Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-11-05
WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS.

AND
1t is the duty as we'll as the privilege Of the
public journalistic to advance the general good
by commencing what is commendable, and by
censuring what's censurable. In this age, more
than in any other of the worlds history, news
papers are the moulders of public sentiment.
A large multitude of the human family have
no other guide and desire no other guide than
their family newspaper This being the con-
dition of things, we desire to pen few SEN
tences about modern weddings and funerals.
In modern parlance, wedding is marriage
party and funeral is burial party. The
guests who attend the former are all expected
to laugh and make merry, and the attendants
on the latter, are all expected to make long
faces and be sad To this we have no partcu-
lar objection. Let all be glad and rejoice who
have just grounds for rejoicing; and let all be
sorry and sad who have cause to grieve, pro-
vided the joy of the former and the sorrow of
the latter are kept within proper bounds.
There is this difference between marriage
party and funeral party. To the former,
only invited guests are expected to attend.
Any one may attend the latter that feels dis
posed to do so. With this conventional ar
rangement we have no particular objection.
What we object to is the excesses which
are practiced both at funeral and wedding.
There will be burials and marriages in the
world as long as civilization exists. All the
human family, by an unaterable fiat, must
die, and civilization, as we'll as religion, de-
mands that the bodies Of the dead be in some
decent way removed out of the sight of the
living. There will, whilst the world lasts, be
marriages; for both good morals and the in
terest of civilization make it binding upon
most men and women to marry. Marrying,
however, is one thing, and a marriage party
is another So also, burying a dead man is
one thing and the pomp and display of flu
neral is another thing. Usually, marriage
is cause ofjoy; but still it is very solemn
thing to marry. Too frequently it is the be-
ginning of sorrows innumerable. 1t makes
an epoch in any mans life, and not as seldom
as might be expected, an epoch of sorrow
and shame. \ morbid state of society de-
mands that marriage be attended with an
expensive and lordly entertainment. All the
kin, and many Of the neighbors, must be In
vited to enjoy the feast. All this is if not
foolish, at least very useless. 1t entails upon
the families, to which the bridegroom and
bride belong, heavy expense, and really
profits no one anything. Not only is the en-
tertainment useless expense, but the dress of
the bridegroom and bride is often nothing but
a useless extravaganza. 1t often occurs that
young couple start in the world with moth
ing but fine and gaudy wardrobe. 1t would
be far better for young people, when they de-
termine to marry, simply to marry and save
the money usually invested in cakes and
candy, and invest it in the real necessities of
life. The same is true respecting funerals.
There is no sort Of use or propriety in survl-
wing relatives going to great expense in the
burial of their dead. Much Of the parade that
is made over the dead is as empty and as
transparcntly affected as air. 1t is right and
becoming that the dead be decently buried /;
but it is uncalled for and a useless extrava-
gance to put royal robe on body to be
laid away in the ground to rot. Living
bodies are clothed for the purpose of making
them both comfortable and decent, but the
only object in putting clothes on dead body
is to make it decent. Funeral expenses often
are really burdensome. The rich think, or
seem to think, that they show their affection
for their dead by placing their lifeless corpses
in costly caskets. This is all nonsense. Not
unfrequently is the glaring Inconsistency dem
onstrated by the bitter animosties which
spring up in few days about the estate OF
the deceased The poor try to ape this thing
in the rich, and bestow more upon the dead
than they are able to bestow upon the living.
Whilst living, man needs little here below
and when dead he needs far less than when
living.