Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1908-05-29
YOUR OWN FUNERAL.
Do You Ever Think About How II
Should Be condueted7

Every man Is bound to have his OWL
personal funeral some day, in which
however silent, be will play the part
of chief actor. But how many ever
seek to call up before the minds eye
the whole visible scene-the neighbors
thronging quietly in and taking their
seats, the casket with its silent tenant
inside, the characteristics, agreed bic
or obnoxious, of the undertaken who is
to supervise the more strictly business
| functions of the occasion and, above
all, those of the minister-sympathetic
or perfunctory-who is to take charge
of the spiritually edifying portion?
Indeed, poor Robert Burns is his
| torically one Of the exceptional few to
be recalled. as. with his 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 suffering volleys of the awkward
squad had he not given explicit orders
beforehand.
Men and women never act in so
heller SHELTER a 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 q
flower for his buttonhole; how careful
" the bride her bridesmaids. with a
charming little girl of six 10 go 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 100000 I.
souls. scattered over all England. it is .
safe to assume that he had conducted .
at a small estimate a thousand burials /
and found many Of them shOckingly .
distressing 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 l 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
Abraham's BOSOM"
In the selection. too. OF the minister
who was to officlate he was equally
happy. for when his lifelong friend.
Brother Richardson, came to the part
If the service, "Forasmuch as it
mas pleased Almighty God to take unto
himself the soul of our dear brother"
MS voice broke, and he substituted the
word father with such feeling that the
which had been shedding
silent tears. burst out into loud weep
ng.
Now, If more Of sensible as we'll as
ievout and humble men and women
would only manifest before they die
he sound judgment as we'll as tender
human feeling of Robert Burns and
John Wesley by taking part, so to
peak, in their own funeral services it
would prove a blessed gain. No service
S so impressive as a solemn, reveren-
ial. tender and uplifting funeral serv-
ce and none so offensive as a perfume
DRY. Ostentatious or trivial one, Often. ,
indeed. the request goes out. mo how- !
rs" But these are not the flowers
hat work the evil The Objectionable :
hings are the flowers Of rhetoric. of
ulsome eulogy. Of spangles. of stars
nd harps and angels. that make a
ravesty of the most affecting in its :
wn eloquent hush Of silence Of all :
lortal scenes Boston Herald. ,