Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-08-07
ABOUT BURIALS.
Extravagant Display at Funerals
Condemned.
The Beautiful Custom Which Prevails In
Country hborhoods-Funerals On
Gunday-FoOllsh Fears Regard
Ing Premature Interment
Cremation

Mr.. James Brown, the head of the
great banking house of Brown Broth
crs & Co., said to me when he was
more than eighty years of age:
liam thinking of writing an article
for your paper"
As | was not aware that he was in
the habit of writing for the press. hia
remark gave me equal surprise and
pleasure, and Ireplied:
81 hope you will carry out your
good intentions without delay" He
continued:
"a want to write against the great
extravaganza of funerals in the city.
1t is bad example set by the rich, and
burden upon the poor"
Mr.. Brown did not carry out his
good intention, but his funeral was an
example of simplicity in perfect har-
mony with the views and feelings he
had often expressed. Some of the
most wealthy citizens have given direc-
tons that their funerals should not be
marked by any needless expense. And
that they might not be charged with
molnness. they have directed that the
sum which should have been spent on
their funeral should be given to CHART
able objects. One rich man on the oc-
cason of a funeral in his family, avoid
ing all extravaganza, sent a hundred
dollars to each clergyman who was
present in the church. whether olliciat-
ing or not, and in this way he distrib-
utcd at least thousand dollars.
When one is in great sorrow, the
feelings rather than the judgment are
apt to control the action. 1t is CRATE
full to the heart in grief to expend care
and thought and treasure upon the
object that has been removed. And
sometimes it seems as though tho
mourners thought the depth and sim
ccrity of their sorrow would be esti-
mated by the amount of money they OK
pended upon the burial. This is a sad
mistake, for the heart that is truly sor-
r0wful on occount of the death of a
dear friend, does not eXpend itself in
such trifes as the ornaments OF fun
eral.
In the country the beautiful custom
of going to the grave with the friends
and assisting in the last rites prevails.
and ought never to be given up. 1t is
tribute of affection and respect, d
token of good neighborhood that tends
to make 1.-THE whole world kim" 1t is
touching and mournfully pleasing
sight when long procession, carriages
of all sorts, follows the remains Of one
well known, and respectfully gathers
about the grave as the dust returns to
its native dust Some of the earliest
recollections of my life are of long
funerals making their slow journey to
the rural churchyard. But in the city
funerals are so many and the distance
to cemeteries is so great that 1t is now
In most cases more convenient to have
the funeral services public and the
burial private. This is far more in
harmony with the feelings of the be-
rcaved. and it may be said that it is the
common practice now.
Funerals on Sunday are by no means
30 frequent as they formerly were. Ii
once was the practice OF some to hasten
q funeral by day or two, or delay il
as long for the sake of having il on
Sunday. This saves day for business.
But it entails an amount of labor that
should not be done on the Lords DAY.
1t imposes Il heavy burden on MINIS
tiers, some of whom very properly de-
cline to olliciatc at them on that day
unless it is work of necessity.
The tendency to have funerals as
soon after the death as is decent il on
the increase. There are good reasons
for delay rather than haste. Ii is not
human, it is unnatural to be in hurry
about putting our dead out of sight.
But do not think mistakes are made
and persons buried in state of trance
and supposed to be dead. Now and
then a notice is made in the newspapers
of persons being buried in this state
and a narrowing tale is told of the
dreadful discovery. We have been in
the habit of investigating each one Of
these reports, and IN cUeyy case they
have been found to be false. In some
cases they are fabricatons, without
the slightest foundation in fact. Some
times a young man out of mere wick
edness invents the tale and sends it to
a distant newspaper. To make a sem
sation it is indiscreetly published and
is copied into thousand papers within
q week. When its falsehood is exposed
not one in hundred of these papers
will publish the denial. And SO it