The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-03-29
The Crime of
[ xtravagant Funerals

By DOROTHY DIX.


In no place on earth Is the folly ri
fashion as hidcpuS rs when II mocks
us from the grave. One would think
that in The awful presence Of death
human beings wonid have their van
ity their pretensions their love OF
dis play swept from them. and for
once. al least, would be simple and
sincere.
This is far enough from being the
case. Grotesqueiy inappropriate as n
Is. when one OF its loved ones dies Il
the very time that Inc average family
Is most filled with emulation 10 Guido
its neighbors in parade. aud So the
show funeral Is just as common as th-
show wedding
I'm its GRIEF the childish human mind
turns 10 the spectacular for relief, and
30 we lay the dead body in an ornate
casket. we heap costly flowers above
il, and with black draped hearse ana
horses with nodding plumes, and with
sable garments, and all the expensive
pharaphernalia OF woe we carry tho
poor clay TO the grave. and give it
back TO the earth whence ii came and
to which Il is returning
And we are nightly pleased with
ourselves because we gave poor Tom
OF Sally, or father or mother. a better
funeral than the Jonses or the Smiths
did their sister. or brother or parents
Vanity OF vanities saith the
preacher "ail is vanity" And it has
no other such illustration as al fu-
neral.
Foolish and out OF taste as an eN-
travagant funeral is 'or the rich, II
becomes a crime among the poor. Yet
il Is the common custom among people
in moderate circumstances 10 reckless
IL run themselves in debt Whenever
any member OF their family dies.
Entails Many Hardsnips.
To provide coffin with solid sill
yer handles. to furnish the carriages
in which professional funeral goerS
gel free rides To the cemetery. and to
buy new mourning garments often
means the jeopardizing or the future
Of all the surviving members OF the
family. The already overworked man
must work harder TO pay off the un'
dertakers bill.
The tired, worn mother must scrimp
and deny herself even more. The little
children must go without the food and
clothes they need. Often talented
boy or girl must be taken from school
ana put 10 work. and some aged mem
bcr OF the household denied the com
forts that would make their last days
easy
or course VIC say that We spend
more than We can afford in burylng
orr dead in order TO show our affec-
ton for them.
II this Is true there is no sight SO
cynical as that OF the poor. who nave
never had any Injuries in life. being
laid on satin couches when their old
bones are past all feeling, or the old
hands that have never held rose m
life being filled in death with costly
hot-house blooms. ..,.
If we have any money to spend 10
show our affection for our loved ones,
surely il is better To give IT while
they are alive and can enjoy II. POST
norton exhibitions Of love and tender
ness are Of no value except for the
benefit of the neighbors.
So far as the dead are concerned,
the funeral. whether gorgeous or num-
bic cannot matter; but or one thlilS
we are sure, and that is that the dead
who have loved us do not wish 10 add
to our burdens.
The mother. who has sacrificed her
self all her life 10 her children. would
rot sleep the sweeter in her grave for
knowing that her darlings had TO go
cold and hungry to pay for the folty
carriages that adorned her funeral.
Tie hard working man. who has
saved up little money, that was lit
orally blood money. for his wife and
baby. would have even the peace OF
tie infinite broken for him II he couil
know that the silly woman had spent
her little inheritance for fine funeral
FOR him
II Is time that people learned TO look
al this matter more sanely. and 20