The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-07-22

Noioreo pcopic are supposed 10 De
inordinately fond of display at fu-
nerals. The funeral services of
well-known citizen make kind of
holiday. Men and women lose a
half day, or a whole day, from their
work, in order to hear the minis
ter's eulogy, to listen to the "reso-
lutions," to hear the soloist sing
"Shall we meet beyond the river?"
to see the various lodge brethren
perform the final mystic rites, and
lastly, but not least, to feast on the
truck load of flowers which we'll
meaning but misguided, persons have
paid real money for to add color
to what might otherwise be a rather
drab event.
II would seem, however, that we
are not alone in our worship of the
externals of funeral occasions, for
at Seaford, in the State of Delaware,
a few weeks ago according to re-
port in the Catholic Citizen") a fu-
neral procession travelled a mile in
the direction of the cemetery before
it was discovered that the corpse had
been left behind.
The procession was all right, but
the main reason for it had been for
gotten. The hearse was there, but
so filled with flowers that there was
really no place to put the dead body.
We are not told how the corpse got
word to the mourners that he was
still waiting at the church," but
fortunately his absence was noted
before the cemetery was reached.
The above incident furnishes an
opportunity for some remarks anent
funerals in general.
Most funeral services are too
long. In the case of a celebrity,
there are countless resolutions,
Whereas il has pleased God, and so
forth, be it resolved that copy be
spread on the minutes and a copy
sent to the bereaved family" (which
is NEVER done).
Then there is the Obituary, which
ought to consist of very brief state
ment as to the date of birth and
demise OF the deceased, with his
birthplace, and some reference to his
or her immediate relatives, such as
husband, wife, children.
Generally this very necessary fea-
| ture is overdone, and the statement
! is stretched to include what train
the deceased took to get from his
birthplace to the city in which he
died, whether it was a cold day when
he arrived, how many revivals he
was converted in, and that he died
in the full triumph of the faith"
with his finger pointing downwards.
OF course, there is the sermon.
Ninety per cent of them are too
long. This is always the case where
the deceased left a poor record be-
hind. The minister is expected by the
family to "argue" him into heaven,
or he hears about it for the next
ten years.
More often than not, there are the
| fraternal organizations. If the de-
ceased was a good "joiner," there
are invariably several lodges present,
in full regalia, and each lodge in
sists on paying its peculiar last trib-
ute of respect, consisting of some
written forms and abracadabra in
tended to mystify the curious crowd
present, and impress them with the
Importance of belonging to the Sis
tiers of the Mysterious Ten, or the
Sons and Daughters of Rest, or
whatever lodge it may be.
1nterspersed with this are several
touching" solos, such as "Will the
circle be unbroken," an the sweet
by and by" and other selections of
like nature, calculated to bring tears
to the eyes of the most hardened
| spectator present.
No funeral is complete without
the large crowd of morbidly curious
onlookers, who have come out for
many reasons, some to hear what
the deceased said when he was
"about to die" some to see how the
widow looks in black, some to listen
to and admire the mental agility of
the minister preaching a gambler
straight into heaven, some to observe
the floral tributes, and some (be-
lieve it or not) out of pure cussed-
ness, to see whether the deceased
''looks natural"
Finally, there is the invitation to
'view the remains"-and persons
who never saw or heard of the de-
ceased in his or her lifetime march
down the aisle expecting to see God
only knows what.
Generally, this takes two or three
hours. All the while the immediate
/ IL