The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-06-08
HOW II WAS DON
The Cremation Exercises Yesterday,

The Cremation Exercises yesterday.
Yesterday afternoon wss warm and
clear, and the sun shone as brightly and
the birds sang as merriIy as though there
wss no such thing in this world Of ours
as sorrow, care, bereavement and funeral
gloom in the hearts Of the people.
As that melo-drsmsLic gentleman, Mr..
Nathaniel p. Willis, once remarked
latter sn undigested dinner, perhaps)
How strikingly the course OF nature tells,
BY its light heed OF human suffering,
That 1t was fashioned for happier
world
Although the outside world was so
cheerful, there were heavy hearts-Aearts
laden with woe that refused 10 be COM
torted-within the walls OF Wheeling's
famous seat of learning, the Female Sem
mary.
The cause of al this wss g BODY, which
Law upon d bier awaiting the hour for the
funeral exercises. The room in which II
lay was gloomy and silent. -Four candles
shed dim light from the corners Of the
bier and only made things appear more
fearful and mourniul. The voices Of
those who entered the room here hushed
or uttered few broken sentences in whIs-
pers. 1t had been decided by the friends
of the body, that cremation was pretera-
bic to interment and 1T half. past tour
o'clock yesterday afternoon the bier was
lifted with ils sad burthen, by revereDtisl
hands and carried TO the lofty plateau IN
front OF the building. The pail bearers
and the mourneTs were all young
ladies, members of the Junior class
as it happened, all Of whom had
been intimate friends of the
deceased. The scribe was about 10 step
forward to take last look at the cold,
still features Of the departed, when the
mourners began singing in their fresh,
musical young voices, solemn requiem.
All was husned- save here and there
where some tender-heGrted young girl
could no longer restrain her ieellng-, AID
wi her face hid IN her poCket-hsndEer-
chief (which was about the size Of q
postage stamp, gave way to her emo
tons. The porch and stairway were
crowded with school girls and their
friends, and so were the windows OF the
lower stories Of the college-sll showing
by their faces the deepest sympathy with
tie bereaved ones. No other outsiders
were allowed to be present, with the ex-
ception Of the representatives OF the
REGISTER and Standard.
When the requiem w2s about concluded
the pail was removed, and there, exposed
to the gaze of the crowd, wss the placid,
life-hke COunten8nce-of AL old geometry
book, lis covers had been removed
typical, no doubt, Of the separation of
the soul from the body. a fire was
lighted in the CrematOry and the book
was placed upon it. The Crematory it.
Sc was worthy Of the pen OF Shakes
pesre or the brush of Michael Angelo.
1t had been imported from China, no!
especially for this occasion, 1t Is true, but
still it had been imported from the
FIowery Xii giom. l. was square in
shape with openings on two sdes, and
was built Of come wood peculiar TO the
country from whence it came. It's style OF
architecture was unmisLakably Chinese |
and go were the ornamental designs |
upon its exterior. The funny men and !
women, all eyes, nose, mouth and feet,
the cute little lmps-vuigarlY called
"devilsr-the impossible trees and as
founding dogs and cats, all were emilia
zoned upon its walls. In fact it wss so
elaborate structure that only the initla- !
ted would have suspected that it was
simply tea chest.
While the funeral pyre was blazing |
brilliantly, Miss Zoe Mcclure read u
-. FIR
its departed friend, and said that It's ash
es would be put IN a niche in the Tempe !
of Fame, side by side with those eff Baron !
De Palm and Mrs. Plttman.
Miss Reed followed with a short and |
sparkling paper on similar topics, which |
were admirably written and read.
Miss V. Pendleton closed the addresses
with one which brought forth hearty APP
plsuse, ind then the class marched |
solemnly of singing some original |
verses TO that well known air, 1--WE |
won't 90 home until morning"
The whole affair - apart from the tu.
nerisl cloud of sadness-was very pleas |
ant and highly creditsble to those who |
originated and carried it out.
The member of the Junior class, whose |
ceremony this was, are Miss Zoe Nc
Glare, Miss Bishop, Miss V. Pendleton,
Miss Flora Hall, Miss Jean Logan, Miss
Mary Mayer, Miss MoIlie Murine. |
Miss Carrie Reed and Miss Bertha Viii !
liam.
P.S.-We think there must have been |
a want OF space in the Temple OF Fame |
for the ashes of the cremsled, tor unless |
we are mistaken We saw in the hazy dis |
lance, under the steps, Il dust pan, n
broom, a scrubbing apparatus and wait
ing colOred individual.