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

human being who has greater respect
than for the dead. and for that very
reason cannot see them made an excuse
Tor extravaganza, nor can | endure their
going ont of this world being made sort
OF festival day for the mere acquaintance
and the gossip. What do think is right
~ tell You. The first duty you owe is to
the living, but you can give your love
and reverence to the dead without inter-
fering with that. Take up the form that
you loved, put it in its plain wooden box;
II you wish, have little plate with its
name on it, but [ think at the last great
day neither God nor you will need to know
the dear ones, bury it quietly and with
Just a few, simple services, and then come
back home and go on living. Let in the
bright sunshine, and if you think, as you
VIII many times of that one who is no
more on earth, you will think with love
and not with horror as you would if, after
the gorgeous funeral each month found
you worried to get together the money
necessary to pay for what was simply
ridiculous.
THE PRINCES BURIAL.
When the son of the Prince of Wales
died, his father and brother walked three
miles behind the caisson on which his
coffin rested, and after them walked all
those who wished to pay respect TO the
dead Prince. None of the women, for on
the other side they think, properly enough
that nervous. excited, tender hearted
women are out of place in cemeteries, and
that it is the duty OF the men of the family
to bear the heaviest burdens. Here, ii that
had been the son of salesman, or a man
in the middle class Of life, there would
nave been eight or ten expensive carriages
to be paid for, and the family would be
put in debt fol, months. feel all this just
now very much, because on the other side
OF humanity nave seen so much OF what
call the burden of the dead, know that
until the wiser of our people insist upon
funeral services being simpler, funeral
trappings quieter, and announce the posi-
billty of great grief without yards of
Grape, that this burden will rest upon the
poor Forever and forever.
do hot grieve the less because refuse
to go in debt for u Grape gown, and yet the
woman Of moderate means thinks the
world Will believe that she did not care for
the one who has gone before unless she
gowns herself SO that she looks gloomy,
and puts heavy veil between her and
God Almighty's sunshine.
II only the dead could come back and
tell us If they could only say: My
dear oues, you do not make me believe
less iii your love or in your remembrance
OF me by all this folly, and beg of you to
go ON and live your lives as you have
done, aud make me a living memory
among you and not dead one.n Who is
to blame? | am afraid it is the people
who have plenty of money, and who have
thoroughly imbued all the rest of the
world with the idea that respect to the
dead IS shown by long PROFESSIONS, by ex-
penslve Baskets, and by the wearing of
stufis SO gloomy that it makes death seem
horrible rather than restful.
THE ouAKEIs EARTH To EARTH"
We could all learn lessontfrom the
gentle Quakers, Among them the coffin
IN which the poor or the rich man sleeps
IS perfectly plain; he is laid in the ground
about the meeting house, and at the head
Is put little stone-they are all alike-on
which his name is engraved. When a
hundred years have gone by the stones are
taken up the ground is plowed over, and
behold, 1t is ready to receive more sleepng
forms, those closest to the living OF to-day.
nave heard this called hard-hearted, but
do not think it is.
When the last great day comes, and the
trumpet rings out its call, and YOU and /
and our dead stand waiting to hear our
names called, we may be very certain that
the sin of ayarice will not be forgiven
because the mahogany casket cost thou
sand dollars; that the sin of iinpurity will
not be overlooked because the handles on
It We're solid silver; that the sin of dis
honesty will not be wiped out because
there rested above us a monument of finest
Iarrara marble. Oh, no. On that great day
the rich and the poor will really stand
together in the sight of God, and this
mortal shall put on immortality without
their being any question OF collins or
hearses, of funeral sermons or wired flow
ers, or lying obituaries; but il will be
asked of each one,
now Is IT WITH YOUR SOUL ?"
There will never be question of the
treatment given to the dead body, but all
will tend toward How did you do YOUR
duty toward God and those whom He
entrusted to your
make up your mind, if grief comes, that
you are gong to do your duty to the liv-
ing, and not make your sorrow an ever
lasting one by combining with it the
horror OF debt and the continual depriy-
ing OF what belongs to the living that YOU
may feel that you have done like the rest
OF the world to the dead. You don't
want to be like the rest of the world.
You want to be honest, clear-headed and
clear-hearted, fearing no man and doing
that which is right. And the right way 10
treat your dead is TO give them tender re-
spect and TO put them in the warm arms
OF Mother Earth so quietly and so simply
that your grief will nave due honor given
It because you have not attempted to frame
1t in vnlgarity and ridiculous display. Am
rightf 10 believe am. And | prove
my belief by putting to my opinion my
hame, which is BAD.