Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-08-04

III tuC cAululllOu Oi COlluS dJ tue LUKE
of Sutherland's. There are few things
which in these days have escaped being
made the subject of a competitive dis
play, but it has never before occurred to
any one, as far as we are aware, to ask
people to spend summer afternoon
looking at coffins and considering how
they would like to be buried Yet none
Of the shows of the year have proved
more attractive than this one. On
Thursday afternoon the umbrella-tents
at Princes we're deserted, and the park
passed by, while the fashionable world
crowded the terrace at Stafford House,
engaged in an inspection of various
Illustrations of the new form of sepulture
invented or recommended by Mr.. Sey-
molr Haden, and in discussing its
sanitary, aesthetic and other advantages.
The bright and animated aspect of the
company and the cheerful and even
lively tone of the conversation which
prevailed would, perhaps, scarcely have
suggested to an unprepared observer the
nature Of the subject which had
brought the sprightly throng together;
but some allowance may be made for the
qualification of discovering a novel topic
of fashionable gossip. After all, the
bills Of mortality are not likely to be in
creased by a change in a method of
burial, and on the other hand, there is at
least something new to talk about. The
skeleton at the feast may be taken as an
appropriate symbol OF the new phase of
social excitement The ladies, when
they retire to the drawng-room, will ex.
change views as to the last sweet things
in shrouds or cofiins, while the gentle
men below will occupy themselves over
their wine with cheerful dissertations on
the relative merits of cremation and in
terment. 1t would appear that the pain
ful sensitiveness on the subject OF NOR
tality which at one period afflicted the
French court so that no reference to it
was tolerated, has passed away from
good society in England at the present
day. The question of the incest way of
being buried is discussed with perfect
frankness and equanimity and q consid-
erable part Of life promises to be spent
on the consideration of what is the most
picturesque and poetical fashion of de-
cay.
The specimens of cofins exhibited at
Stafford House are about dozen in
number, and notice is given that they
are merely suggestive and do not practi-
cally fulfill all the conditions essential
to their principal use. They are all
made of osiers, either white or stained,
and in shape are similar to an ordinary
cefin, except that they are rounded at
the ends They have, in fact much the
appearance of extra-sized bassinets for
very large babies. Some are of per.
fectly plain character, and are recon-
mended as inexpensive, while Others
are of more ornamental character,
with stripes of blue or black or gold.
But Of course they are all much less
costly than the boxes in present use,
though this is a consideration which to
most people will appear comparatively
immaterial in such case The question
is not one Of expense, but of decency
and sanitary wholesomeness. A double
basket is provided for cases in which
charcoal is required, the powdered dust
being placed In the interval-from two
to three inches-between the two bas.
kets. In most of the examples the
meshes of the wicker-work are too close
for the conditions Of speedy disintegra-
tion, and thus one of the practi-
cal difficulties Of the experiment is
how to make the coffins sufficiently
open for the purpose, while at the
same time strong and capable
of retaining proper hold Of their con
tents, The solution of the problem may
possibly be found in the use of tempo
rary outer covering while the body re-
mains in the house, which will be re-
moved when deposited in the earth. No
attempt was made on this occasion to
illustrate the manner of filling up the
baskets with ferns, lichens, MOSES, fra
grant shrubs, evergreeIs, and so on, as
proposed by Mr.. Haden, but there were
a couple OF coeins in which the wicker
was lined inside with a surface covering
of moss, and which certainly looked
snugger, as a lady observed than the
naked wicker-work, which rather sug-
gested cool summer wear. 1t is admitted
that in special cases Innings of some i'm
perishable material for few inches up
ward from the bottom will be necessary,
and in other cases notifications of the
ordinary form, in order to insure COM
plete inclosure of the body in WOOL char
coal or other disinfectants. In appear
arce the wicker coffins when filled up
with foliage must, we should think, be
less gloomy and repulsive than the
wooden ones; and to some minds there
may perhaps be sentimental feeling of
relief in the idea that screwing down is
dispensed with.
ION the whole it may be supposed that
anyone, judging by his feelings when
alive, might prefer, as a matter of taste,
to be lightly swathed in herbs and osiers
rather than screwed down roughly in a
hard, tight box but after all, the ques-
ton of the fttest mode of interment con-
Germs the survivors rather than the de-
parted one, and it is necessary to recog-
nize at the outset that, where there is
anything like natural feeling, it is hope
less to think of reconciling the misery
Of the event with any kind of aesthetic
enjoyment"