Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-02-08

NEW YoRR, Feb. 2-Who is to be con.
sidered-the living or the dead2 Do you
know what | mean? Put yourself in the
place of the man who is earning $75
month; he has bit of q home, two or
three children, and, by the care and
economy of his wife, they live along with.
out getting into debt; and vet because ILL.,
ness will come to the rich and the poor
alike, because there may be desire to give
a helping hand to an erring brother, there
is no money saved. One day death comes
into that little fiat which represents home
to these people. 1t may be the baby who
is dead; it may the oldest child and sor-
row of sorrows, it may be the wife, or else,
God help them it may be the man him
self The first awful grief over. somebody
says something about the funeral. You
and | shrink with horror from the funeral
trappings, and yet they must come. There
may be a little money given here and
there, from one and another of the family
but the undertaken glibly reminds the
living that so much will have TO be paid
for the box which holds the casket with
out the soul; that SO much must be paid
for the horrible plumed hearse that car
ries that which you love, living or dead,
and that behind it must come d troop of
carriages filled with so.called friends, who
absolutely enjoy the morbid curiosity that
induces them to look at you in your grief.
Well. you give the little money that you
have; you think how you loved that denr
dead one, and you feel as if somebody in
sists upon it that you must not fail ia the
outward respect due
TO THIS ONE WHO Is SLEEPING.
And then. for months after, there must
be money saved; you must give up the
idea of doing what you wish for the living
until you have paid for this wretched
pOmp shown to the dead. And the boy
wanted har
is forced out into the world, and the girl
who was anxious to study something that
she might i'll the future give helping
hand, has to stay ut home and shed duiet
tears over her disappointment. All be-
cause a miserable, mean conception of
what is right and what is wrong says that
you shall bind yourself for many months
TO the dead and ignore the living. | can't
tell you how much | feel about this. |
have seen it, and while know that a low
ing pride dictated it. still felt that if the
dead could come back and speak, they
would ask that only a quiet resting place
be given to them, that only willing
prayer be said for them, and that if there
is flower offered in remembrance, it will
be one that comes from home garden,
and not that which has passed through the
hands of the florist, and been wired by
him to form what he calls "a most affect
ing token"
DEATH TAKES THE MILLIONAIRE.
The other day Mr.Van Million died. His
hfehadnt been any too remarkable for its
goodness, or its kindness, or its virtues but
still he was dead, and that can all be for.
gotten. In the embrace of death Mr. Van
Million is surrounded by blue violets and
white lilies, by costly orchids and palm
leaves, and all the wreaths and punches of
flowers are tied with great, broad ribbons.
And Mrs. Van Million enters the room to
30 to church, moving mass of Grape, that
any woman who looks can estimate at its
enormous cost. And the church is open,
and well-known prima donna, we'll
known alike for the beauty of her voice
and the wickedness of her life, sings
almost exquisitely. And later OH, at the
grave the reverend Doctor Velvet makes
picture OF himself us he looks lp TO
the blue skies above him and carefully
reminds God Almighty that "in this, the
loss OF our dear brother, there has gone
IRON us one who was most prominent
who was kind and good, and who will,
without doubt, occupy in Heaven that
posluon Ill which he would find greatest
happiness and be nearest to the great white
throne" And the Reverend Doctor Vel
vet knows that in his trousers pocket is a
check for thousand dollars from Mrs,
Van Million, thanking him for his good
ness and for the thoughtful consideration
that prompted him to give up one after
noon of his valuable time to her in her
sorrow. Undoubtedly, she felt this way
the Van Millions wives and daughters
love them, but it has been suggested to her
BY some one who knew that it was GUS
tomary to give this monetary courtesy.
TO THE REVEREND DOCTOR VELVET.
He values his time well.
You, who happen that day to have gone
out to look at u little babys grave pass
this group, raise your hat and stand still
Tor u moment; you know that when that
BABY died, If you had gone to the Reverend
Doctor Velvet, and told him that YOU
earned Sl5 week, and that you wanted
some prayers said over your dead child,
you know as well as L do, that the man
who IS supposed to preach the doctrine of
Him who died that you might be saved,
would instantly find pleasant excuse for
not doing as you asked. DO blaine the
clergy do, most emphatically; do not
care to what church they may belong, |
insist upon it, that when it comes to a
question of burying the dead, the rich and
the poor stand alike i'll the presence of
God, and that no man has a right to refuse
10 do his duty by them. and that no maa
mas right 10 accept money for the con.
ISOLATION that lie gives the living and the
prayers that he says for the dead.
Ii Mrs. Van Million realizes in her sor.
row That there are others in this world
VINO suffer, then she can give her check tc
where 1t VIII do most good in memory al
the dead; but the horror of paying clergy
man for speaking words of consolation la,
made more men lose faith than ANYTHING
else in the world.
Why can't you be little brave about
your dead Z Why can't you say, when the
breath has left the body, that no stranger
hand can touch it, and robing it IN some
thing it had worn in life; why wont yol
put u IN plain box without cmbeliish
ments OF silver or gold; have it carried
into dark coach, and followed to it.
restlng-place only by those who loved i
while there was life in it? How can Won
If you have heart, permit the merely
curious to look ut your dead? How cal
you allow the people to whom she who i,
dead, never spoke, never knew of, to lool
at and criticise her, when she lies Their
helpless, unable TO say word? What il
tile matter with the men and women
They can write beautiful sentiment, the
can talk of truth and art and love, and We
they permit their dead to endure yulya
stares, that living would have hOrrifiet
them. Why can't you have the mora
courage, when death comes, to give to tina
dear body, because of your reverence 10
il, the simplest and sweetest of ceremonies
in which only those who loved it while /
was alive, take part?
FLOWERS SENT FOR PoLtcY,s SAKE,
You see the great wagon full of flower
going out; it seems TO you the expression
OF kindness. Nine times out of ten it /
the expression of policy, and many lnai
has robbed his own to buy the flora
wreath that he felt bound to send 10 th
home Of his employer because death hg,
entered it. And what is the result? Asl
anybody in the cemetery, and they vii
tell you that those who prey on the dead
ana there are plenty of them, take tn
freshest oil the flowers, and carry ava,
the wire frames that we're the foundation