The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-04-20

and paintings, a practice to which the
Savior alluded when He spoke of painted
sepulchers" which within were full of
corruption" as tit emblem of the hypo-
critical Pharisees. In mourning the peo-
pie were wont to pierce their own bodies.
shave their heads, go with the head bare
and refuse to wear sandles or shoes. while
they tore their clothing, put sack cloth on
their loins, dust and ashes on their heads
and covered their lips. To this they
added doleful music and singing with
gesticulation TO lend still greater effect to
the notes and to shroud the whole in the
mysterious, awful and terrible that stir
the cords of anguish and suffering.
With the Romans the corpse was laid
on couch near the door with the feet
outward and q branch of cypress was
placed in front of the house. The body
was usually kept seven or eight days;
previous to this it had been bathed, an
nointed and perfumed; dressed in the de-
ceased's best robe, received a. crown if
entitled to one, and had q small coin
placed in its mouth to pay the ferryman
Charon to take il across the dark river
Styx. When the funeral occurred there
was always grand display of pomp and
ceremony. The procession contained
women players and buffoons. who dance,
sing, and done everything which could
add importance and attraction to the oc-
casion. To such a pitch was this empty
and vain formality carried that finally We
read of gladiators fighting at funerals.
Pluto is said to have instructed the
Greeks in the secret of performing the last
office to the dead. With them funeral
rites were regarded as most sacred duties.
Like the Romans, they believed that the
souls of the unburied would not be ad-
mitted to the "Elysian Fields" The
greatest imprecation was to wish, that n
person might not be afforded the honor OF
interment. Public and private enemies,
people guilty Of sacrilege, those who be-
trayed their country and those killed by
lightning, were denied funeral rites. OF
such Importance were funeral ceremonies
considered that those who did not dis
charge them were thought to be accursed.
Sick people often had lock of their
hair cut off, which they consecrated to the
internal gods as the relatives stood around
TO take their last farewell before they re-
ceived the dying requests and inhaled the
last breath ere the victim expired, when
the relatives beat the air with violence to
drive away the evil genii which would
otherwise take the soul to hell. These are
few customs OF three nations distin-
guished for their learning in the days of
antiquity. But in q comparative sense
what WAS or Is their general enlighten-
ment when set up beside our own? 1t is
like comparing monkey with man. We
have long ago denounced their govern
ment as imperfect, inconsistent and tyran-
nical, their religion as idoietry and super
stit;on, their treatment of women as bar
barious and their practice of infanticide in
cases where children are born weak or
crippled as inhuman, brutal and ungodly.
Then isn't it time that we should cast off
the claunish thraldom OF mimicking in a
large degree, at least, their vain, glorious
thirst for pomp and display in funeral
ceremony?
Yes, Evening STAR" am on the win
dowsill. The draught, however dangerous
il It ay be is, notwithstanding, very agree
able. only fear that some ore might be
mischievous enough 10 want to close the
window before l can get in. Won't you
give an old friend a boost. Ny foot is
caught on what seems to be an imaginary
hook fastened to sec. !, art. ,. of the con-
stitution. If YOU are not tall enough per-
haps Ida s., Jean Falenn user" "Chey-
enne Bob" and "Pompadour" will hold
the stepladder. POLLOCK"