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Show this society has increased to over 35,000 members; President M. K. Knbwlton felt to endorse all that bad been said. If we have perfect faith we can be healed instantly, but we must be obedient to the will of our Father in heaven. Life is not the dearest gift, a great many, things are of more importance. Be reconciled to the will of the Father what. ' , ever it is. "Sister Mary S. Clark, a very reverend woman for many .years first counselor in the Stake was well pleased to see so large a congregation who were willing to lay aside their work for one day and attend conference. Set a good Let us attend to our prayers. I pray we example before our children. may be blessed as a people and live to receive the reward prepared for the faithful. Conference aejourned for three months. Singing. "The Spirit of God like a fire is burning." Benediction, Sister Catherine Knowlton. IIulda L. Miller, Sec, . BURIAL CUSTOMS IN ENGLAND. .Every Country has its peculiarities, and England is no exception. One thing noticeable is the church building at the cemetery, with its .wide covered arch, which separates not held at the home, but at the church or chapel mentioned. aecording to the faith of the departed. As a rule the funeral cortege drives under the arch, the coffin is borne into church on the shoulders of four or six pall bearers. The coffins are plain, of heavy wood and have no shell, everything is black about the ceremonies. Only rarely friends accompany the mourn- ers who are composed of members of the : family only. The pall bearers are paid for services; and onbne occasion we saw the money handed to them, while the closing portion of the burial service was being read. Lonesome indeed the little group look, as they occupy the few seats in the church. The coffin is somewhat elevated; everything is cold, dreary and cheerless. The priest reads the burial service of the Church of England, portions of which is taken from the fifteenth chapter of Corinthians, in that monotonous, chanting tone, but always the words "I am the resurrection and the life" Service being over the pall are quoted. bearers carry the coffin as before; the priest in his white robe, with wide bishop sleeves, and black surplice over nis biacK dress, and prayer book pressed to his . breast, solemnly leads the. procession to the grave, where he again reads, "Man that is born of woman, " into the world, and assuredly we can take nothing out. Dust to dust (when the sexton throws in a little hand full of earth) ashes to ashes. 0, Lord have mercy on our souls. Amen," . Looking down into the grave about nine feet deep (four or five are buried on each other) the bereaved ones droppinga. few quiet tears turn away,' leaving the form so dear to them, to be covered up at the time and convenience of the sexton. And well it is in one way; they cannot see how the coffin is jerked around to free it of the ropes. In one instance. they were caught; a lad about fourteen, was dropped down on. the coffin, and lighting on the plate with his hobnailed shoes, crushed it in; the sexton joking.meanwhile and laughing, was pulling up2 the ropes, when, a handle torn from its a Etentngs was pulled up, falling on the cof With feelings fin. teres .rtf'A. ..urVrftTcrirfT from ViP rhnnpl indescrifctUe ' of the edifice before mentioned." Num: ; away. . A warm day in the early autumn, again ia? vites a walk through the cemeteryrand with book in hand it is a pleasure, to sit on one of the rustic seats, charmingly situated in a leafy alcove, commanding a view of the grounds, and there study concerning the mystery of life and death, and God's word concerning us, and our state hereafter. Meditating in deep thought, a little funeral procession catcher the eye. Slowly it wends its way, to only a short distance from the epot, where we are sitting, where plainly to be eeen is an open grave, not before noA pall bearer with white gloves, is ticed. carrying a little white coffin, whose occupant could not have been many weeks in this "vale of tears" the young father and mother following. The first baby was plainly written, as the group surrounded the grave. The service is read,Hhe minister returns to the church; the bereaved parents look down, (the mother's heart in her eyes,) for the last glimpse of the tiny coffin, when her strength failing, she is supported by her husband. Then walk they wearily back to the desolate home. A few tears of sympathy fall for the unknown mourners. The scene brings back other days, when we were the chief mourners in a like drama, in a land beyond the sea. The present fades, and the hill far