The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1842-09-17


beams Of tho rising suh
We were at breakfast when two Young mon
came for the coffin.
'What time did he die? asked the old man.
tie breathed till about midnight, but he never
spoke after dark
'Ay ! said the old lady, Il thought no would
die about the turn Of the tide. When do they bury
him?
This afternoon, after meeting
This strange custom obtains here almost univer
sally A dead body is seldom ken, in the hous6
more than one night, and sometimes not even one
More especially If an opportunity occurs to bury
the dead on Sunday is the last rite fastened since
the presence of the minister of religion, and day
OF leisure and of best clothes, all convenient.
such haste seems more excusable under such cir
cnmstances, when we consider the condition and
habits OF the country, but there are cases where II
LOOKS like an indecent or supersttious haste to
get lid OF a painful object. The superstitous feel.
ing is not, perhaps, very common: but there arc
some who are as they say, afraid of the bodies OF
their nearest friends This is generally found, if
at ALL in young people; and it arises probably from
their having been bred in neghborhoods so far scat
tered that deaths were very infrequent, and SO
came seldom under tn cir notice. have seen q
young woman who did not dare approach the
corpse of her husband unless some body went with
her and remained close at her side
Tho meeting ftha day Was held in large
barn at some miles distance. 1t was a quarterly
meeting of one Of the sects most numerous in this
country, and great numbers attended from every
direction. The central part or bay Of the barn
was hlled with seats of rough boards, and long
sea; tor the preachers enclosed after the same
style. The place was crowded to such degree,
that even after many men and boys had perched
themselves on beams and other out of the way
places, there were still numbers who remained in
their wagons, drawn up might be, so as
to he able 10 hear all that was said And this was
not SO dhcuit for in most cases the sF eakers, who
were seven in number, extended their lungs to
degree that had seldom heard equalled.
In spite OF many unpleasant circumstances natd.
rally lnseparabe from gathering of this kind the
scene was very impressive one. Tho greatest at
tentIon prevailed, and there an air of revelen
and devotion which is not always the attendant on
the long drawn aisle and the solemn organ. The
speakers advnrted more than once TO the circum-
stances Of cur Saviors birth; andg indeed nothing
could be more natural than the connection which
brought that humble yet glorious scene to mind. Ii
was needless then to warn against despising our
place of worship.
Inc preachers all poke in inrn, but OF course
each briefly. Prayer and singing came between
these short sermons, the singing seeming sponta
neous, as no hymns were given out One of the
ministers would begin singing without any previ-
Gus notice and if taking for gran ted that every
body would be able 10 join, as indeed many did,
forming choral swell of wild and so lemn melody
The sacrament followed, and it was admins.
tered and received with much appearance Of ear.
nest devotion. Ere yet the holy rite finished,
the body of The unfortunate Mallory, and with il
his weeping wife and her bereaved children. were
all in the midst before were aware. The coffin
placed on ueslles, before the preachers desk,
and after the communion, Of the ministers ono
who had long been a neg hbor of the deceased pro
nounced a funeral sermon unprecedented Of
course but who could lack most touching topics
OF instruction such occasion as this?
Funeral hymns were now sung and prayers offer
ed for the afflicted family; and then the whole mul
titude followed the corpse in solemn procession to
the burial place This a sweet lonely spot,
enclosed, even in the heart of the wilderness with
pous care. There were many tall trees left stand
ing, and beneath them few graves marked only
by piece Of wood at the head and feet. In 81.
lence the dust committed TO its kindred dust,
in silence, If we except many sob, and when
all was DONE venerable old man, in the name Of
The family, thanked friends and neigbors for their
aid and sympathy, and with bow of his slyery
head, dismissed the assembly. .t 'a-. .af..
Boy SHOT HIS BRoTHER.-On the Sd ult.