Year: 1874

If the cremationiss have not entirely disappeared
from the face of Christendom they may be inter-
ested in the description of fashionable funeral that
recently took place in Bombay, where the remains
of the Hon. Narayan Wassodeo were reduced to
ashes with all the proper solemnities The rite OF
combustion was performed at spot set apart for
that purpose in the suburb of Sonapore. where the
lamented gentleman had spent great deal of
money in building a shelter and planting trees for
the comfort of mourners disp osed to look ON while
the pershable part of their deceased friends exhaled
in flames The body was borne to the burning
place in the evening attended by the relatives OF
the dead and long procession of the principal peo-
pie of Bombay. The sacred fire, which had Deen
kindled with due ceremonies at the house. was car
ried in front in brazen vessel by the son OF the de
ceased. Arrived at the ground, the bier, covered
with n uch white shawl was placed upon the
ground and prayers were recited while the attend
ants made ready the pyre. This was built OF logs
10 hight of three or four feet with layer of san
dal wood on top, and row of posts on each side
to prevent the body from falling Oft. The corpse
was then undressed till only cloth was left about
the loins and placed upon the pyre, with small
sticks of sandal wood lightly laid upon it, The son
of the deceased supposed to set fire to the pile but
there was only constructive compliance with this





tributed few sacred but harmless sparks among
the combustibles the mourners were led away and
turned their backs while the attendants proceeded
to business covering the corpse with good heap Of
fuel and setting it afame in dead earnest. There
seems upon the whole to have been much sham
about this Eastern rite there is about our Western
obsequies. There was just enough sandal wood to
swear by; no Spices jewels, and costly garments
were thrown into the flames; and we regret to say
that in spite of the holy brazen vessel of fire the pile
was finally kindled with matches. There was so
much difficulty in making it burn that oil was
thrown upon the wood. ceremonial apparently bor-
rowed from an Irish practice familiar to American
housewiyes-only in this case it was cocoanut oil
instead Of kerosene.


Cool are these September evenings. but infinitely
cooler is the conduct of R. A. Babbage, who used to
lve1n Dubuque and who now lives in Belgium, with
which we have Ito the great comfort of Babbagel no
extradition treaty. During the last Autumnal
panic, Babbage fled from Dubuque in q bad odor of
default. Lately gentleman in that city received
from him letter offering to act agent for some
patent B. said he looked forward to the time when
all his sins would be forgiven by the Dubuque peo
ple-when the general current of public opinion in
that city would not be in favor of sending him to
certain hot place. previously hanging him. The
gentleman receiving the letter sent sadly dis
couraging reply. lido not wish you to be hung"
he said 4" as you would be the only party benefited
by the transaction. hope you may live long
enough to realize the enormty Of the crimes you
have committed. and to make at least some efforts in
the way of atonement for Of the great injuries
you have done your friends and the community"
Not much show for the patent agency in that
letter


When the grasshopper or the "quinch bug" in
Kansas assumes human form, and, ravagng the
potato patch carries off the fruit for culinary pur-
poses the Kansas husbandman, no longer bothered
by the real insects, knows what to do. A market
gardener Leavenworth lately noticed ex-
traordinary creature digging away at the potatoes
1t was too large for grasshopper, and the gar
dener thought it necessary to quiet IL little before
pursuing his Investigations. So he blazed away
with his shotgun at the object, which, Immediately
tumbling over and rapidly writhing, turned out to
be human being named Carrigan. with ffty-sx
birdshot In his back. While the doctor was picking
out these leaden gobules, Carrigan also received
little physic for his soul in the shape of lecture
against stealing. which the doctor simultaneously
administered. This we can only regard as rather
rough. man with fifty-six birdshot in his back Is
In no condition to listen protitably TO Q sermon
AGAINST stealing potatoes Other yeQetable.