, 1874-06-21
THE PARTISAN DEAD.


Will the much-talked-of practice Of cremation
become popular in paris,-the city which, more
than any other, perhaps, feels the necessity OF
making some new disposal of the remains OF the
dead, for the better protection Of the living
We are inclined to answcr this question in the
negative, after reading the long aud interesting
article OF Maxine du Camp on the ''Cemeterioa
of Paris" in a recent number ct the Reuue des
DeuI Mondes.
After giving the history OF the principal burial
grounds OF Paris, and rotating the horrors that
have resulted from the too-crowded condition OF
tho greater number Of them, he ai1udes to cre-
nation aa follows:
Tie sinples. means of remedying these inconreni-
cnres-tle dsrespsctfdl piu-up of dead bodies. the
Siuated air aud putrid mater-woud lie to turn back
to the customs Of the ancient Romans, and build
funeral pyrcs instead Of digging graves. long CAM
1atgu III favor Of cremation was undertaken. but 1t
faileI owing to public indifference and the opposition
Of many fuuctionares. Individual eforts have not
successful On the 31st Of May, 1857, per-
sou applied for authorization to e1hume his fathers
body, buried nine years tefore and to Eurn it. He
ras told that e1lstng Law prohibited the giving Of
such authorization. Still tls noon IL i'll the mir it
will eud by assuming practical form. Austria 1t II
aGd. does not reject it; and Switzerland praises IT,
The question 10 not to enf0rcs cremation, but to
leave it optional The Church Ia opposed to it, and
yet this opposition does rest eccles,astcal
decree there il no text i'll fnct prohibiting the III
Sacred Scriptures The Church obeys, rather, the
tradition OF its origin. The early Christians were
jews converted by tie Apostles and Greeks converted
by St. Paul. Now, the Greeks burned the dead only
after battles In times Of peetence: aud the Wiley
uf Jehosuaphat aEords proof that the Hebrews
buried their dead. The Church has respected and
cousecrated by usage the customs Of her first children
Customs to which they 1uuct Lave been tho more at
tacLel that they we're contradictory to those Of the
Eou,.us, who had cruelty Ietsecutel them. Then
ph
Jesus Chris: aud the holy temples Of the Spirit Ut
God" These facts e1plAin tie opposition Of the
cases explains tGt OF the Judiciary. Yet 1t would le
b mode Of disappearing vastly superior to that 1t
present followed 1t is better to go OF In smoke. and
beca1ae I little ashes, than 10 become that nsnlee6R
thing which even science cannot designate
Failing cremation, the writer suggests the car
rying out of Baron Haussmann' s plan for largo
cemetery many miles from Paris. But here,
again, an objection presents itsclf,-almost as
great agairst far-removed burial ground as
egainst cremation. It is to be found in tho
strong attachment manifested BY tho Parisiaas
Tor their dead, as shown in the following curious
statistics From the lat to the 7th Of December,
1878, there we're 1852 funerals, attended BY q 41s
people. During tue sumo period Of time, 4GGl7
persons visitcd the graves OF thelr loved
ones. The weather was inclement during
the first five days.; ;oo7 yet; ,.oe on 11 the
L
weather turned hne on the following Saturday.
and continued SO Sunday, wheu the number Of
visitors increased to "a ,320. The daily average
OF VISITORS in winter, is S,aG4; in summer IL 45
but, ON cer;ain solemn occasions, such ~ All
Saints Day and All Souls Day, (the 1gt and I'd
immense throDg that fills the cemeteries. In
the samo year, 1873, it rained during these two
days, and tho number Of people who entered tho
gates OF the Paris cemetaries was over 310, 0C0.
