The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-01-21
FRENCH FUNERALS.
The Ceremonies Attending the Last Sac
Rites in La Belle France.

The Ceremonies Attending the Last Sad
Rites in La Belle France.
The French way of discharging the
last duties to the dead are, on the
whole, better for the living than the
English. Those relatives of the de.
ceased person who have most cause for
grief are obliged to fight against it in
playing the leading part in the funeral
ceremonies. Before these come of
| there is the business of ordering mourn
ing, and, in the ease OF lady or ladies,
getting it tried on. This seems fear
fully harsh necessity. But it draws out,
by the eXertion it imposes, moral ener-
gy, and helps to chase oppressively
lugubrious ideas. The mourning shop
sends its most clever and well-mannered
young lady to take the orders and the
measurements, and then a dressmakeT
to do the fitting on, who has practiced
the art of not making herself nuisance,
of getting through her work rapidly
and deity, and of acting really as a
balm to harassed nerves. THE young
LADY, is ''aussi bien stylee," and acts
on the touch-and-so principle. dare
say that she has ascertained at the con-
cierge's the paying power of the per-
son or persons to whom she has been
sent to take orders; so as to be able to
raise her prices without forcing them
to demonstrate. She abates them read
lily when she finds she has gone too far,
and her suggestions as to stuffS and fash
| L. 81
hints. One feels that everything will
be well done and TO the moment, as
the clock strikes. The only occasions
on which the French are strictly
punctual is in supplying mourning and
conducting funerals. A dreadful
ordeal is the receiving the visit of the
official doctor sent by the mayoralty of
the reimbursement to register the death
in the house in which it has taken
place. On inspection of the paper that
he fills up, the order for burial is given.
This medical officer is generally a man
| who became what he is because he
could do nothing better. He has seen
so much of mortuary-houses as to be in
sensible as stock or stone. Being a
functionary, he is overbearing, and,
being mere nobody, he stands on his
| dignity. If he mislays paperh he fuses
and fumes until he finds it. He is irri-
tatingly naeticuLeur, from which it does
not follow that he is exact in his in
| scriptiOns. The number of questions
he asks is endless. He has to be shown
the last prescription of the doctor who
attended the defunct, and the name of
the chemist who made up the medicine.
| If it be a widow who has to answer, she
tells where she was born, her age, how
many children she has had, and whether
they are all alive. The birthplace of
the dead person is demanded, and the
medical officer asks, when it is in a
foreign land, how it is spelt, but does
not spell it properly and would
resent any attempt made to correct
| him. As he writes the name it might
as we'll be in Thibet as in England.
l shall not 60 into any of the details
| which precede the arrival of the COM
pany invited to the funeral. A widow
and her children (when she has any
are expected to receive those who come,
and to reply to compliments suitable to
the occasion. Though family affection
is perhaps stronger in France than in
any other country, French people go
through this ordeal without clamorous
grief. The signal for departure to the
church where the obsequies are to be
held is given by master of the cere-
monies, who is part of the general ar
rangements. [ can't think in what
school of manners he graduated.
There is wonderful style in the manner
in which he enters, with his mantle
slightly thrown back and his three
cornered hat in hand, and says:
"Quand celia fora plaisir la familler
/ never saw Lord Chamberlain with
more courtly air. He is an artificial
creature, but flexible and at his ease,
his art having become second nature.
Chesterfield, should imagine, had Just
such an air when he entered room.
The limbs are clad in tights and silk
stockings; and the feet shod in neat
pumps, with buckles. If there be any
hitch, the courtliness is lost in an ex-
preston of Impotence. When lads
are chief mournerS they are apt
to get away from the reception
to hide grief. If they are not back
at the nick of time the master of the
ceremonies breaks out, and hurries off
any other members of the family he can
find, as if to execution. He places the
ladies according to their degrees of re-
lationship in the mourning coaches,
determines the distances which should
separate the chief mourners who walk
nearest to the hearse from it and the
general company, and when there are
no coaches places the ladies in the rear,
where they keep together. In the
church he marshals the family to the
seats nearest to tie chancel, showing
the ladies to the left and the gentlemen
to the right of the catafalco. He also
shows them out, and tells them in what
order they are to stand near the door,
in order to receive the salutations of
those who are to follow them out. All
this mise-en-scene is salutary for those
who are grief-harrowed. The homely
Move on" of the policeman expresses
natures central law. There is no time
when it is better to pre'adre son courage
dams les de,tr mains, and fight against
sorrow, than when one suffers from q
cruel bereavement. Pangs in such 4
case are less sharp when borne brayely
than when the sufferer does not keep a
stiff hp.-Pdris Cor. London Truth.
%. b. Miller, in an article on the
management of orchards on warm
soils, says the orchardist who neglects
to care for his trees and feed the soil