The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-04-20
a woman who Looked Into DR.
LIE Moyne's Cremation FUR

Lie
mace.
Miss Emma Abbott, the famous singer,
has lately returned Eastirom her singing
tour in the West. She happened to be in
Washington, Pa, when the body Of Mrs.
Pitman was cremated, and witnessed the
process. It was said at the time that
she went there to see the cremation, but
was not permitted to do 50. She ia indig'
naut about the story.
II know was fifteen minutes too late.
although il was only by m accident that
I was present at all, and the flesh was all
burned of when l got there" she said tc
a reporter for the Sun; "but I saw th,
bones Just as, clothed in white Samiie
mystic, wonderful, they were envelopet
in iiames that more than rivalled the rain
bow in their brilliant coloring, as on,
writer expressed 1t. | watched them I'll
thew had dwindled away into hardly .
handful Of dust, but still continuing 1
beautiful wilderness. have always hac
a horror OF the grave" the fair singer
went on with u shudder. "The idea o.
being shut up in the dark earth, anC
there stay till ones body became food for
worms and decay, even when ! was a cir.
gave me a dread OF death not often found
10 the young. 1t is the becoming loatlI.
some -something that those n loved
would shudder nj, could they see into The
sepuIchre as the worms they craWled in
the worms they crawled OUT They are
SO repulsive, too, the surroundings OF a
burial. Now, n cremation, you know, Ii
clean and nice. Your body burns away
for n little while, and then, in place Of q
great loathsome thing that would spread
disease and pestilence about, and make
one mad with terror were il exposed 10
view, you have little parcel Of clean
white bones, that you a stow away IN Al
uru, and keep in your parlor or bedroom
il You have \ mind"
aWhen did this love for cremation
frat spring up in your hearty" asked the
writer, as Miss Abbot paused in an ex.
cess Of enthusiasm.
"Hayipg always had this-unreasona.
BILE, II you will-horror Of the grave, /
long ago tried 10 invent n substitute,
When 1 was in Paris, two years since,
cremation was the topic Of discussion, bu!
I thought Il was II long and tedious pro
cess. My experience in Washington has
taught me just the contrary. A short
hour or,two, and this receptacle Of decay
il changed into an inoffensiye object, II
notinto "a thing Of beauty and 3 joy for.
ever And so cheap. Why, DR.. Lemoyne
told me SIS would cover all the cost, and
/ gave him an order to burn me as soon
as was dead. That he can't do, how.
ever, for my friends won't hear Of such q
thing, and scold me we'll for my fancies
on the subject. Pm 10 the right, never
theless. What's SIS, compared to the
price OF a burial in a costly coffin in a
fashionable cemetery? And, then, how
unsiRhtly tina, costly coffin becomes when
You have lain in It awhile. Both clean
illness and economy, you see, are IN favor
Of cremation, and il l have my way Ishall
give my body 10 be burned alter DEATH
aYou evidently have no religious
Rcruples on the subject"
"Why should IL The idea, | know, 10
considered ~paganish, bot It surely can
make little difference what becomes Of
ones body after death. Whether is re-.
ceptacle Is burned or buried, the soul
surely IAN live on equally we'll 10 that
puref region, where no ,corruptible body
will be required. Old fashioned people,
with one foot in the gsave-should say
one foot In the retort, or would not that
be q retort conference.-the up their
hands 10 holy horror when I talk 10 this
way, and point TO the clause 10 the creed
about the resurrection Of the body; but II
burning Ia TO prevent ones resurrection
/ would like 10 know what has become Of
the souls Of Cranmer, Servetus, sayona.
rolA, Joan Of Arc, ST. Lawrence, and all
the other good persons who have persisted
in the flames for their creed or country p
The conversation turned 10 lighter
topics, and Miss Abbott said: 81 have no
patience with those people who pretend
to think that, II u singer, Ayoung woman
married, Ia q woman that's narcotic
misquole PAROLES sentiment in ANS
Well that Ends Well.' l believe that
Lord Bacon says "a man that hath 4 vile
and children hath given hostages TO for.
tune, which will prevent great under.
takings, whether Tor good or evil l
don't pretend TO be exact, but that applies
TO . man, aud not 10 q woman and asinR.
er. A singer who has never loved or
suffered can never be great. II her mar.
riAge Ia q happy one, she has revealed 10
her chords In the human heart that she
would other wise never know we're In ex.
~istence; and II she Ia unfortunate In her
love, she all the more becomes aequaint.
cd with the gamut Of passion. IT.
Lecky, l believe, who says that 81. Au.
gustino, through his love affairs when a
young man in Carthage, learned that
knowledge which inspired his City Of
God and other writings. SO with sing.
ers, even II they do not teach 60 lofty d
Lesson a. the saint"
Mas Abbott laughed "a she babe the
reporter good.by, and said: II suppose
hereafter l shall be spoken OF II the
singer who won't sing 10 'TrAyiato,' be,
lieyes marriage 70 Be an educator, and
wishes 10 be cremAted.n