The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-10-28

Great indeed are the expenses ent,;led
on the living by the dead. In no lan,I
can the loss OF kinsman be more seri-
0usly felt To begin with, there are
neavy funeral expenses. The body must
De dressed in fine new clothes. and
another good suit must be burnt. as also
MS boots and shoes, most of his ward
robe, his bed and bedding. and the
things most essential to 6is comfort
wnen living, for he is supposed to re-
quire all these in the unseen world. and
though paper representations are usefnI
later. the real articles are needed for tl,e
original outfit. Then handsome coffin
is essential, and the priests n,ust ho
largely paid for funeral services Mt the
house OF the deceased, and again for
me, tnelr services IN ascertarning the lucky
1ay Tor opriai-while professor for
Ln''g saus must also be paid, to choose
the exact spot where they may safely
prepare the grave so that the dead NAV
DE shielded from the evil Influences which
proceed from the north, and enco-n-
passed by all the good which .breatlles
from the south. From the tenth to The |
seventeenth day after death the priests.
whether Taoist or Buddhist, hold y.ryi- |
ces IN the house, to protect the living
from the inroads of hosts OF spirits who |
are supposed to crowd in, in the wake of
Their new friend, and as all the relatives
ana friends OF the family must be enter
famed as well a. the priests. this
Is another heavy item of expense. In
snort, many families are often pern,a-
nently impoverished by the drain
70 which they are subjected. and which.
IN the form OF masses for the dep arted
and offerings at his grave or before his
taoiet, are certain to recur again and
again. To omit them would be to incm
the anger OF the spiteful dead, who are
now in position to avenge themselves
on the living. by inflicting all manner OF
sickness and suffering. Besides. If the
priests know that there is any possibility
OF extracting money from a family by
playing on their feelings, they pretend ..
10 have had revelations from the shirt
world, showing the unfortunate dead to ,,
DE tortured in purgatory, and that the !
only means by which he can be extri-.I :
Gated is by Sfresh course of costly sery-
ices in the house. The price TO be pai,l :
Tor these is fixed ut the highest sum which I,
hey judge it possible to extract--sav n
dollars. and though the family !
nay demonstrate and endeavor to make =
better bargain. it generally ends in :
neir raising every possible coin, and =
wen selling their jewels to procure the :,
necessary sum. which shall free their
lead from suffering, and also secure his
protection and good will. The sums I
nus expended in connection with the y
Worship OF the dead are almost incredi- Q
ne. heard calculation once made by - >
ne well entitled to know what he smoke &c
I, to the effect that fully thirty million n
oliars are annually expended in China o.
the three great festivals in honor of %
ne dead; while, in addition to the above. %
calculating the average expenditure o.
each family at dollar and half a pe
ear. ne computed that fully hundred ca ca
nd fifty million dollars are annually e.
'ent IN quieting the spirits. Mss @. +. - -
. cnnn'iag. IN the Century. *
ia