The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-09-21 00:00:00

FUNERAL OF ALICE BLANCHE
OSWALD.

The funeral of this unfortunate young woman took
place on Tuesday, at Woking Cemetery. The usual
cemetery train left the station in Westminster-road at
noon, but although no announcement of the funeral had
been made, there was quite a crowd of persons awaiting
the hearse which it Was supposed would contain the
corpse. This, however, had been sent down some days
previously. Other hearses arrived, and each was in.
epecte I in the hope that that which the spectators had
heen waiting for more than an hour tissee w as et 1 cot come.
Meanwhile email assembly of adies awl gentlemen was
forming in one of the waitineroomn upntairs. The simple
question, "Miss Oswald ? " was pet to each person on
appearing under the gloomy ari h, and if the answer
was in the affirmative, the visitor proceeded up a
gloomy staircase into one of the gloomy, noiseless,
and well-ctmchicted rooms of the station devoted to
the purpose. All counted, the number of individuals
who left London to liSiSiSt in the funeral ceremony did
not exceed thirty.
The service Was performed by the Rev. H.
R sherts, DO., and when the procession started the
chief mourner was Miss Stride, the well-kr own super-
intendent of the lice. in Bloomsbury. The funeral
was provide Iby the Rector of t. Clement Danes.
Since the rector kindly undertook to do this, Miss
Stride has been receiving subscriptions with the object
of purchasing the freehold of the grave, and erecting
such a stone as the surplus funds will allow.
Some American ladies and gentlemen, including
Mr. Nunn, the Vice-Consul, were among the little
knot of mourners.
The ceremony was extremely unpretentious. The
unpolished elm coffiu, with its black adornments,
and breast-plate containing the name, age, and
date of death of the deceased. Was wheeled, accord-
ing to the oustran at Woking where the grave is
often some distance from the church to the
selected spot, and the spectators gathered round
while Dr. Roberts impressively real the Burial Ser-
vice. Numerous eyes might have been observed dimmed
while the paseamis whieh come house to all sorts and
conditions of men at all times were being read. At
the nerds, "dust ti link. ashes to nshes." nevem.'
ladies scattered small quantities of the floe, dry, eansiy
HAI mein the coffin-lid, and one lady added to these
the hlsnoome of a white aster, which she had brought
from London for the express purpose. The preseribed
service having been finished, the rev. doctor, prefacing
his remarks with the hope that a departure from the
common custom would not be deemed out of place,
addressed those around him. He urged that it was a
terrible reflection upon our character for philan
thropy and Christian charity that everybody should
have remained unaware of the truly appalling cir-
cumstances of that young awl friendless strati:ter who
had come to our shore., and been cast upon her own
resources without any one to help her. He pointed
out that in the midst of her deep sorrow there was one
joy—might he not almost say a Christisn joy f—pro.
minent in her soul, viz., that she coul I prefer the
cl.rk valley of the shadow of death to the valley of
vice, which, though it might prove a gliumor of sun-
shine for ahi in hour, was cure in the end to become
involved in a black oln,curity that wits er.rlaating.
The great lesson which, he concluded, we ought
to learn was, that we had in this vast City no home
for strangers. Let the death of this innocent awl de-
spairing in be the heirisining of a movement to este-
blieh such a Home, avid. h should remicd future gene-
rations f one who preferred loath to dishonour. and
benefit the helphies in time of need. He recrossed the
hope, amounting almost to a belief. that this innocent,
unsullied soul, uninjured by the vice of the world, hail
passed to heaven, where she would find that Parent
and that home denied her on earth. At the speaker's
closing words the auditors uttered a fervent "Amen,"