Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-13
ALPINE FUNERALS.
CEREMONIAL VISIT TO THE BED
OF THE DYING

CEREMONIAL VISIT TO THE BED
OF THE DYING
Funeral Meats and Drinn-Respeets Paid
to the Dead In Carinthia-Nattvs 6oci-
ETY. Of the AIpa-scenes and Features
After the Burial
In the remote country districts Il may also
be said that the funeral begins before the
death As soon as any man Or woman IL
supposed to be in the last agony not only al
neighbors and friends, but perfect strangeF1,
are informed Of the fact and expected to pay
ceremonial visit The guests simply enter
the sick room, take long look Is the dying
man and 60 their wsyA No prayer II sd,
hardly q word is spoken; yet even tho chance
wayfarer who declines to enter the house Of
death on such occasions il considered
strangely heartiesS
but only for short time Az soon q tho
body has been prepared for burial q long Ia
Bile IS spread in the room where Il lies and
covered with wine, spirits and cold viands Of
every description, and here open house il
held day and night till the funeral starts for
the churchyard Whoever comes, known
or unknown, rich or poor, is not only al
lowed, but urged, 70 eat and drink as much
as ne can. Beside the coffin at least two
huge wax candles, which have been fetched
from the church, burn dimly. and near them
two old women sit or kneel They are paid
for their services, and supposed to pass their
time in prayer. From time to time they are
relieved by others, and they then usually
make somewhat heightened pause at the Ia
bic before going home. After the return Of
the funeral the chief mourner invites every
one who has attended it to hot meal, which
Is as sumptuous as hs can afford, and which
usually ends in hard drinking.
FUNERAL N cARINrH1A
Customs Of this kind are not prevalent In
Carinthia or Upper Carniola; funerals arc
there conducted with perfect quiet and de-
cency. Yet In some observances ono may
find either the germ or the relic Of much that
shocks US in other districtA On the whole,
the arrangements seem to be adjusted to tha
present religious beliefs and requirements Of
the community. and 1t d easy to zee how
they might degenerate into such excesses a.
have been mentioned A simple account
of funeral in Carinthia will show this
better than any amount Of abstract argu-
ment
As soon as the body has been placed ir the
coffin and the room put in order, the latter il
thrown open to the visitors In Roman
Catholic country it is natural that rich and
poor should alike wish TO say few prayers
for the soul of one who has been their friend
their companion OF their benefactor. Among
the educated classes certain hours are ap-
pointed for the purpose; among the poorer it
is usual to keep the house open day and
night During the greater part Of the time
the mourners pray silently, but at certain
hours one Of them repeats aloud the prayers,
in which the others join On leaving the
room each Of the visitors Is offered piece Of
bread and glass Of wine or spirits, and tho
POOR are apt to be offended If the offer Is re-
fused Among a hospitable population this
custom cannot be considered strange, but it
must be confessed that, though the refresh
nents ara usually consumed In perfect 81
lance, it Is open to abuse. Beggars viii come
six or seven times in the dag FOR the sake Of
the dram with which their dsvotions are re-
warded, and as it often happens that no
member Of the family Is present, and as no
one would like at such a season to be guilty
Of an ungracious act, It is very difficult to.
keep proper check ON such persona
TIE NATIVE SOCIETY.
The native society Of the Alps r some
what peculiar in its character The better
class Of the officials have, for the most part.
been educated in the same schools, and many
Of them have there formed lasting friend
ships with each other. In Later years they
rarely meet, except at the annual meetings
Of the societies Of which they may happen
TO be members; but the old affection stin re-
mains unimpaired- When the news OF the
death Of an old forester or priest spreads
from valley to valley il therefore awakens
many kind memories Of old times, and on
the day of the funeral old companions will
often come some thirty or forty miles, even
when railway cannot be used, to pay the
last tribute Of respect to the dead. In the
towns these visitors put up at different inns;
only those who are very intimate with the
family think Of entering the house Of mourn
ing.
At the appointed hour they gather outside
the door, accompany the funeral to the
churchyard, and on its return speak few
words Of sympathy TO the family. As
rule no refreshment is offered them Only
the bearers Of the coffin, who are usually IN
innate friends or colleagues Of the deceased,
are invited to cold repast, which does not
last long. In society at once so closely
united and 50 widely scattered it cannot but
happen that many old friends who have long
bsen separated should meet On such occasions,
and that, after the ceremony IS over, they
should gather in groups in the various INNS.
The very thought Of the companion they
have lost recalls memories Of less somb<r
character. Old boyish pranks are renem-
bered and old hunting adventures reeold,
tie wine flows freely, and, though the occa-
sion Of their meeting Is not forgotten, its
mournful character no longer casts gloom
over the whole Of the conversation. In fact,
when respected citizen Of any small town
has been buried, stranger who entered any
OF the chief houses of entertainment In the
afternoon would fancy that festival was
being celebrated-LondonS Saturday Review.
A Peculiarly Of Genius
/ believe in genius, and Shakespeare and
Lincoln certainly possessed it II il Just a.
~ IL.