The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-01-30
Funeral Reform.

Funeral Reform.
iFxtraet from a paper read by DR.. q. ID. Chase, of
traverse City. Mich, at the annual convention of
The Michigan Funeral Directors Association, TRAY
erse City.
As have already intimated, | believe
it too late to reform the subject of the
funeral; hence my subject must embrace
merely the reform of the the funeral service.
Even in this there is room for wide diff
ference of opinion and opportunity for the
exercise of the individual taste and prefer
ence. Hence. can recommend only such
a service as commands itself to my taste
and Judgment as betitting funeral occa-
sion.
First. then. | want to protest against
Sunday funerals Granting that there may
be occasions when circumstances make
necessary the burying of the dead on Sun
day. | maintain that such occasions are ex-
tremely rare and the too common practice
of placing funerals on that day out OF mere
preference should be discountenanced by
every thoughtful citizen. My first objec-
ton to the Sunday funeral may be regarded
by some as selfish one. 1t is an unjust
demand upon the minister. The regular
services of the Sabbath are IL sufficient tax
upon the energies of any active clergyman,
and adding to this work regularly expected
of him from one to six hours of funeral
service is an injustice which no thoughtful
person ought to impose upon the minister.
But ministers are not the only ones COM
PEELED to bear this extra Sunday work.
The Sunday funeral lays unnecessary labor
upon the undertaken, the sexton, the grave
digger, the liveryman, and others, robbing
them of their rest day, and calling them
away from church privileges. Besides the
whole thing looks bad. The Sunday fu-
neral seems to say to all who behold it,
sWe can't afford to bury our dead on
week day We can stop our work long
enough for that; hence We trundle his bones
off to the crave on day when we are not
allowed to work.
Secondly: Let the funeral service be
simple, respectful and brief. The idea is
altogether too prevalent that funeral &C.
casion is an occasion for display, not only
of sorrow and grief, but wealth and social
standing and prestige in the community;
but good taste certainly forbids making
funeral a pageant When the funeral is
Of national interest, of course more elab-
crate service seems called for; but ordipari-
Iy funeral procession Of great length and
strung out very thin reminds us of the one
described by Josiah Aliens wife, where the
mourners rode one in carriage. Great
profusion of flowers piled around and upon
the csaket, when purchased from slender
purses, seems, despite their beauty, "A very
inappropriate decoration. The same may
be said of all forms of funeral extravaganza.
Don't buy what you are not able to pay
for. even though it be for the funeral of
the most loved one on earth. Flowers and
costly caskets and miles of Grape are not
she only nor the chief manifestations Of
sorrow or respect They may and often do
conceal hearts untouched by sorrow and as
cold as the grave. Genuine sorrow is not
dependent upon such assistance for such
manifestation.
Let the funeral, if possible, he held at
home. Don't darken the house. Draw
back the curtains, open the shutters, and
let in Gods pure, gracious, soul-comforting
sunshine that casries with it the Gospel OF
hope. What more blessed symbol, what
more cherishing comforter can this world
offer the sorrowing heart than sunshine
Let it in to kiss away the mourners' tears
and open the heart for the reception of
heavenly comfort Don converse in whis
per, nor in hollow, sepulchral tones. Let
voice and countenance and the entire de-
meanor be not purposed to make others as
sad as possible but to fill hearts with hope
and comfort.
Let the service consist of singing two or
three sweet, hopeful melodies, prayer Of
deVout earnestness, but of no unusual
length, and a few remarks by the attending
minister The old style funeral sermon is
dying out, and hope some Of you under
takers will bury it one of these days. Who
wants to hear a regular, argumentative
sermon at funeral? The audience is
usually intentionally seated or standing;
the minister is stood up in some doorway
or eorner, or in such close proximity to a
stove or register as to make the space I'M
available for seating; and then nobody is
prepared to listen to sermon, and Il tell
you as a secret) the sermon is not prepared
itself.
heard one preacher preach an hour and
quarter at funeral when fully two-thirds
of his auditors were standing and not less
than one-third were outside the house stand
ing in drizzling rain. His theme was
''the immortality Of the soul" but judge of
is effect When | came out heard the
undertaken say, as he shook out his water
soaked robes and blankets II hope that
teller will never live to preach another ser
mon"
Another thing have always looked up
on with great disapproval, namely: the pub
lie opportunity of viewing the remains at
the funeral. Before the service has begun
he s.last look" should have been taken in