away, where sleep thousands of God's children and pangs of sorrow again fill rises the heart that was bereaved in the days long ago. Still watching the young couple descending to the gate, thfe glory cf a Utah sunset comes vividly to mind; and standing by the graves of a household, we look to the West; again the crimson and gold dazzle the eye, as the sun's, last rays, scintillate over the broad bosom of the Great Salt Lake. The well known surroundings are there; and stepping lightly on the green grass that covers them over, each mound is visited. I3ut it is only a day dream, the present comes forcibly to mind, as the thud of a heavy iron falls on the ear, and suddenly we become aware that the little grave is being filled up. Is it possible that they are pounding on that frail, little coffin in that way? Yes, it is too true. One manthrows in a few shovels full of earth, while another stands in the grave and pounds it down. It makes one shudder; every thud seems to strike the heart, for surely that little one must be crushed to pieces. This is the custom, so that the earth taken out, is forced back again; then the sod that has been rolled on the side, is again replaced and on the morrow, none would ever knew an interment , to-vie- had taken place. Sick at heart we leave for the town, wondering if every one who has been laid there to rest, had been beaten out of all semblance of the human, as soon as left by their loved ones. How dear is home and the customs of the Saints! VA Winter Burial. The day has been bleak and cold, the sun giving no light, to dispel the gloom. Walking rapidly on the broad, hard road of the cemetery, we see a funeral ' sidet bers of mourners iollow the pall bearers, and a clergyman (Wesleyan) precedes them to the grave. The' prayer book is opened, a rather lengthy service read; when near its close, in a solemn voice he says, 'Oh, Lord may this sister come forth in the General Resurrection, at the Great and Last Day." The mourners seem much affected, little groups of themtaking their last farewell, of this aged mother and friend; then they bIow-l'y- turn away, going back to the duties of the living, one Martha remarking, "that she must hp cninfrw go as to be back to eet tea." The children (all grown) with their friends, take out. the immense handkerchiefs used here, which as they flutter, look like white flags, wipe their falling tears,- then follow the rest down the green slope and soon all are gone. The casket is not known here, the old fashioned coffin still holds its own, and the grave is dug to that shape. Looking down we read the name, and ""aged 60 years." e service ring in But the closing words our ears, "to come forth in the General Resurrection at the Great and Last Day." 0, is Yet all be! will that how long that they no ask. She had been a good mother, doubt, of cold winter and through heat of summer had struggled on in life; had bome the sons and daughters who had just laid her away; had fulfilled her life mission to the best of her understanding and ability; she had grown weary of the many and heavy burdens of life, its crosses and losses and had now fallen asleep on the way, and was laid here until "The General Resurrection at the Great and Last Day." . 0T the darkness of the human mind, when it is not illuminated by the light of truth! Other scenes of like naturecome to mind, where the spot is reverently dedicated, for the repose of the. precious dust; that it may be protected from the elements, from all that would disturb; and there rest under the charge of angels, "untij the trump shall sound, and the dead in the Lord shall come forth, in the Morning of the First Resurrection, clothed with principalities and powersr to dwell on the earth with the Redeemer a thousand years." Then softly the hymn floats on the air, "Rest for the weary soul, - - - of-th- . Rest for the aching head; Rest on the hillside rest, With the uncounted dead.' ' But the sexton with aids come up to cover up the sleeper, and the spell is broken. It is a dull November day in England, and the fog is settling down. With a warm feeling in our hearts, of gratitude to God for the Gospel; for a prophet's voice, and for an as- surance, that if faithful, we will not have to sleep, until "the General Resurrection, at the Great and Last Day, we leave, the City of the Dead. Lydia D. AldeE. f Dr. Cora Smith Eaton is chairman of the Committee on Local Arrangements for the National Suffrage Convention, to be held in : Seattle July next. V: R. K. THOMAS DRY GOODS CO. 67-69- 71 OUR SPECIALTY Main Street, Salt Lake City. ladies- - ready-to-wea- r OF EVERY DESCRIPTION. garments TRY ' US ' ; - |