Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-12-17

Vdimag6 To-Day OellVereu tue tnlId VI
bis series Of 'Round-the-World sermons
through the press, the subject being
the Burning of the Dead" and the
text: They have hands but they
handle not, feet have they but they
walk not, neither speak they through
their throat They that make them
are like unto them" Psalm us: Z, s.
The life Of the missionary is lux
urious and indolent life: Hindooism is
q religion that ought not TO be inter-
fered with: Christianity is guilty OF an
impertinence when IL invades heathen-
dom: you must put 10 the same line OF
reverence Brahma. Buddha. Mohsmmed
and Christ To refute these ISLANDERS
and blasphemies now so prevalent, and
TO spread out before the Christian
world the contrast between idOlatrOus
aud Christian countries, preach this
third sermon In my 'Round-the-
World" series.
In this discourse take you TO the
very headquarters Of heathendom, to
the very capital Of Hindooism: for what
Mecca Is TO the MohammedaR, aud what
Jerusalem is 20 the Christian, Benares,
India, is 20 the Hindoo. We arrived
there in the evening, and the next
morning We started out early, among
other things 20 see the burning OF the
dead. We saw ID, cremation, not as
many good people In America and Eng
land are now advocating it,
THE BURNING OF THE DEAD
In clean, aud orderly, and refined Gre
matOry, the hot furnace soon reducing
the human form 70 = powder to be care
fully preserved 10 an urn: but cremation
rs the HindOos practice Ii. We got into
boat and were roWed down tbs river
Gauges until we came opposite TO where
five dead bodies lay, four OF them wo-
men wrapped 10 red garments, and
man wrapped in white. Our boat fast
ened, we waited and watched. High
piles OF wood were on the bank, and
this wood is carefully weighed on
large scales, according as the friends
OF the deceased can afford 20
pay for 1t. 10 many cases only
3 few sticks can be afforded, and
the dead body Is burned only little,
and then thrown into the Ganges. But
where the relatives OF the deceased are
well-tO-do, an abundance OF wood In
pieces four or FIVE feet long is pur-
chased. Two or three LAYERS OF sticks
are then put on the ground to receive
the dead form. Small pieces OF sandal
wood are inserted to produce fragrance.
The deceased is Is lifted from the rest
ing place and put upon this wood. Then
the cover Is removed from the face Of
the corpse and IL is bathed with water
Of the Ganges. Then several more lay
srS Of wood are put upon the body, aud
other sticks are placed on both sides Of
10, but the head and feet are left ex-
posed. Then quantity OF grease suf-
fcient to make everything inflammsble
is put on the wood and into the mouth
OF the dead. Then one Of the richest
men in Benares, his fortune made In
this way, furnishes the fire, and, after
the priest has mumbled a few words,
the eldest son walks three times around
the sacred pile, and then applies the
torch, and the fire blazes up, and in a
short time the body becomes the ashes
which the relatives
THROW INTO THE CANOES.
We saw floating past US on the
Ganges the body of a child which had
been only partly burned, because the
parents could not afford enough wood.
While we watched the floating form OF
the child 3 crow slighted upon il. In
the meantime hundreds of Hindoos were
bathing In the river, dipping their
heads, filing their mouths, supplying
their brass cups, muttering words of
so-called prayer. Such a mlngling OF
superstition, and loathsomeness, and
inhumanity had never before seen.
The Ganges Is to the HindoO the best
river Of all the earth, but TO me IL Is the
vilest stream that ever rolled its stencil
In horror to the sea. looked all along
the banks for the mourners for the
dead. saw in two Of the cities nine
crematiOns, butin no case a sad look or 3
tear. / said to friends: "How is this?
Have the living no grief for the dead?"
] found that the women do not come
forth on such occasions, but that does
not account for the absence Of all kinds
of grief. There is another reason more
potent. Men do not see the faces OF
their wives until after marriage They
take them on accommodation. Mar
riages thus formal, OF course, have not
much affection In them. Women are
married at seven and ten years Of age,
and are grandmothers at thirty. Such
unWise ly-iormsd family associations
do not imply much ardor of love. The
family so poorly put together-whO
wonders that IL is easily taken apart?
And 80 account for the absence OF
all signs OF grief at the cremation Of
the HindOos.
BENAREs Is THE CAPITAL
OF Hindoolsm and Buddhism, but Hin
dooism has trampled out Buddhism, the
hoOi OF one monster on the grizzly
neck Of the other monster. 1t is also
the capital OF filth, and the capital of
mslOdOrs, and the capital OF fndecenc7.
The HindoOs say they have 800 OOO, 600
gods, Benares being tbs headquarters
OF these deities you will not be sur
DrlSsd to End that the making OF gods
Is profitable business. Here there are
carpenters making wooden gods, and !
brass workers making brass gods, and |
sculptors making stone gods, aud pot (
terS making clay gods. can |
not think Of the denominations (
practicsd here without recol !
Of stomach and a need Of cologne. /
Although much is said about the
carving on the temples Of this city,
everything is so vile that there is rot
much room for the aesthetic. The |
deVotees enter the temple nineteen
twentieths unclothed. and depart beg
ging. All that Hindooism can do for a
man or woman il does bere. Notwith-
standing all that has been said in its