Los Angeles herald., 1892-06-28
ASHES TO ASHES,
The Theosophist's Cremation
Ceremony Yesterday.
Mrs. Georgina Bowman's Body in
the Furnace.
An Impressive Occaslon-Edw win Arnold's 3
Poetry Largely Drawn On for the
Afair-Features OF tho
Ceremony.

Death should have no terrors for the
Theosophist, was the burden of the
words Of a sweet-voiced woman at the
Rosedale cemetery yesterday afternoon.
20 Death, where is thy sting! 0 Grave
where is thy victory!" was her trem-
ulous cry.
The occasion was the cremation of q
noted Theosophist of Oakland-Mrs.
Georgina s. Bowman--who died there
few days ago, and who was brought to
Los Angeles for the observance of the
last ceremonies of converting her mortal
dust to ashes. The cremation was set
for A 80 O'Clock in the afternoon, and at
that hour about sixty persons were as
sembled at the crematory, large pro-
portion being women. A pretty lawn is
in front of the crematory, on both sides
of the gravel walk, and here the Theos-
ophists and the visitors congregated.
From conversations with those present
nearly every Theosophist in the city
was present, the number being in the
neighborhood of fifty. The cremation
of the gifted lady, whose remains were
brought from Oakland by her son, Will
lam j. Bowman, excited the utmost in
terest of all those who have devoted
themselves to the study of Theosophy
and kindred subjects. The cremation
OF Byron Adonis, the celebrated Budd-
hist, q few weeks ago, which was
80 thoroughly and exclusively de-
scribed by the HERALD at the time, was
productive OF intense interest, but the
Theosophists claim that it is not strict
ly correct to class him in their ranks.
They aver that their views do not in
clude them in the list OF the believers of
Buddhism, but that Theosophy is pc
culiar and alone scientific religion,
wherein it's professors are neither Bud
dhiste nor Christians, Jew nor Gentle,
but Theosophists.
In connection with these expressions
of opinions, they wished it distinctly
understood that Mrs. Bowman, in her
lifetime, was an advanced Theosophist.
whose thoughts upon esoteric subjects
bad become very clear, and that the
friends who had gathered to paw her
earthly tenement a last tribute of re-
spect were Theosophists, and not fol-
lowers OF Buddha. For q number of
years the deceased has been a leader in
Theosophic circles of Oakland, and was
president of the Oakland branch OF the
society at the time of her death. She
was lady 81 years Of age, was the wife
of well-known Oakland druggist, and |
by her unselfish and devoted life to fam
lily and friends, had won very large
circle of friends. There were some in.
formal services at Oakland.
Cremation ie not tenet of the Theo-
sophical faith. although great many
members of the society believe in it, and |
justify their belief by scientific princi- |
pies, holding that by means of crema-
ton the health of the world is better
and beyond and above that |
it liberates the soul from its earthly |
vesture more completely than the ordi- |
nary method of burial.
Just as the hour had arrived for the |
exercises to commence hearse ap.
preached which contained the remains |
of the deceased. They were enclosed in
an elegant Grape covered casket, which |
was removed from the rough box in
which 1t had been shipped, and placed |
upon rests in the middle OF the walk.
Several baskets of beautiful flowers were |
put on the caeket, amongst which were |
white roses, sweet peas, heliotrope, and
sweet alyssum.
A small table was standing upon the
porch at the entrance to the crematory,
. few feet from the head Of the casket,
and here gentle looking, gray haired
lady, Miss Mary +. Walsh, took her
stand, as Mr.. Bowman stood beside the |
remains of his mother. It was all in
the open air, and the blue vault of
heaven was above the little assembly,
as Miss Bertha Penning sang to the ac-
compartment of an organ: Not Spar
row Falls. An indescribable silence pre-
vailed while the sweet tones of the |
singer arose toward the sky, and when
che had finished Miss Walsh read from
the Song Celestial as translated from the
Sanskrit Bhagavad Gita by Edwin
Arnold. Amongst the passages she
read, the following extracts will illus
trate the thought sought to be impressed
upon the listener:
Never the spirit was born; the spirit shall
cease to be never;
Never was time it was mott end and beginning
are dreams!
Birthless and deathless and changeless remain
eth the spirit forever;
Death hath not touched 1t at all, dead though
the house OF it seemsl s.
Nay, but as when one layeth
His wOrn.out robes away,
nd 70 ktvnu v,ou ma oxvnt1 -,