Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-03-28
DESTINATIONS Funerals.

A very decided change in public SEN
] timent and taste in reference to funer-
ais is observable. The omission of
costly flowers and the greater simplici-
| ty of coffins and caskets are signs of
this. The grievous burden of expense
| which an elaborate funeral entails up
on families often i'll able to bear it has
been taken up with great effect by GER
tain of the clergy, and notably by the
Paulist Catholics and others of the
Roman Catholic Church, where the
poor are often, in Difference to false
public opinion, obliged in the burial of
friends to incur a needless and incon-
venient diminution of their already
scanty means.
The last number of the Albany LGaO
Journal contained a very interesting
and valuable contribution, under the
title of Funeral Meditations." The
article was amuch pleasanter one than
that title would indicate. The writer,
Mr.. Rogers, refers to Mr.. Zimmer-
man, an eccentric Englishman, who, in
his will said: "No person is to attend
my corpse to the grave, nor is any fu-
neral bell to be rung; and my desire is
to be buried plainly, in decent man.
ner; and if this be not done / will come
again-that is, if 1 can." Also to the
old Dowager Countess of Sandwich,
who, in her holograph will, provided
that at her burial there were to be "no
undertakers, frauds or cheating, no
scarfs, hat-bands or nonsense"
If there should seem to be tinge of
bitterness in these testamenta ry direc-
tions the reader will be glad to turn to
the following will of Queen Adelaide,
where all is sweet and gracious. The
Rev. F. W. Robertson appends it to
his sermon on the Israelite' grave, with
these tender and appropriate words:
SubiOined are the directions given
by her late Majesty for her own funeral
The reader will be glad to have them
preserved in a form less inconvenient
than a newspaper. Should he be one
who feels it relief to miss, for once,
the worn-out conventionalisms of re-
igious expression and come in contact
with something fresh and living, he
will find more in these quiet lines than
in ten sermons; more to make a very
happy tear start; more of the sim
plicity and beauty of the life in God;
more to cool the feyerishness of his
heart and still its worldliness into
silence; more of that deep rest into
which the meek and humble enter;
more that will make him long to be
simple, and inartifcial, and real, as
Christ was, desiring only in life, and
death, and judgment to be found in
Him:
"'I die in all humility, knowing well
that we are all alike before the throne
of God, and request, therefore, that
my mortal remains be conveyed to the
grave without any pomp or state.
They are to be moved to st. Georges
Chapel, Windsor, where l request to
have as private and quiet funeral as
possible.
al particularly desire not to be
laid out in state, and the funeral to
take place by daylight; no procession,
the coffin to be carried by sailors 10 the
chapel.
80 All those of my friends and rela-
tions, to a limited number, who wish to
attend may do SO. My nephew, Prince
Edward of SAKE Weimar, Lords Howe
and Denbigh, the Hon. William Ashley,
Mr.. Wood, Sir Andrew Barnard and
Sir d. Davies, with my dressers, and
those OF my ladies who may wish to at.
tend.