The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-08-22
CEMETERIES.
Reflections and Musings
Among the TombstOnes.
GRAVEYARD
LITERATURE.
Some Curious Rpitaphs, Humorous,
witty, Appropriate and
Otherwise.


inscriptions on the stony books. nd the
epitaphs on the lowly jewellers of the
narrow houses in every cemetery thai
visit. judge of the spirit of the sur
vivors. the dispositions of the relatives,
and the ability OF the poets" from the
nature of the epigrammatics sentiments
that are recorded on the rocky leaves.
The brief histories of the loved "sleep-
ers" become of deeper interest when
they are supplemented with the poetic
description Of their character. spiritual
condition and hopes, as dormula,ed by
their weeping friends" 1t appears to
me that in these sacred spots alone, of
all the round earth, the sweet spirit OF
charity hovers as living and loving hu
mainly holds in memory, and would
perpetuate the worth of the dear de-
parted. Over these places seem to be
thrown the mantle of charity, which
certainly is commendable; for very few
epltaphs contain any allusion to the
weakness, folly or shortcomings Of those
who have finished their journey throu. h
this trying world. Would it not be
"a consummation devoutly to be wished:'.
would we so speak and think of the liv-
ing, while yet the dear ones may know
that there are loving hearts and kindly
souls whO hold them in reyerence2
Dead There is no word in our Ian
guage, or perhaps any other. that ex-
presses correctly and succinctly the true
Christian or enlightened views of the
word dead" The condition has,
rather aptly. been called "a sleep"
"Sleep" Is a word, as applied to the
dead. that must have been suggested in
the childhood of the world. The first
corpse seen lying in such repose must
have been thought TO be in sleep; for
even now did we not know death. as
seen daily around US, we could not con-
ceiYe of il as anything but sleep. Sleep,
as an appropriate representation OF
death. seems not to be confined to the
! Scriptures, or to the Hebrew people.
| Homer, q millennium before Christ,
calls sleep and death twin brothers.
The Greek word from which our word
cemetery" is derived, means ga sleep
ing place"
Few thugs are rarer than a good and
appropriate epitaDh. The history OF this
literature is very instructive as well as
curious, showing q stPady progress, not
only IN theology and pneumatology,
but in tastes and habits of thought. /
hardly know whether fattery or pun
ming IS more out OF place on tombstones,
hut both were practiced a century ago.
Now, a text of Scripture, terse and ex-
presSIve of immortal hope, or a brief
tribute of aft -ction that shuns parade
indicates an improved style of senti-
ment. Who that visits Mount Auburn
Cemetery has not been touched while
pausing at a stone without a name. ex-
cept as contained in quotation from
Woodwork:
She lived unknown. and few could know
When Mary ceased 20 be:
But she Is in her grave, and OH
The difference 10 me.
/ think my readers will not be unin-
in crested by my effort to give few
cur Gus exhibitions of the taste and
humor Of bygone days. as seen it this
species of tombstone literature. The
following is really happy reference 10
personal defects.
on Miss Hautain, born without
hands:
Nature neglected this ignoble part,
While on the face she lavished all her art:
Thus sculptors charm US with like deceit;
We gaze. admire, and think the bust com
plete.
A rough, rude wit is seen in the fol-
lowing on an English grave stone:
On childless widow who died OF a
running sore:
Beneath this stone lies Catherine Pegg,
She had no issue but one of her leg;
And as she grew old. she grew very cunning.
I Ear nr1pl % keTlf
running.
Such an inscription would now be I'M
pardonab e, and the author would be
censured II caricaturing such q misfor-
tune. go,
No person who has not examined and
satisfied himself on the matter would
imagine that = gravestone could be
made BY a msn's survivors the proper
spot for a pun on his name, vet epitaphs
OF this kind abound, so that the most
feasible theory is that, to barren imagin-
atoms, q name TO play pun upon Is. IN
such cases, quite a God-send. One OF
this sort, on Daniel Tears, winds up
with the distich:
Though strange. yeti true. full seventy years
His wife was happy in her Teas
John Grub found great comfort in
the following:
When from the chrysalis Of the tomb,
Irise in rainbow-colOred plume,
Ny weeping friends, We scarce VIII know
That was but s Grub below.
The eager desire TO take hint for 8
couplet, suggested by the patronymiS
OF man named Fish. is seen in the
following:
Worms bait for ash. but here's a sudder
changed
Fish bait for worms: is not that passing
strange
Il would appear that on studying thi.
species OF literature We see nothing i'm
probable in the supposition that some o.
the puns on names and epitsphs were
at least, manufactured by those WHOSE
monuments they decorate. See this
on Mr.. Stone: