The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-05-02

| United States and the leading men OF th
army and navy. Massachusetts, tries t,
atone at the grave OF Charles Sumner To-
the ignominIous resolutions with Which
her Legislature denounced the llvinf
Senator. Do you think that the tomb al
Springfield can pay for Booths bullet?
Oh, do justice to the living! All the jus
tice you do them you must do this side tht
gates OF the Metropolis. They cannot walk
up to count the number OF carriages at th'
obsequies or to notice the polish Of tht
Aberdeen granite or to read epitaphal com
mem oration. Gentleman's mausoleum ir
the suburbs OF Jerusalem cannot pay fol
Bethlehem manger and Calvarean ctos
and Pilates ruf1lan judiciary. Post NOR
tenn bonors cannot atone for ante-morten
| ignominles.
Again, standing In this garden OF th.
sepulcher, am impressed with the fac
that floral and arborescent decorations arr
appropriate for the place OF the dead. WI
are glad that among flowers and sculptura
adornments Christ spent the short time oi
His inhumation. . ).
cannot understand what I sometimes
see In the newspapers where the obsequiei
are announced and the friends say In con.
nection with It, "Send no flowers" Rather,
II the means allow-I say II the means
| allow-strew the oasket with flowers, the
heursa with flowers, the grave With flowers,
| Put them on the brow-lt will suggest
coronation; In their hand-it will mean
| victory. IT,
Christ was buried In garden. Flowers
mean resurrection. Death Is sad enough
| anyhow. Let conservatory and arboretum
contribute to its alleviation. The harebell
will ring the victory; the passion flower
will express the sympathy; the dafodll
will kindle Its lamp and illume the dark.
ness. The cluster OF asters will be the
constellation. Your little child loved
flowers when she was living. Put them In
her hand now that she can 60 forth no
more aud pluck them for herself. On sun
shiny days take fresh garland and put It
over the still heart. ,yu.r -.
Brooklyn has no grander glory than Its
Greenwood, nor Boston, than its Mount Au.
burn, nor Philadelphia than its Laurel
Hill, nor Cincinnati than its Spring Grove,
nor san Francisco than its Lone Mountain,
But what shall we say to those country
graveyards with the vines broken down
and the slab aslant and the mound caved
in and the grass pasture ground for the
sections cattle? Indeed, were your father
and mother Of 80 little worth that you can
not afford to take care OF their ashes2 Some
duy turn out all hands and stralghten the
slab aud bank up the mound and cut away
the weeds and plant the shrubs and How
ers.
Some day you will want to lie down to
your last slumber. You cannot expect any
respect for your bones IL you have no de-
ference for the bones OF your ancestry. Do
you think these relics are OF no impor-
tance? You will see Of how much impor-
tance they are In the day when the arch.
angel takes out his trumpet. Turn oil
your cemeteries into gardens. =,
Again, standing in this garden OF the
new sepulcher. am impressed with the
dignity OF private und uEpreteEdlng o bse-
qules. ...
Joseph was mourner, sexton, liveryman
had entire charge OF everything. Only
four people at the burial OF the King OF the
Universe! Oh, let this be consolatory to
those who through lack Of means or
through lack OF acquaintance have but
Little demonstration OF grlet at the graves
of their loved ones. Long line OF glitter.
Ing equipnge, two rows Of silver handles,
casket OF richest wood, pallbearers gloyed
and scarfed, are not necessary. II there
be six at the grave, Christ looks down from
heaven and remembers that Is two more
than we're ut His obsequies.
Not recognizing this idea. how many
small properties are scattered and Widow
hood and 6rphunage so forth into cold
charityl The departed left small prop
erty, which would have been enough to
keep the family together until they could
take cnre OF themselves, but the funeral
expenses absorbed everything. That went
for Grape which ought to have gone for
bread. A man OF moderate means can
hardly afford to die in any OF our great
cities. By all means, do honor to the de.
parted. but dc not consider funeral pageant
as necessary. No one was ever more low.
In nol
than Christ our Lord, but there were only
four people IN the procession.
Again, standing in this garden with q
new sepulcher, am impressed With the
fact that you cannot keep the dead down.
Seal Of sanhedrIn, company OF soldiers
from the tower ct Antonia, floor OF rock,
roof OF rock, walls OF rock, door Of rock,
cannot keep Christ in the crypts. Come
out and come up BE must. Come out and
come up He did. Prehguration. Flrs:
fruits Of them that slept. Just as certain.
certainly we will come up again. Though
all the granite OF the mountains we're piled
on US we will rise. Though buried amid
the corals Of the deepest cavern OF the
Atlantic Ocean, we will come to the sur.
face.
With these eyes we may not look into
the face of the MONDAY sun, but We shall
have stronger vision, because the tamest
thing in the land to which We 90 will be
brighter than the sun. We shall have
bodies with the speed OF the lightning.
Our bodies improved, energtzed, swiftened,
clRrlhed-mortality, immortality. The
door OF the grave taken of its hinges and
flung fiat into tho dust.
Oh, my brethren, death and the grave
arc not 80 much as they used to be; for
while wandering In this garden with. the
new sepulcher I find that the vines and
flowers OF the garden have completely GOV.
e.ed up the tomb. Instead OF one garden
there are four gardens, opening into each
other-garden OF Eden, gardcn OF the
worlds sepuloher, garden Of the earth's
regeneration, garden OF heaven. Four
gardens. Bloom, o earthl Bloom. O
heavenl Oh, my friends, wake up to glad.
ness on this Easter morning! This day, II
interprst 1t right, means joy-it means
peace wifi: heaven, and 1t means peace with
all the world.
Oh, bring more flowers! Wreathe them
around the brazen throat OF the cannon;
plant them In the desert, that 1t may bios
som like the rose; braid them into the
name Of the returned war charger No
lore red dahllas OF human blood. Give
US white lilies OF peace. All around the
earth strew Easter flowers. And soon the
rough voyage OF tho church militant will
be ended, and she will sail up the heavenly
harbor, SCARED with many conflict, but
the fags OF triumph floating from her top
gnllants. ALI heaven will come out to
greet her into port, and with long re.
verberattng Stout OF welcome Will say:
"There che comes up the bay, the glorious
old ship Zion After tempestuous voyage
she drops anchor within the veil."