The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-12-18
TIE FEARFUL FUNERAL.
By res. n. MURRAY. D. ..

BY REv. n. MURRAY. D. ?.
1t was on the morning OF cold, chilly
iay IN the month of April, that ! was thss
interrupted il my studies BY one Of m,
clildren:
spa, there is queer looking man in the
lpar,or who wants 10 see YOU On cn,er-
ing the room, nv eye lii upon man who
was queer looking indeed, because biz
'ress, face, and Whole appearance, pro
claimed him a drnnkard. he rose on my
entering the room, and with that thus ai-
dressed me:
i come sir. TO ask sou to attend the
lfiner;tl, his afternoon
| who said !. is dend'
"A frieA1 Of mine By the name Of s.
he replied.
| where did be liver
'Whs,' said be, he lived in no place in
particular. except at the grocery OF Mr..
H.
Iasked, 'of what disease, dill he die?'
.Whs,' snid he, dropping bis connten-
anc, ! hardly know; bu, bc,werssou and
| alone, be wns pretty bard drnker.'
At The hour appointed, went TO the
house Of death. There were ten or twelve
men present, and with two or three cycep-
| lions they were all drunkards. went up
u the coarse pine coffin, and gazed upon q
corpse, not pale and hagrard, but b'oued
and black as The raven wing. There were
two brothers present both inebria,es, and
as pnfecling ns if the body Of q beast lay
dead l,efore them. From the undertaken, !
g1ined The following narrative us TO the
| death Of the deceased:
He was the son Of respectable but ire
iioious parents, whn, instead Of spending
The Sabbath in the House Of God, either
spent i, in idlcacss or doing their own
work. Whilst vet young be became Sab
bath vsgrant--j lined profane companions
--acqaired tho habit Of drinking; mud so
rapidIy grew the love of drink intoa rank
| ling passion. that nj mature Years he was
confirmed drunkard. His parents died.
and the porien Of property ,ha, fell to his
lot WINS sqnandered. And for years be has
heen. drunk every dav, snid my informant.
bat how asked. did he get the mon
ey 10 buy the liqnor.'
.Fie was emp'ored,' replied he, by Mr..
Il, to shoot squirrels in the woods.
snd 10 catch water rats in the marshes;
and for tho skins of these be had been paid
10 whiskey. Notody would see him
starve. and he usually slept in the garre'
yer the grocery Yesterday, he was TAX
en sick, very sick, in the grocery. Mr.
tt, instead Of giving lima bed,
tufned him out fthe house. lie was ihcn
in dying state and at a short distance
from the house, fell in the street. He was
taken into a negro hut, and laid on the
Il or, where be died in less than an hour.
The negroes were very ignorant aud su
lDerstiiiaus. AMI were afraid to have the
corpsein The room. 1, was carried to u
barn. This poor bu, pious family hearing
ihe circumstances, took the corpse to their
house, and have mado these preparations
TOR It's burial.'
rcad a portion Of the scriptures, and
FIR a few IN meats discolrsed to them on
the effects OF -in-l dwelt on the hardening,
fearful efec,s Of iniemrerance. Bnt there
was no feeling. prayed with them bui
there was no reverence. And they al
,azed with a vacant kind Of stare, as j.
their minds had cvapnrated and as II The
fiery liquid had burned gu, their consclen-
ces. The coffin was closed and placed IN
he henrse We ioceeaed with slow and
5 lemn pacc 10 the house appointed for all
|the living; and a feeling cumo ever me rs
passed along the s,ree,to be followed hy
a half dozen inyeieraie topers. The coffin
vas placed upon the bier, and was carried
by four drunkarls. who were actually reel,
ag under their load. 10 a secluded spot n
the graveyard, where il was covered up
under the clod Of the valley; and the TIVE
b, o. hers went back to the house Of death
he srog shop, 10 drink, aud TO die sifnit
ifr dea,h aud to 90 early down 10 the same
ignoblc grave. The others lingering Tor !;
few moments, arrested by the thought that
the grave would soon he their house fol.
lowed. stood for a short time over the
grave, after all had retired, panderng the
decply Impressive scenes through which |
had so rapidly passed. Aud Is this, said !
to n,yscIf, the grave Of the drnnkartg-
Wrsleyan.
WEIGHING ToBAcco SMoKE-Slr Wal
ter Raleigh's tobacco box, and some OF hl>
pipes, was taiely cxtcHt, and laid up among
The rarities in the museum of that curious
lau,iquaran, the iate Mr.. R,tph Thones5y.
A. V..f sItc