The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-02-12


ing with the life that had ceased it's
fine earthly career; and nothing could
have shown a finer and truer respect
to the occasion.
l saw some funeral services last
spring and l could not help marveling
at the conception that some folks have
of appropriate surroundings at such
time A lovely young girl had passed
away. and so far as the white casket
and white flowers went all was we'll.
But the room was absolutely dark;
not Il blind was open; nota shade was
up: every ray Of sunlight was excluded
from the room. A few gruesOme can
dies were about, and everyone sat
around hushed amid the deepest
gloom. l could not help observing
the puzzled looks on the faces Of some |
children who were present as they |
peered into the ftceS of the "mOur-
ners. and | wondered what impress |
Sions those children were forming of
death. And then thought how diff |
ferent it would all have been, and how |
far more sacred and solemn if the |
blinds had been left open to their
fullest, and the shades had been pull
led up and the windows thrown open
so that Gods beautiful sunshine.
which was bathing the world outside,
might come in, bringing with it the
smell OF the first young foliage and Of
the spring flowers and the songs OF
birds, and if instead Of gruesome can
dies the whole room had been made
| into bower OF spring blossoms.
Would not the proper idea OF death
been more truly, more sanely con-
veyed to the minds OF those children?
We need not make a festive occasion
of a funeral, but God never intended
that we should make it the gruesnme
event that is so commonly done.
| like the spirit of che clear
little woman who said the other day:
when l am through with this world
] want the room in which l lie on the
last day on earth to be as a sunny
bower of flowers"
| Truly, we need to do away with
some of the false ideas Of death which
are shown in so many grueSOme ways
at funerals, and strive to give the
young different and truer idea OF
what the passing away of a soul means.
| The awfulneSs of some funerals is no
thing short of criminal, especially as
it affects the minds of the young. If
there is work cut out for the minister
of today it is the enlightenment of
his people on the subject OF death and
the funeral, But the minister must,
first of all, imbibe wholesome lesson
Of Self-reStraint for himself. and teach
to his people the beauty and the
solemnity of the brief service as pre-
scribed by his church and attempt no.
thing more, and he must also relent-
lessly oppose the tendency which
exists to turn the modern funeral.
especially in the country, into pic
mic. The present Outpourlng of d
Heterogeneous mass Of folk from every
point Of the countryside is farce
that cannot be too soon abolished. A
funeral is essentially time for the
meeting of the family and relatives
and the closest friends, and the fewer
the number of outsiders, the better.
Nor is there anything quite so bar
barous as the present custom at 50
many funerals of "viewing the re-
mains" by motley collection of
: folk many Of whom never even knew
the dead in life, or: if they did, never
thought enough of him to come and
see him. The vulgar curiosity that
/ prompts ''a last look'' at loved one
, cannot be too severely denounced.
Only second to it is the pretentiouS
line of vehicles that escorts the le-
mains to the grave" aud the mental
calibre Of a community that bases the
popularity of man on the number OF
carriages that follow him to the grave
If there is crying need of the Cos.
pei of simplicity it is in connection
with funerals. 1t seems incOnceivable
that death should be made the occas
ion for display and yet this is true Of
scores of funerals. The flowers. in
5 Guiding those fearful conceptions o.
the ignorant florist. such as "Gate'
, Ajar," the quality Of casket and ever
of the raiment of the dead. til,
"crowd" at the s;obSequies," tn,
number of carriages in the ''cortege,
oh, oh, what fools these mortal
e be-" to say naught Of the wicked ant
d wanton waste of much-needed money
r 1t is difficult to conceive that
o national love Of display should hav
f become so deep rooted as to lead t,
the very edge of the grave.-Edwart
Box. in Ladies' Home Journal.
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