Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1908-04-11
YOUR OWN FUNERAL.
M You Ever Think About How "
Should Be Conducted?

SnOuld DC OOhae
rverv man is bound to have his own
norsonal funeral some day, in WHICH,
however silent he will play the part
OF chief actor. But how many ever
saak 70 call up before the minds eye
the whole visible scene-the nelgnDors
thronging quietly in and taxing 'hei.
seats. the casket with its silent tenans
inside. the characteristics, agreeaDie
or obnoxious. Of the undertaken VINO III
70 supervise the more strictly business
functions of the. occasion and, aoove
oil those Of the neutrality-suspicious.
or perfunctory-who is to take cnarse
Of the spiritually edifying porton'
Indeed. poor Robert Burns Is MS
+oricallv one of the exceptional Few 10
mo recalled. as. with his dying breatn'
ho took matters into his own HANDS
ond nathetically cried to those ABOUT
bis deathbed. Don't let the awkwarq
SQUAD fire over my graveP Ihougn
nothing but a poet, still how stricuy
nroctical a man of affairs he proved
himself TO be I'm thus providing against
Tho marring effect that would surely
have been exerted on the impressive
nocs of his own funeral by the ragseo
and sputtering volleys OF the awk"alo
squad had he not given exphcit oroe''
: beforehand. a.. q.
Mon and women never act In 30
= baItor skelter a way about tner "eo'
dings as they do about their iune.aio.
when they are to be married now
carefully the groom chooses MS ues'
3 man and selects the right KIM VI
l eoyver for bis buttonhole; how carelui'
e IL the bride her bridesmaids, WIN
t charming little girl Of six 10 go III
e front and scatter roses and lilies along
t the aisle as she PAGES up to the altar.
e Jobn Wesley. the great founder OF
e Methodism, probably knew more ABOUT
e funerals than any man OF MS time. ao no
o ho had q parish Of at least ooo'Voo
o souls scattered over all England, IL is
n cafe 70 assume that he had conducteu
at a small estimate thousand Duriais
l. ond found many Of them shocklngiy
y distressing affairs. So, like the senslpie
IL man he was he determined 10 taAe
i. fine by the forelock and arrange ior
II his own while still alive. In drawing
er nm his will he therefore explicltiy oi-
rected that six poor men should nave
IL 90 shilIings each for carrying MS Douy
to the grave. "for I particularly de-
al sire" he said, that there may pe 10
ne hearse. no coach. no escutcneon' ho
ID nomn except the tears Of them tna'
loved me and are following me to
Abraham's BOSOM"
In the selection, too, OF the minister
who was to ofiiciate he was equany
ct banny for when his lifelong friend
a Brother Richardson, came 10 tne par
,rt of the service, "Forasmucn as
N. has pleased Almighty God to take unts
he himself the soul of our dear brother,
us his voice broke, and he substituted tn'
word father with such feeling that I'M
nt- ossemblage. which had been sheddinl
it silent tears. burst out into loud weep
et- Ing
of Now If more of sensible as well a
ed, devout and humble men and womei
The would only manifest before they oil
ed the sound Judgment as we'll as tende
me bpman feeling of Robert Burns an
ret Jobn Wesley by taking part, SO
Mr.. speak. in their own funeral services
nto would prove a blessed gain. No seryic
uld is so impressive as a solemn, reyerei
rte, tial tender and uplifting funeral ser
old ice and none so offensive as perfun
ala tory. ostentatious or trivial one. Oftel
Md ;ndaad the request goes out, mo nov
at ers." But these are not the no"el
rry that work the evil The objectionap
am things are the flowers of rhetoric,
hat fulsome eulogy. of spangles, OF sta
if and harps and angels, that make
travesty of the most affecting In
own eloquent hush of silence OF
do. mortal scenes.-Boston HeraIo'