The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1908-04-10
YOUR OWN FUNERAL.
Do You Ever Think About How Il
Should Be Conducted?

Do You Ever Think About How IL
Should Be Conducted7
Every man is bound to have his own
personal funeral some day, In which,
| however silent, he will play the part
Of chief actor. But how many ever
seek to call up before the minds eye
the whole visible scene-the neighbour.
thronging quietly in and taking their
seats, the casket with Its silent tenant
inside, the characteristics, agreeable
or obnoxious, of the undertaken who Is
to supervise the more strictly business
functions of the occasion and, above
all, those Of the minister-sympatheti
or perfunctory-whois to take charge
Of the spiritually edifying portion?
Indeed, poor Robert Burns 10 his
torically one of the exceptional few to
be recalled. as, with bis dying breath,
he took matters into his own hands
and pathetically cried to those about
his deathbed. Don't let the awkward
squad fire over my grave" Though
nothing but a poet, still how strictly
practical a man of affairs he proved
himself to be In thus providing against
the marring effect that would surely
have been exerted on the impressive
ness of his own funeral by the ragged
and sputtering volleys of the awkward
squad had he not given explicit orders
beforehand.
Men and women never act in so
heller SHELTER way about their we'd
dings as they do about their funerals.
When they are to be married, how
carefully the groom chooses his best
man and selects the right kind Of a
flower for his buttonhole how careful
ly the bride her bridesmaids, with a
charming little girl of six to 60 In
front and scatter roses and lilies along |
the aisle as she PAGES up to the altar.
John Wesley. the great founder Of
Methodism, probably knew more about |
funerals than any man of his time. AS
he had a parish Of at least 500. 1000 |
souls, scattered over all England, II is
safe to assume that he had conducted
at small estimate thousand burials
and found many Of them shockingly
affairs. So, like the sensible
man he was, he determined to take
time by the forelock and arrange for
his own while still alive. In drawing
up his will he therefore explicitly d.
rected that six poor men should have
20 shillings each for carrying his body
to the grave, "for | particularly de-
SIRE" he said, that there may be no
hearse, no coach, no escutcheon, no
pomp, except the tears of them that
loved me and are following me to
BOSOM"
In the selection, too, of the minister
who was to off1ciate he was equally
happy, for when his lifelong friend,
Brother Richardson, came to the part
If the service, "Forasmuch as 1t
has pleased Almighty God to take unto
himself the soul of our dear brother"
his voice broke. and he substituted the !
word father with such feeling that the
issemblage, which had been shedding .
silent tears. burst out into loud weep =
ng.
Now, If more of sensible as well as
levout and humble men and women I
you'd only manifest before they die =
he sound judgment as well as tender
human feeling of Robert Burns and u
Ohm Wesley by taking part, so to n
peak, in their own funeral services 1t 8
would prove blessed gain. No service o
} so impressive as a solemn, reveren- ?
ial. tender and uplifting funeral serv- Il
re and none so offensive as perfume :,
Dry ostentatious or trivial one. Often,
ldeed. the request goes out. mo fow- d
rs" But these are not the flowers 81
nat work the evil The Objectionable -
lings are the flowers Of rhetoric, of
llsome eulogy, of spangles. OF stars 6
nd harps and angels, that make a II
'avesty of the most affecting in its OF
wn eloquent hush OF silence OF all VI
Iortal scenes.-Boston Herald. tr