and which we are
 so liable to tcrget; exalting the imag'na.
 tion and revea.il g to the soul the myster-
 ious purposes of human life.
 We welcome these monuments in the
 spirit that they will forever remind us that
 there is permanent, and sn enaobling
 source of pleasure in a cemetery; and that
 they may be objects of admiration, and educators of tender feeling, of more
 thoughtful intelligence, regarding that sac red place where cluster all the deeper and } finer feelings of the human heart. It has
 been said with great truth, that the civili zation of a people might be known from
 the character of it's cemeteries. We as {
 people, hasten to pay the debt of remem- } brance due to the dead. But do we mol , deceive ourselves in not taking time anC ] opportunity for improvement and reflec- l tion, that whatever we may do shall bs con mendable forever.
 The discovery of new material. whicl 3 have in themselves qualities that will mee B the demands of larger, wider, and highe feeling in all that relates to the adornmen 3 of our cemeteries is 8 matter of great in ] terest and importance. Hitherto we were r. confined to very narrow limits in the mat j. ter of material. and the style of our monu y ments are still more confined. The olt V favor paid to custom is almost the only d motive in the erection of our tombstone s and monuments, as they too truly indicate e They by no means equal the respect ant I love due to the dead. We believe that ou I town is better and richer in all respects ol It account of the possession of these monu y ments, and we sincerely hope that the d may invite others to make like, and bette n contributions, if DO ,sible, to the rarest an y most lasting wealth which people can pos !, Sess.
 y It is believed that the urn is the first on e of like character erected in the country e and it is pleasant to think of tt gratifica , ,'. ton and interest it will have for all, as we '' "s for the members of the Cofflng famil l. in future years. We cannot imagine 8, more interesting memorial to the most e1 .r celent of women, than this urn, made Twin and uffnnfiOnnfsa knNrf fLo