The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-09-24
Religious sMisrellaw.
The Burial OF the Dead.

Our Protestant churches have in some
way complicated themselves a great deal
in respect to all funeral ceremonies. OF
course young man is taught in the SEM
mary what he should or should not do {;
but, strangely enough, there is still much
irregularity, some ignorance, and strong
feeling in the ministry that funerals are
kind of unpleasant duty which cannot hon.
orally be shirked. No fee sweetens their
performance, as in the case of that brilliant
and brief exercise of the clerical authority
called wedding. And therefore an ar
ticle such as this present one has wide
range of uggestiveness, and possibly of
singular and necessarily personal expert
ences. For these l cannot, therefore, very
we'll apologize. Let them be taken as they
are meant.
La Rochefoucauld says, in his custom
airy cynical style, "Few people are well
acquainted with death. 1t is generally
submitted to through stupor and custom,
not resolution most men die merely be-
cause they cannot help it," And of course
the minister-from whose standpoint we
are about to view the scene-will find ev-
cry sort of sentiment represented in the
experience before him. Sometimes, also,
he will have been utterly ignorant of the
past life aud character of the dead--of the
family, even, and of its surroundings. Yet,
if he be wise, he will endeavor in such
mellow soil to SOW the seeds which the hot
sun of trial or affection may afterwards
ripen up to harvest.
OF incidents by way of example, re-
call two, in my own work as pastor, which
are very suggestive. One was in the
country, where happened to be over
Sunday, on another errand. A man had
died suddenly two days before, and 1 was
compelled to take the place of the regular
clergyman. But long before the hour, the
carriages began to pour in, and the house
and grounds were filled to Overlooking
during the services--the entire gathering
preaching to me and to the others the
loudest and most solemn lesson in regard
to the death of one who was evidently
30 influential in life. The other was more
notable yet. 1 was sent for, to 60 to the
top of the Alleghanies and conduct SIM
liar service. started in the morning.
found myself completely unacquainted
with the family. Every one of the relatives
who could come had arrived. Aud there
we sat, for several hours must elapse be-
fore the time fixed for the funeral. 1t
grew at last SO very tedious that, having
having surveyed the circumstances, Sc
lected person to talk with, and managed
to gradually secure good deal of infor-
nation. The people were plain, old
fashioned, and good. There was warm
family feeling. | was struck with the
almost morbid desire not to praise the
dead father of the house. By degrees 1
managed to melt into the circle, to which
seemed at first to have an awful clerical
unfitness, and 50 their grief grew to be my
own. Presently the picture took shape
and form before me. Here was the old
Scotch.Irishman, the last Presbyterian of
the region. Around him, in town made
and destroyed by the Old Portage Rail-
road" were his Roman Catholic neighbors.
A part of his family were Methodists,
from force of situation as we'll as choice.
But he himself, quietly but resolutely,
had remained as the last member of a
once prosperous church. looked at his
face in the coffin it was that of a man
who might have fought in the Old Guard
at Waterloo. The romance OF the situa.
ton affected me as apprehend it. And
when his Roman Catholic friends came
focking in to hear what had to say
when they drew near and looked at his
dead face with wet eyes, and paid the
most devout and respectful attention to
the "heretic who addressed them and
when at last took up that coffined body
and bore it to the gravel felt that such
a funeral was a moral Ian 1mark. Nor
was it long afterward that the mother fol
lowed the father, and again | saw those
same faces, and was welcomed by them
all as familiar friend, to whose warnings
and teachings they were ready to respond
with sympathy.
In such cases one must search around
to find out what is the true state of
affairs; and he can then, at least by in.
ference or suggestion, use the feelings
which exist. Even when it happens-as
now and then it has occurred to me-that
the dead person was anything but a
Christian, one may employ the great
lesson of morality with effect. l have
had no more solemn audience than one
which stood in regalia on sidewalk,
while 1, in the doorway, spoke half to
them and half to the friends within.
And this brings up the peculiar and
difficult situations into which clergy.
man is sometimes thrust. | have been
compelled to exert real authority, now
and then, either to protect life or avoid
confusion. Once l advised all but the
immediate friends to remain away from
the actual burial, as the day was terribly
Indictment. At another time spoke in
the second story of house, having
charged the ushers, for the safety of all
concerned, to allow no more persons to
enter. While was speaking felt the
floor Jared by the shoring.up" which
was being given to it with a big joist in the
store below. 1t was at the same funeral
that the coffin jammed in the stairway
and the bearers emerged with their hats
on, very red, a good deal excited, and not
remarkably reverent.
Ordinarily, the use of music at q
funeral is very delightful and helpful
thing. But to expect the people present
TO join in it to any extent is quite
absurd. Their feelings are too deep
and, besides, funeral music requires
cultivated voices, few in number and
well-chosen. Therefore, in many places
the music is hard to procure and one
wants nothing except unaccompanied sing
ing at such time. l am reminded
just here of the funeral of little child
where / was waited upon in advance by 9
map, with cast in his eye and not q