Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-28
PARTISAN CUSTOMS.
OUR PARIS CORRESPONDENT TELLS HOW
THEY BURY THE DEAD THERE.
4 slrewd and Unscrupulous Masked
Balls = The Cold Weather
Partisan Gossip.


Partisan Gossip.
PARIS, February 2, 1880.
The climate of Paris is far from salubri.
Gus. and were it not for the constant arrival
of the provincials the gay capital would
soon find itself depopulated. Therefore
one is not long in Paris before observing the
numerous funerals which daily move along
the streets, and he is particularly impressed
on seeing all the men, from the most ele-
gantly dressed gentlemen to the common
street-cleaners, respectfully lift their hats
as the procession goes by, while the women
invariably cross themselves. The moment
a person dies the authorities are informed
of it, and the government officials come to
examine the corpse and order the day Of the
funeral. TIE family decide on the style OF
funeral they will choose-whether it shall
be irst-class, second class, third-class,
and so on-for each represents a GER
tain sum of money which, on being
placed in the hands of certain agents
authorized by the Government will procure
everything which is required for the occa-
sion. 1t depends on the class chosen
whether or not there will be high mass,
whether three candles or twenty candles
will be kept burning on the altar, whether
two or ten priest Will sing canticies around
the corpse and as to the amount OF silver
trimming used in the decoration. | at
tended
FUNERAL
The other day of an old gentleman friend
of Sc years OF age, and | could not help
feeling some astonishment at the ceremony
in which took part. One of the first and
most important occupations OF the family
after the death Of one of its members is the
issuing to their friends of the fare part,
which is a very large sheet of paper bor-
dered in black, wherein is printed the age
and profession OF the deceased and all titles
of which he may be possessed. The place
and time of the mass are given, after which
follows the names of the mourners,
from the nearest and dearest rela-
lions down to the grand nephews and
grand nieces of two years and even two
months old. When the family is numer-
Gus you can imagine the long list which
follows, and should relative, however
distant, be omitted, he may prove more
vindictive than the wicked larry who was
excluded from the invitation to attend on
the birth OF the Sleeping Beauty" The
corpse is never exposed unless it should be
that OF a known statesman or other I'M
portant dignitary in fact the body is given
over Immediately to the authorities, who
take possession of it as though they only
had a right to it. | therefore was unable
to see my old friend. On reaching the
porte cochere which is the large entrance
leading to the different apartments of the
locotdireS, I found it covered with heavy
black curtains with silver fringe. Further
back in the hall stood the coffin, covered
with similar cloth, on the top of which
certain ensigns We're placed indicating that
the deceased was retired artillery officer,
and beside these was deposited the medal
of the Legion of Honor. A cross
embroidered in white on the cloth
in the background, and burning candles
stationed around the coffin, gave the scene
the appearance of chapel. Etiquette re-
quired that all the inhabitants OF the same
house should be invited to the funeral of
one of its inmates, although they may
never have seen each other, and each per-
son going out and coming in by the porte
cochere is expected to kneel beside the
corpse and there offer prayer. Religious
never fail to enter AMI there Of
fer their devotions for the soul of the de-
parted, and the long line of kneellng
figures reminds one of the modest shrInes
on the roadside to be seen in all Catholic
countries of Europe. The moment of
THE CEREMONY
Is never retarded, for perhaps another poor
body is awaiting sepulture, and the priests
in attendance have other canticles to sing
before the day is over. On each side of the
hearse marched artillery soldiers, then be-
hind came the chief mourners that is gem
tlemen mourners), who on this occasion
were the nephew by marriage and grand
nephew by marriage to the deceased.
These two gentlemen marched with uncov-
cred heads after them came the rest of
the gentlemen friends, and behind all Of
these walked the lady mourners, one of
whom was the sister OF the deceased. Be-
side her were other lady members of the
family, followed by the lady friends.
Funeral carriages, although empty, brought
up the rear, and all followed IN the middle
OF the street, which invariably occurs,
whether in the dust, rain, mud or snow.
At the church the men passed on one side,
and the women on the other. After the
mass came the canticle, sung by several
priests, who surrounded the corpse. At
the conclusion the gentlemen mourners adj
vanced, and the first, taking from the
hands of priest silver dipper contain
ing holy water, threw portion on the cot
fin he, in his turn, gave 1t to the second
mourner, who passed 1T to a gentleman,
and so on until there remained no more
gentlemen, when the turn OF the women
came As they passed down the aisle, the
mourners ranged themselves near the
door, the men on one side and the
women on the other. The friends
then one by one shook hands with the
gentlemen and after that with each of the
lady mourners. After this ceremony the
door was opened and the procession formed
in the same manner as when leaving the
house and then proceeded to the cemetery.
What struck me particularly was the IN
ferior role given to women. They seemed
merely to be tolerated, although if at any
time throughout this pilgrimage of life full
equality should be accorded it is before
death, and 1 would not fail to detect in this
ceremony traces of
ANCIENT BARBARIsM.
1 remember having seen funeral IN
Switzerland, in little town on the Lake
of Bienne. at which no women at all as
sisted, and where the gentlemen mourners
ranged themselves along the street and
received hand-shaking from all the in
habitants of the village. In France when
family moves from an apartment wherein
a member has died, they are forced by law
to pay the expenses required for repapefing
the room and the renewing OF 1t generally.
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