Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1852-03-25
THE DRUNKARD's FUNERAL
A SCENE IN NEWARK.

noon al z o'clockl inquired man BE-
Iyond the meridian Of life who stood al
my door, with an expression of sympa-
thy upon his countenance-sscan you
attend funeral at the corner o.
and--streets? There is dead man
there, sir, and, altho' he is poor, vet we
do not like to bury him without some
kind of religious services. We should
be very glad, sir, if You could attend"
81 am sorry to say that it is out of my
power TO comply with your request !"
| replied, ''inasmuch as | am previous
ly engaged to attend funeral at that
hour in another direction"
al am very sorry, sir" he replied,
but after moments reflection again in
quired-"couId you not come a little
later if we were to defer il an hourl
Could You not come at 3 o'clock?"
"I think | can," | replied. "At all
events, | will come as near that hour as
possible"
He left me, and at the appointed time
| went to fulfill my first engagement
A man of four score years was sleeping
his last long sleep. Relatives n d
friends we're occupying the comfortable
and well furnished apartments, absorbed
in grief. The services being over, the
lengthy procession moved slowly on
ward to the peaceful mansion ofthe dead.
1t was not a costly burial, but such as we
could desire for ourselves. plain, SOL
emn, appropriate, nothing extravagant,
Yet nothing wanting, and while we felt
that the congenialiiy also in the place
selected for the last sleep of death, even
our own beautiful and quiet cemetery.
| hastened from these solemn, order
", and appropriate obsequies 10 obey my
second summons. An open wagon,
with one horse attached, and four or FIVE
were standing near the door.
| felt chill run through my veins
Part OF fearful truth was now revealed.
The keen November wind was blowing.
and the sky wore its gloomy autumna
aspect, but feared there was keener
anguish and deeper gloom within.
entered, and at one glance the tale was
told. 1t was the funeral ofa drunkard.
4 small. cold, and desolate chamber
was appropriated for the solemn ser
vice. Indeed, it was all they had
Here for a season had lived, and here
1ad died, and now from here was to be
buried, a husband and father, who had
lived and died a drunkard. 1t was a
lreary place-There in one corner,
lpon a rough old rieaety table, from
which they had often eaten their cold 4
md cheerless fare, was placed the cof.
in, made Of rough pine boards, slightly
tained with red, in which was placed
he corpse. He was a man perhaps Of
fifty. coarsely clad with grave clothes
lis countenance, if an index to his state
f mind, bespoke nothing but gloom
Iround, underneath his head, where, in
ther places, had often seen the downy
illow and the rich satin Innings, we're
tuffed few of the shavings roughly |
lken from the boards which composed I
is coffin.
| looked with spirit almost crushed
-ithin me, first at this new trophy of the /
aign OF death, and then at the living !
cene around me. Both were express. /;
re Of the deepest wretchedness. In an :
pposite corner, upon a pie of old
Iothes rudely thrown together, sat the s
nhappy widow, a tall, spare woman, y
ale as the corpse before me. Her dark
yes were large and sunken, and sne :
as thinly and poorly clad; and as she }
It, she wrung her hands as if to relieve n
e agony she felt within, while with al 4
lost every breath she gave low, hol- v
w, consumptive cough which told me h
10 plainly that death had marked her a
n his victim also. Several little chill j
ZEN were staEding around and beside n
Ie table where the coffin rested, shiv-
ing with cold. and weeping from some
luse whether they understood the :: y
Gaming of fathers death or not-and u
e tears rolled down their pale and hol- 81
W cheeks, upon the uncarpeted floor, "
large and briny drops. A few ofthe a
,ighbors had gathered TO attend the SOL
nm services connected with the fune-
]. They were seated some on in
,xes, others upon an old worn out h
unk, while others stood. II was a "
Oomy scene. gloomier than the day NJ
ithout, and the anguish keener than al
e biting blast. 10
stood there in the midst Of that OF
CUP, q minister Of Christ. The y
bic was before me-the Bible so be
\ of denunciations against SIM ct
II as looked around me, it seemed m
if sin had denounced itself. There ro
sre the visible, tangible, heari-ren. a
lg fruits Of goddess life, and if br
ssible, the more revolving specta-
Of goddess death, upon all which
imed written, lorsaken, hopeless, o. o.
serabIe. / strove to direct atten- 81 q,
n 10 the necessity Of religion to 90 %
serve US from the vices and mise "e
S Of life, and to its holy consola-
ms TO support US under the trials ~
our earthly pilgrimage. But ! =.
red then, and still fear, that il was -. ,Ig
, late for such advice. There ~" S"'
re hearts there that had so long ~
IN accustomed to the treachery Of
N, SO stepped in sorrow and accus-
ned to sin, that they could hardly Ks
led TO repose confidence in God. psr
wing commended them TO the care in,
- a.nar;aliv IN the Cod