THE "FUNERAL REFORM ASSOCIATION." 39 



conversation. " Mourning," whether taking the form of 

 black clothing, black-edged letter-paper, or the outward 

 indications of woe which are usually so prominent at 

 the modern funeral, was absolutely abhorrent to him. 

 He could feel the loss of a friend deeply ; but on re- 

 ligious, as well as upon other grounds, would never 

 show his sorrow in the orthodox manner. And, long 

 before he joined the Association at all, he wrote out 

 careful directions for his own funeral, whenever it 

 should come ; expressing the very strongest desire that 

 everything connected with it should be of the plainest 

 possible description, that no lead coffin should on any 

 account be used, and that no mourning should be worn 

 for him by the members of his family. 



This was a subject upon which he undoubtedly felt 

 very strongly. It seemed so plainly evident to him 

 that the more extravagant forms of mourning were 

 utterly opposed to the spirit of the Christian religion 

 deeds giving the lie to words ; and that the ordinary 

 system of burial is merely a vain and reasonless attempt 

 to delay that which is inevitable in the end. He re- 

 cognised the sanitary side of the question, too, and 

 urged the mischief often caused to the living by the 

 unsatisfactory and illogical disposal of the dead. And 

 so, as a question of religion, as well as one of plain 

 common-sense, he did all that lay in his power to 

 further the objects of the Association, and to enlist 

 others in the cause. 



Had his time permitted him, he would, I think, 

 have taken up the question even more enthusiastically 



