St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1891-11-14
seure part Of the hillside and into II the

l Vu00s0 - tuIOW0s SOmStlmcS COvefc'
and sometimes exposed pdrposely forth
body to be devoured By dogs and wild
beasts It all depends upon the tenn
permanent of the parents offended b.
their daring to die 50 young.
"For all deaths before the age o
twenty and after the age of five. whe,
parents are yet alive, . rough, u7paint
ed pine box is made. and this coffin i
carried. pig fashion, between two men
and. like the other, Is buried in the oh
scure places In the mountains or hills
Those youths who have married. bu
have no male issue. are buried quietly
in the family graveyard, but without
ceremony. II they have male issue
and their own parents are still living
their bodies will be Inferred in the reg
ular family plot with only half of the
usual ceremonies II their parents an
both dead. then NO matter how young
they may be. so long al they are them
selves the parents of legal son, theil
bodies are inferred with the full cere'
monies of full man or woman. - the
case may be.
mo matter how loving tie parent.
may b toward their children, they
cannot follow their todies to theil
graves It is deemed a.sacrilege and Z
curse to the children's souls. While on
the other ha.ld, NO matter how high Z
son may be in IN official position. he
has to unbraid his long queue. dress in
sack cloth and follow the hearse Of his
parents on foot while other mourners
may ride The eldest. son i always
the chief mourner. and. daughters are
only the same as friends Of the family;
they cannot be considered a. legal
mourners Of the family
: During the first month the eldest
son is not allowed to cleanse himself or
eat fancy food Every time he meets
anyone he kneels. and the one knelt to
must quickly advance TO raise him and
give him . word of comfort
HE must dress himself in pure white
from head to foot for two years, and on
the thirl or last year of his mourning
he wears only black. As long - he
lives he must decorate and worship tho
graves OF his parents Four times each
year. and every time take some eat
sbles. such rs roasted pigs. chickens,
etc, to offer to the starving souls Of
his beloved parents When they dio
their duties at these graves are religi.
ously intrusted to their sons
''Do the Americans wonder WHY
Cinnamon give great dinners for the
birth OF son, and swear like . Yankee
because It was . girl, who is only
brought mp for the benefit of another's
family? The philosophical reason OF
lll the children dying before the age
of five being buried without even . cof-
In. Is because they have only lived
ong enough 70 give their parents
plenty Of trouble and pain, and any
further expense in their behalf after
1eath il simply . pure waste.
when they die over 1--WE and below
twenty years Of age, it is presumed
hat they had partially fulfilled their
luties toward their parents. therefore
hey deserve to havc At least . coffin
md . grave. but yet do not possess
merit enough TO be Inferred in the fam
u plot as they were not married peo-
de. and had NO use for family associa-
iona These children who married
md leave male issue before death.
AVE more than partially fulfilled their
llial duties. and, therefore. arc given .
offin and . grave in the family plot by
he parents while his own son accords
Inn the proper funeral rites. q all sons
hould
The highest ambition Of . China
nan may not be to have IN expensive
marriage, but il always TO have . Rlori-
'us funeral. He wants to be sure on
his point, and. unless . Chiuaman has
ots Of good relatives or . dutiful son,
70 usually prepares his own funeral
many years in advance. He measures
nd gets his own coffin made. and care.
nlly lays It away in some part Of the
ousA
''The richer the dead the longer the
uneral Some Of these bodies lay for
wenty-one days in state, and during
II that time friends and relstives, far |
ear. come before 1t 10 worship Il
'hile others who wish to appear friend
? 70 the family hire one or more pro-
sssional wourners 70 cry and weep for
hem. These hired weepersdo not have
D weep long; ave minutes Is the usual |
lme. Tho feasts upon these occasions
re just n grand as upon first-class
'eddingA
The Chinese do not spend ~ much
'oney upon their sons marriages as
hey do upon their fathers funerals
they did the neighbors and relatives
'ould accuse them Of being undutiful
nd ungrsteful"
Then in the end . family's funerals
ill cost Is much in China u they do
ere?"
Perhaps more; . great deal more.
ut the expense In each case d reRu-
ted BY reason. and Is according to the
eserts of the dead. IL Is not 20 here
sserted tho follower OF Confueiua
nocking the ashes from his tiny pine
Dwl-N. Y. Advertiser.
It has been truly said that the luxur.