The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-04-11

the Lord lay am imp .essed with the fact
that mortuary DONORS cannot atone for
wrongs to the living. IL they could have
afforded Christ such a costly sepulcher
they could have afforded him a decent
earthly residence Will they give a piece
of marble to the dead Christ when they
might have given a soft pillow to the liv-
ing Christ? 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 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 find the
grave of Handel, the musician from whose
music we hear today as it goes down re-
verberating through the ages While
l stand at the costly tomb of Han
del L cannot forget the fact that
his fellow musicians tried to destroy him
with their discords. 1 go a 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 1 cannot forget the fact
that at seventy years of age he wrote about
the expressions of misfortune, and that he
made contract for thousand verses at
slxpence line. 1 go little farther in the
Poets Corner and find the grave of Sam
uel Butler, the author of "Hudibras.
wonderful monument, costly mortuary
honors. Where did he die? In a garret.
L move farther ON in the Poets Corner
and l find the grave of poet of whom
Waller wrote: "An old schoolmaster by
the name of John Milton has written
tedious volume on the fall of man. If it's
length be no virtue it has none" I go a little
farther on in the Poets Corner and find
the grave of Sheridan. Alasi for Sheridan.
Poor SheridanI Magnificent mortuary
honors. What pity it was he could not
have discounted that monument for a
mouthful of something to eati Oh, unfilial
children, give your old parents less tomb
stones and more blanEets, less funeral and
more bedroom! 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 eGreeley-outrageously abused
while he lived-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 tom b of
Charles Sumner tried to atone for the ig-
nominious resolutions with which her
legislature denounced the living senator
1t was too late. The costly monument at
Springfield, HIS, cannot pay for Booths
bullet. Costly mortuary honors on the
banks of Lake Erie-honors that cost be
tween $200, 900 and $500 OOO-cannot paw 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
commemoration. Costly mauso-
feum of the gentleman in the suburbs of
Jerusalem cannot atone for Bethlehem's
manger and Cafvarean cross and Pilates
ruffian judiciary.
APPRoPRIAFE ORNAMENTS FOB roMBs,
Againi 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
howers and sculpture. cannot quite
what see in the newspapers
where, amid the announcements and OBJ
the friends request t'send no flow
ers." Why, there is no place so appro-
pirate for flowers as the casket of the de
parted. If your means allow-I repeat, if |
your means aHow-let there be flowers on
The casket, flowers on the hearse, flowers |
on the grave. Put them on the brow: if |
means coronation. Put them in the hand: |
It means victory. Christ was buried in a |
parterre. Christ was buried in a garden.
Flowers are types of resurrection Death |
s sad enough anyhow. Let conservatory |
and arboretum do all they can in the way |
of alleviation. Your little girl loved flow
rs while she was alive. Put them in her
hands, now that she cannot go torch and |
oluck flowers for herself On sunshiny |
lays twist a garland for her still heart.
Brooklyn has no grander glory than her |
nor Boston than her Mount I
Auburn, nor Philadelphia than her Laurel |
Hill, nor Cincinnati than her Spring Grove,
nor San Francisco than her Lone Moun
ain. What shall 1 say of those country |
yraveyards where the vines have fallen |
iown and the slab is aslant and the mound |
s caved in and the grass is the pasture
ground for the sexton's cattle Are your
ather and mother of so little account YOU |
lave no more respect than that for their I
ZONES? Some day gather together and |
'traighten up the fence and lift the slab I
IND bank up the mound and tear out the |
weeds and plant the shrubs. After a
While you yourself will want to lie down
% the last slumber. If you have no re
gard for the bones of your ancestors, your
'h1ldren will have no Difference for your
zones. Do you say these relics are of no
mportancea You will see of how much
Importance they are when the archangel
axes out his trumpet. Turn all your
sraveyards into gardens.
Standing in this place where the Lord
ay am also impressed with the dignity
# unpretending obsequies Joseph that
lay was mourner, sexton, liveryman--had
he entire charge of all the occasion Four
,eople only at the burial of the King of