The independent-reporter., 1910-12-22
. MINISTER MEETS
MANY TRIALS
Some Confront Him at
Funerals
4 Well Known Minister of This State
Comments as Follows.

before the minister is ever seen and
then any previous engagements he
may have made he is expected to
break or cancel or get rid of in any
way that will allow him to be around
at the hour that has been specified.
The family expect him to put off ey
erything else. l have been asked a
great many times over the telephone
to go out of town to attend a funeral
1t might be ten or it might be twenty
miles away from where was located
and the funeral would be set for Sun
day. | would of course have to ex-
plain that | had services for that day
in my church, and then the next ques
ton would be, We'll, cant you get
somebody to take your place?' l
would tell them that | didn't know of
anybody | could get and then they
would want to know if | couldn't set
aside all my other duties or services
! for a funeral, as though the matter
of its being a funeral made it a mat
ter to be considered, and when you say
no, you can't set aside your other SER
vices they seem to think that you are
somewhat unsympathetic and unac-
commodating, and they will go on to
explain that their neighbors are all
busy and couldn't very well come on
week day, and that they would not
/ be 80 busy on Sunday and could get
out in large numbers, and evidently
the idea is 70 have a large funeral on
/ Sunday. OF course a minister can't
always go, that is | can't. One time
! | had an invitation to attend fun
eral from some people | knew and
+ they said they wanted me to come II 1t
was a possible thing even If | had to
send to Boston to get man to take
j my place in the church service. /
told them | should have to do that as
there was no one in my Vicinity that
could do it, and beside that it would
mean practically three days of my
own time, it would take Saturday and
Sunday and Monday. | told them 1t
would be very expensive for them and
they said we'll that didn't make any
difference, ! must come. ! asked the
man with whom | was talking what
j he supposed would be the cost and
he said he didn't know, what would it
! be? | told him it would cost me
twenty-five dollars to get a clergyman
/ from Boston or Portland or some
place wherever | would have to send.
and then his expenses and my eX-
penses for going over to the town
where | was wanted and the time /
would have to be away, and the man
YVES perfectly astounded at the idea
of any such charge. They didn't
suppose 1t would be quarter of that
am happy to say that | think peo-
pie are becoming more and more sen
sible in regard to funeral services, al
though there are a good many even
now who want a very elaborate ser
vice. | always suggest to them that
they have the service as simple as
possible and some take very readily
to this suggestion. Others think they
want a sermon preached. | always tell
them that | never preach sermon
and when they inquire what order of
service | follow, | tell them few re-
marks If they wish for a little address
make a little address, and then read
the other regular religious services.
Some of them say that that does not
seem enough; they seem to think they
ought to have a lengthy discourse-a
lot of superficial remarks about the
deceased or something of that nature,
and they are hardly satisfied with any
thing less.
/ And then there is one other matter
| | want to speak about-a thing that
has in a good many instances been
very annoying to me, and that is the
matter of people constantly arriving
Il late at a funeral. When the hour
has been appointed and that hour has
arrived and the funeral director gives
the word to the minister to proceed
with the service, if the service is In
private house, usually the clergyman
is stationed in the central entry OF
the house. and the late comers must
annoy him If they are allowed to enter
by the front door. Each one that
comes he has to stop in his reading
or in whatever part of the service
he is engaged, and usually this hap
pens half a dozen times in order that
the people who have come late may
be let in and seated, when they might
lust as well have been there on time
at the appointed hour of the funeral
have several times asked the under
taker after he gave me the word 10
proceed with the service and every
thing was ready. to close the front
door. and let anybody who came later
after that time go around to the side
door. If this don't work then let
them wait outside and not come in to
disturb the services for those who
were there at the proper time, TINS
late coming and disturbance being
very rude to say the least. | don't
know why a funeral should not be
regal rded as a private matter just as
much as a wedding, and only relatives
and close friends of the family al
lowed in the house. A great many
people go to funerals in country
/ towns who have no other interest
than to see the house, the flowers,
the family and see how the people
i feel and all that sort of thing and
make comments on its afterwards
The quicker a cold Is gotten rid OF
! tVnn N IA