Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-29
FUNERALS In ENGLAND.
CEREMONIES DsNoTiNG SORROW AT
A LOVED ONES DEATH.

CEREMONIES DENoTING SORROW AT
A LOVED ONES DEATH.
Methods Followed for Agcs-Dinerence Be
tween the Customs OF Villagers and Lon
| doners-The American Funeral Car
r.iager Not Popular.
From gay to grave, let US turn from the
| London wedding to the London funeral It
the former is full of most quaint and
| curious customs, the latter is grewsome with
pomp and circumstance. Woe is shown in
somber trappings indeed. The queen has set
the example. Her Affections have been full
sore and many. Her grief has been reveled
in most ecstatically. To those who believe
| in the grand words, II am the resurrection
! and the life," there seems most superstitious
| fetch worship in the custom of making pill
! grimages TO the tomb where rest only the
ashes of the loved one.
| Of COURSE the wearing of black is entirely
q matter of taste and temperament 1t is
unknown among many religious sects. But
it is out Of the pale Of religion, and under
| guidance alone Of individual preference.
| Naturally there are those who are SO sad
dened by death that the bright sun and
bright colors are alike painful to their vision.
To such the chastened character Of black
garments alone accord with their feel
lngs. Who shall say, then, that this is not
perfectly natural-nay, even poetica But the
extra wide bands of black on letter paper
this seems needless thrusting of grief ON
other peoples sympathies
In the rural districts there are numerous
pretty customs relative to funerals. The
window Of the room in which the death oc-
rurred is always opened Immediately the
breath leaves the body to permit the spirit to
take fight. After this the inside blinds are
closely shut. Also the house door is left ajar
on the day of the funeral until after the re-
turn of the mourners. Because" they say,
ito Shut the door would be to shut out the
corpse. To leave it open is to show a willing
ness to welcome the return Of the disembodied
spirit" In the counties of Somerset and
Hampshire the usual shroud Of the simple
village folk is white cotton wadding sheet,
wrapped about the ordinary underclothing.
The coffin is borne on the shoulders Of family
friends to the cemetery, the other mourners
following afoot.
THE HIRED CHUTE" MoURNERs
In London all is reversed. Only men go to
the cemetery, and these the intimate family
friends. Women never go, and retro to
their chambers for the day TO weep silently.
There is a service at the cemetery chapel,
and sometimes second one at the grave
itself. Only when the deceased has been
great public man is there service at the
church he attended in life, or in some noted
church, as st. Paul's, Westminster abbey o.
the like, which is called "a mourning func-
ton" Again there are memorial services
every year for noted people.
Grape never figures on door handles or
bells. The blinds are down. the door knocker
n1uffied, and very often straw is laid down in
the street to deaden the sound Of traffic. 1t
is also an unwritten law for the immediate
reighbors to draw down their blinds. Thus
we know that the king of Terrors" holds
grim court within the house with muffied
knocker.
Those who observe olden rites employ
s'mutes" to stand one each side the street door
to weep. These ''mutes' are furnished with
long Grape streamers their hats, and they
''weep" for so much the hour.
Truth compels the fact that these tears are
often the result of copious rotations of gin
from pocket TASKS. They seem like pen and
ink sketches, every one droll exceedingly.
This, by the bye, is Nineteenth century
survival of a custom of the early Romans
Another Roman custom, that OF funeral
baked meats" is still adhered to. Poor in
deed the London family who have no funeral
banquet provided for the mourners.
1t is regarded as barbarous or American,
don't you know" to keep the body less than
@ week or ten days. The humid atmosphere
helps this "fad" sOInewhat Little ice is used
and often none at all. OF course, il the case
of contagious disease the law steps In, COM
pelling immediate burial No one can be
buried lacking burial certificate from the
parish physician. Thus the law aids the
physician in way. Lacking the medical
guaranty an inquest is imperative
HEARSE HORSES MUST BE BLACK
Floral displays are even more extravaganza
than in America. White flowers, colored
ones and Everlasting" ones, these are heaped
up in wholesale manner. The Everlasting"
ones come from Africa, and are sorts of dried
white pinks sometimes called wrath flow
ers." They are graceful If ghost like bios
sonls. They are symbols of hope, and are
regarded, strangely enough, as ominous of
good. Then there are Dresden china floral
wreaths, used on graves; also composition
ones.
The funeral hearse, called "a car" is open
at the sides, without glass. Or it is boxed in
quite dark. The american funeral carriage"
is the one with glass sides but they are not
popular. The hearse is Ornamental with
huge waving plunes Of coal black The
horses aye Jet black and have tails sweeping
to the ground. Their names ara long and
full. They walk solernnly and are specially
trained They have to be broken to their
work, as they have originally tendencies to
break over the traces from excess of animal
spirits.
This allusion will be understood obviously.
The drivers sit up high, with pail Of black
velvet thrown over their perch like seats.
The horses heads have decorations Of huge
black ostrich plumes. An English funeral
crawling solamnly along is an impressive, IL
somewhat grotesque, spectacle Most passers
by uncover the head, as On the continent. II
Is mute reverence to the dumb monarch"
All passers By are hushed and reverent
Funeral cards Of invitation are sent TO
friends. AoUrners also wear funeral ms
mortal rings. Funeral etiquette here is
labored ard strict Undertakers say they
seldom have bad funeral debts.-Annie " AXE
man in San Francisco Chronicle.