How to provide transportation by rail for snch
crowd is no indifferent question. though not ono
requiring immediate solution, since the number
Of the living who visit the cemeteries mustlb tlbear
certain porporsion with that Of tho dead wlo
alesp there. Says u. Du Cnmp:
This reupect for tbs dcr1 this sort OF worship Of
their memory is onu OF the distinctive chsracte1ist1cs
Of the people OF Paris. custom bequcathed by an
uquity, religious beuef, and tende1 recollection Of
sentiment which cannot fail to remark who vislta
cemeteries, where neglected graves are so uncon-
mon that tssy MY to counted *ss' zen & .s IL de.th .
thought Of material aunihilation. They wish
to please the dead they would the living. Tu1s
ts clearly shown In those bural-grounds where
there arc picturesque prospects, ns for instance in
that Of Tero Ia Cuaise Le1c certain points command
view of the belt o: bills tnet surround Paris There,
passed hat, thu occupant were to rise suddenly from
lis grave, hi= eyes would hs greeted BY Insignificant
land.c4pe THE s n9 a result ot snanes; tue achi-
tons In order to obt4in the deairei exposition The
flowers which the dear departed loved best planted
upou his grave though their fragrance could reach
him through the cod, hcaFy ground.
Families who have perpetual, or even temporary
erAnt Pay subscription to marble cutter, wno for
kept in order by 4 gardener. The poor peops-thoss
Of the free trecAcannot AFFORD th:a luxury aud they
wooden railing, where sleep the:r dead. They
Sundays, bringing cheap flowers, and carrying in their
hands small waseringpos filed At the neareat foan-
tain and they remain for hours 1t work, cultiTatug
strange things at tut loot Of the oocn cross plaster
hta:nettes tut haye no alleso1ieal meaning large
the Femtlauce Ct rock; shall say that have
s.nokino ps1e hid In bunch Of in7nortcllee!
But the graves OF childrcn tboFu all Ehouid e hoe1l.
There, devotion almost becomes fetchism. By ths
sde Of tie Scandinavian hero his friends buried his
horse and his arms IN order ,! that be might make G
tarcophsguE Of the youg Grc:an girl they threw her
favorite jeSele The spirit o: these old customs has
survived The changes brought about bs tune the tcacl
iDgs Of religion and Philosophy, Aud still lives in
mdet. Near tus epot Ehcrs the poor little ouor head
o te1 cs, bs gssa d.
pins, even dimtnu.ve sAoes, rnch as Victor
ass' 1s tbs as E sces 80 fonSy
III the rats hole" xhere ehc mou.ned daughters
ioss On To- the st g5aTe Of 9ass Of u mont =, in the
two women snd Little gisl PLAYING With r=r7ot, tbs
picture, probably had served 70 anrse the little SUI
llfe 1t is III easy Shrug onea shoulders AZ
.heee strange testimonials oi sr!ei theze Of
ferings destined to appease o. rejoice the Of the
departed tu: easier still It Is to understand the deep
feeling Of love th1t has, strangely enough. erGls
adorned al theso tomhs, and to ieel sympathetic
emotion 1t The sight.
Ne here very singular contradiction in the peo~
pie OF Paris. II there ever w&s skep!cai and lr1ey
people, It Ia certainly this The Pards1au hsa
nothing hut dtdsin for every glory, irony for every
superiority, 4 naughty aud somewhat justified con-
tempt for al that is not himself. He ia attached
neither to lie to the living. lie is unconccrned
Tor his future, which he not foccsee Hia los
ct Yesterday are his hates Of toay tic hands which
cast MCrxt dung-hl1 the thai had CIR
riod him to the Pantneon He Is changcable the
wind aud treachcrous the sea he il vo1ent st
times, ungratcfu. fa1taless bus lie ts tmmuabIo In
this mrcl he looks upoo cemeteries sacred places,
- rereres his desd, snd his veEeratiou resembles
1doladJ. G.
First seuior-"Tlen teas the WAT OF 1921"
Second Senior lafter 1neditationC."D Jo7e
I've forgotten that agnin! I'll put It dorm and
ask my tutor.-Harrard Aagenta.