Smyrna times., 1878-12-18
The Expense Of Dying in Paris.

l have, and indeed many others have pictured some
thing about the expense oliving in Paris Few Ofus say
anything about the expense of dying here | would
earnestly commend to all visitors here to p0stpOnd
their dying until they get further on in the world
man is ruined for lie if he dies here 1t is the
most expensive place in Europe to shuttle off this
mortal coil. Don't do it, Live and spite the doctor
and his adde-camp the perQdcdtcirS deS deces, the
funeral fuTnSherS, the cemetery vampires, and the
endless accessories that demand endless francs The
expense to bury one dead man in Paris i'll day
would comfortably support Il whole family of four
persons in America for six months alive ard kick
ing" The redtape, the black cloth the fuss and the
feathers in the most modest stVle will absorb nearly
500 From the hour that Death comes in the house
until he goes out again Mammon is actively dancing
attendance upon him. l am not surprised people
dread to die. | begin to feel that way myself the
longer ] live here. The details Of these expenses
however serious the subject may be in every aspect,
ample: When i'll the bill Of items You see tears 15
francs weeperS 10 francs and regrets . francs you
are inclined to laugh. When you sliding scale of
grief represented by social classes and pomp and
| show, empty carriages and much mOrnful sham. you
are forced to smile When you get those big sheets of
letter paper, tcTre de tdWe part with solemn black
borders and the polite sentence of invitation done in
splendid ourshcS of lively lithOrgraphc letters and
commencing: Gus eteS pric ddSSiSter CC1IUOi CT
ScrUiCc de- &c; and when you long list of names
of family relatives and friends, also beautifully
| fourshed, you amazed with this document being
so Historically verbose. humorous and jokshly in
clined for frequently some of the posSessOrs of these
ignorant Of the death Of the mourned ones could
fill couple of columns with details of Lus P0mpes
| Funebus" a wholesale and ready-made burying and
| has monopoly of doing &" the dead business" 1t
does roaring trade and divides handsome annual
profits to the shareholders. in of millions OF
francs. 1t excellent institution combining sys
tenn and prOmptness to q marvellous degree, and en-
plOying thousands of professional mOurners -
| fearful persOnages ready to order. The
building alone ut La Nllette is larger than any public
| edfce i'll Baltimore. and has every appliance, from
| nearly one thousand saddened black horses to mil
lions of immOrteeS, that may be required for every
grade of funeral. The men are trained by periodical
lessons in the various expressions of the depths
grief suitable for funerals of high and low degree
and though they are proverbial jOkers among them
selves smile cheerful expression of face while
duty would involve immediate dismissal. The master
of ceremonies, OrdORRdteIr. is dramatic person
age dressed like the Speaker of the British House
Commons, or superb tiunkey in black. with mas
sive steel chain and round cape, in addition 10 hi
black silk stockings patent leather shoes and brigh
steel buckles. cutaway coat and general court cos
tune. He moves about with more ease and grace
and more importance than the famous prince of pew
openers in New Yorktown: He figures largely il
the bil does everything-the grave being the mos
| expensive item of all. The only commendab
feature of these ceremonies is CELEBRITY and the
such got rid of the better-PdriS correspondent
| Bat. Sun.