Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-04-09

they could have afforded him a decent
earthly residence. Will they give piece
Of marble to the dead Christ when they
might have given a soft pillow to the liv-
ing CHRISTI If they had put half the ex-
pense Of that mausoleum IN the making OF
Christ's life on earth comfortable the
story would not have been SO sad. He
wanted bread; they gave him a stone.
Christ, like every other benefactor Of the
world, was better appreciated after he was
dead. Westminster Abbey and monu-
mental Greenwood are to certain extent
the worlds attempts by mortuary honors
to atone for neglects to the living. Poets
Corner in Westminster Abbey is an at
tempt to pay for the sufferings of Grub
street. / go into that Poets Corner of
Westminster Abbey and there l find the
grave Of Handel, the musician from whose
music we hear today as it goes down re-
verberating through the ages. While
stand at the costly tomb Of Han
del l cannot forget the fact that
his fellow musicians tried to destroy him
with their discords. go little farther in
the Poets Corner of Westminster Abbey
and find the grave of John Dryden, the
great poet. Costly monument, great NOR
tuary honors, but cannot forget the fact
that at seventy years of age he wrote about
the expressions of misfortune, and that he
made a contract for a Thousand verses at
sixpence line. go little farther in the
Poets Corner and I find the grave of Sam
uel Butler, the author of "Hudibras"
Wonderful monument, costly mortuary
honors. Where did he die? In a garret.
| move farther on in the Poets Corner
and find the grave OF poet of whom
Waller wrote: can old schoolmaster by
the name of John Milton has written q
tedious volume on the fall of man. If it's
length be no virtue it has none" Igo a little
farther on in the Poets Corner and / find
the grave of Sheridan. Alasi for Sheridan.
Poor Sheridanl Magnificent mortuary
honors. What pity it was he could not
have discounted that monument for a
mouthful of something to eatl Oh, un1ilial
children, give your old parents less tomb
stones and more blankets, less funeral and
more bedrooml Five per cent of the money
now expended at Burns banquets would
have made the great Scotch poet comfort
able and kept him from being almost har-
ried to death by the drudgery of an excise
man, Horace Greeley y-outrageously abused
while he ived-going out to his tomb was
followed by the president of the United
States and the leading men of the army
and the navy. Some people could not say
bitter enough things about him while he
lived; all the world rose up to do him honor
when he died. Massachusetts, at the tomb of
Charles Sumner tried to atone for the ig-
nominious resolutions with which her
legislature denounced the Lying senator.
1t was too late. The costlyHlonument at
Springfield, Ills, cannot pay for Booths
bullet. Costly mortuary honors on the
banks of Lake Erie-honors that cost be-
tween $780, 900 and $500, ,O0O-cannot pay for
the assassination Of James A. Garfield.
Do justice to the living. All the justice
you do you will have to do this side the
gates of the metropolis. The dead cannot
wake up to count the number of carriages
in the procession or see the polish on the
Aberdeen granite or to read the words of
epitaphal commemoration. Costly mauso-
leum of the gentleman in the suburbs of
Jerusalem cannot atone for Bethlehem's
manger and Calvarean cross and Pilates
ruffian Judiciary.
| APPROPRIATE ORNAMENTS FOR ToMBs.
~Againl Standing in this place where the
Lord lay / am impressed with the fact
that floral and sculptural ornamentation
are appropriate for the places of the dead.
| We are all glad that in the short time of
the Saviour's inhumation he lay amid
flowers and sculpture. I cannot quite
understand what see in the newspapers
where, amid the announcements and OBJ
! sequies, the friends request "send no fiow-
ers." Why, there is no place so appro-
pirate for flowers as the casket of the de-
parted. If your means allow-I repeat il
your means allow-let there be flowers on
| the casket, flowers on the hearse, flowers
on the grave. Put them on the brow; it
means coronation. Put them in the hand;
it means victory. Christ was buried in
parterre. Christ was buried in garden.
Flowers are types of resurrection. Death
is sad enough anyhow. Let conservatory
and arboretum do all they can in the way
of alleviation. Your little girl loved flow
ers while she was alive. Put them in her
hands, now that she cannot go forJh and
pluck flowers for herself. On sunshiny
days twist garland for her still heart
! Brooklyn has no grander glory than her
Greenwood, nor Boston than her Mount
Auburn, nor Philadelphia than her Laurel
nor San Francisco than her Lone Noun
tain. What shall I say Of those country
graveyards where the vines have fallen
down and the slab is aslant and the mound
is caved in and the grass is the pasture
ground for the sexton's cattle. Are your
father and mother of so little account you
have no more respect than that for their
bones? Some day gather together and
straighten up the fence and lift the slab
and bank up the mound and tear out the
weeds and plant the shrubs. After a
while you yourself will want to lie down
to the last slumber. If you have no re-
gard for the bones Of your ancestors, your
children will have no Difference for your
bones. Do you say these relics are of no
Importance? You will see of how much
Importance they are when the archangel
takes out his trumpet. Turn all your
graveyards into gardens.
FOUR ONLY PRESENT AT THE BURIAL.
Standing in this place where the Lord
lay am also impressed with the dignity
of unpretending obsequies. Joseph that
day was mourner, sexton, iveryman-had
the entire charge of all the occasion. Four
people only at the burial of the King of
the Universe. Let this be consolatory to
those who, through small means or lack of
large acquaintance, have but little demon
stration of grief at the grave of their dead.
1t is not necessary. Long line of glittering
equipages, two rows of silver handles, cas-
ket of costly wood, pail bearers scarfed
and gloved are not necessary.
Christ looks out from heaven at burial
WHARF thprn are civ in attandanna and Y.o.