THE MODERN CEMETERY. 
137 
Nothing now remains of the old Bellefontaine 
fortifications, but the old Post graveyard and tomb- 
stones are still there. The great spring has been 
merged in the Missouri river by the erratic changes 
of current and location of that strangely willful 
stream, though at low water its location can still be 
determined. But the old name still clings and 
makes a most euphonious one for the slightly more 
modern cemetery of our day. Consecration Dell 
is appropriate, as here the opening ceremonies oc- 
curred: Amaranth and Laburnum hills are arbi- 
trary, but have a pleasant old time flavor that recalls 
Miss Austen’s novels; Mount Repose is a fitting 
name for one of the heights overlooking the Missis- 
sippi where rest a host of the forefathers of St. 
Louis, their names the warp of city’s history; and 
from Vista Hill one gets broad and splendid views 
up and down the. great river for miles as well as 
across it and over the fertile levels of Illinois, that 
are part of the far-famed Valley of the Mississippi. 
As far as seen there is no plot in Bellefontaine 
where any attempt at artistic planting has been 
made. It seems to be an unknown feature of deco- 
ration in a cemetery that should lead in this respect, 
for the natural advantages of the site are far and 
away beyond anything that can be accomplished on 
made land, and much of the finest shrubbery thrives 
well about St. Louis. One has but to visit the 
interesting and instructive shrubberies connected 
with the Missouri Botanical Garden to get a long 
list of varieties that can be seen growing; each with 
its name attached. And in Calvary Cemetery, right 
next door, is the Lucas plot than which there could 
scarcely be anything better in its line, barring the 
shaft, which is not happy. But Bellefontaine has 
a bit of stonework that is artistically good in the 
Wainwright vault or memorial but recently comple- 
ted. It is unique and deserves a paper to itself. 
The members of the Association of American Cem- 
etery Superintendents seem to have found out that 
the world “do move,” but there is room for the 
knowledge to spread. 
The Bellefontaine Association is but one of sev- 
eral that should lead in the new movement that is 
to the end of making the cemeteries of the United 
States pleasanter places for the living and less grue- 
some for the dead. The management of Bellefon- 
taine hold that a cemetery without stones would be 
like the play of Hamlet with the leading character 
omitted. Would it not rather be more like leaving 
out the ghost? The ghost of old time notions that 
obtained in years gone by before even the Centen- 
nial, much less the beautiful World’s Fair, had awa- 
kened us to the fact that there is such a thing as art; 
that beauty is a part of religion. Yes, whole ar- 
mies of ghosts stalk abroad there, and in many other 
cemeteries too, where landscape art and a little good 
statuary would make tasteful and beautiful resorts 
instead of the unsightly places they are now. Pla- 
ces where stones of every size and shape, like some 
unclassified fungi, have sprung up, disagreeably 
suggestive to the sensitive of poisonous exhalations 
and of environments to be avoided. Such great 
crops ot stones are neither useful nor beautiful, they 
are mostly only stupid. Few would think of ma- 
king the surroundings of their living friends so for- 
lorn, formidable, and devoid of interest. It seems 
rather unfair to treat them less well when they can 
no longer speak for themselves. Truly, Hamlet 
would remain, the tragedy would go on, the ceme- 
tery be just as populous. And instead of all inter- 
est taking flight with the useless stones that cum- 
ber most grave grounds there would, or should be 
the uplifting and never dying interest of beautiful 
objects. Of well chosen landscape beauty, that is 
to say, an adaptation of nature’s beauties to the 
conditions of the site, and to cemetery require- 
ments; the beauty of artistic planting; and here and 
there in this beautiful setting, against this beautiful 
background there would, or should, be sculpture 
that has received the impress of an artist’s mind, 
instead of senseless blocks of stone that have recei- 
ved no impress save that of a stonemason’s chisel. 
Rather than be condemned to take • ones last 
rest in such forbidding grounds, where ugly stone 
ghosts stalk abroad by day as well as by night — 
Commend our bodies to the vasty deep. 
Where clear sea waters flow. 
Where shifting sea weeds sweep. 
Where forms of beauty come and go. 
And gleaming jewels keep 
Watch, through long years and slow 
Of dreamless sleep. 
Fanny Copley Seavey. 
The prevalence of pneumonia, lagrippe and sim- 
ilar maladies at this season of the year gives em- 
phasis to the importance of remembering the oft re- 
peated advice about removing hats at funerals. If 
the attending clergyman or the undertaker fails to 
intimate to the mourners that they remain with cov- 
ered heads during the ceremony it is clearly within 
the province of the superintendent to do so. Peo- 
ple should be warned against the dangers conse- 
quent upon the observance of this custom. Many 
fatal results have been traced to it and there can be 
no disrespect shown either the dead or the living by 
adhering to a custom that is detrimental to the 
healthiest of persons. A word of caution to the 
minister may save many a life. 
* * * 
I make a three-fold use of the Modern Ceme- 
tery; first as a text book for myself; second to lend 
to lot owners to educate them up to modern ideas, 
and to the editor of our local paper in the hope that 
he may give, through its means, some instruction 
to the public. — H. Hulme, Asst. Snpt., Grove Cem- 
etery, New Brighton, Pa. 
