The Democratic sentinel and Harrison County farmer. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1851-1852, 1852-03-24
TIE DRUNKARD'S FUNERAL;
A Scene in Newark, o.

"Can you attend funeral this afternoon
at 2 o'clOckP' inquired man beyond the
meridian of life, who stood at my door,
with an expression of sympathy upon bis
icountenance-"Csn You attend a funeral at
the corner of ---and streets p
There is man dead there and although he
Us poor, yet we do not like to bury him with
out some kind of religious services We
should be very glad to have you attend.
] 81 am sorry TO say that it is ont Of my
power TO comply with your request" re-
piled, ''as am previously engaged TO attend
a funeral at that hour in another direction
81 am very sorry sir" be replied; but af
ter moments reflection, again inquired.
I"Could you not come litIle later, If we
were to defer it an hour? Could YOU not
come at 5 o'clock?
81 think can" replied. cat all events
/ l will come as neaf that hour as possible?"
He left me, and at the appointed hour l
went to fulfill my first engagement. A man
of four score years was sleeping his last
long sleep. Relatives and friends were oc-
!cupying the comfortable and well furnished
apartments absorbed in grief.
J The services being over, the lengthy pro-
cessiop moved slowly onward to the peace
|, ful mansions of the dead.
1t was not a costly burial, but such as
we could desire for outseVes-plain, solemn,
appropriate-no'hing extravagant yet moth
) ing wanting; and while we felt that the bu-
rial was such as we could desire, there was
) Il congeniality also in the place selected for
: the last sleep of death, even our own beau
, tiful cemetry.
hnet -, 81.
appropriate obsequies, to obey my second
summons. An open wagon, with one horse
, attached, and four or five individuals were
standing near the door. felt chill run
. through my veins. Part Of fearful truth
was now revealed.
The keen November wind was blowing,
g and the sky wore, its gloomy antumnal AS
: pect, but feared there was keener anguish
and deeper gloom within. entered, at one
= glance at the table was told. It was the
} funeral of a drunkardl A small, cold, and
desolate chamber was appropriated for the
solemn services. Indeed, it was all they
had. Here for season had lived, and here
had died, and now from here was to be bu-
ried, husband and father, who had lived
: and died drunkard. 1t was adreary place.
s There, in one co ner, upon rough old ric-
| kgty table, from which they had often eaten
= their cold and cherries fare, was placed
2 the coffin, made of rough pine boards, slight
{ ly stained with red, in which was placed the
corpse. He was man perhaps of ffty.-
/ coarsely clad with grave clothes. His coun-
: tenance if an index 10 his state of mind, be-
o spoke nothing but gloom. Around, and Ln,
:, derneath his mead, where, in other places.
. had often seen the downy pillow and the
Y rich satin Innings, were stuffed few of the
S sEavings taken from the boards which COM
J. posed his coffin.
d looked with spirit almost crushed with
IS in me, first at this new trophy of the reign OF
}. death, and then at the living scene around
d me. Both were expressive of the deepest
o wretchedness. In an opposite corner, upon
h pile Of old cloths, rudely thrown together.
sat the unhappy widow, atallspare woman.
, pal. as the corpse before me. Hereyes were
large and sunken, and she was thinly and
,s poorly clad; and as she sat, she wrung her
to hands as il TO reliye the agony she felt with
in, while with almost every breath she gave
low, hollow, consumptive cough, which
m told me too plainly that death had marked
her for bis victim also.
l. Seyerallittle children were standing around
is and beside the table where the coffin rested,
Ig shivering with cold, and weeping from some
n, cause-weather they understood the mean
to ing of fathers death no not---and the tears
n, rolled down their pale and hollow cheeks,
upon the uncarpeted floor, in and briny
to drops. A few of the neighbors had gather
ed to attend the solemn services connected
with the funeral They were seated some
on boxes, others on an old worn out trunk,
while others stood. 1t was a gloomy scene,
at gloomler than the day without, ard the an
gu;sh keener than the biting blast
! stood there in the midst of that group
n. a minister of Christ. The Bible was before
me- the Bible so full Of denunciations Il.
gainst sin. But as looked around me. i,
seemed as if sin had denounced ITSELF
e. There were the visible, tangible, heart.fen-
ding fruits Of a goddess life. and If possible
nj the more revolving spectacle OF goddess
death, upon MI which seemed written, fur
to saken, hopeless, miserable. strove to di.
he rect attention to the necessity Of religion, 4,
na preserve us from the vices and miseries 81
life, and to its holy consultations to supper
us nnder the trials Of our earthly pilgrimage
But feared then and still fear. that II WAS
mn too late for such advice. There were hear,
cd there which had been 50 long accustomed
to the treachery OF men so stepped in sor-
row and accustomed to sin, that they eoule
hardly be led TO repose confidence in God
Having commended them to the.care q
heaven, and especially to the God Of III.
poor, the coffin was carried down the marrow
stairway, and the drankards family ha.
clad, and shisering in the keen Noyenhrl
a. wind, was placed in that open one horse
it'll wagon at the door, and following The hearse
le- drove lonely and sad through the streets Q
our Christian city, to the potter's Field, th'
in last resting place of the poor, where III
drunkard sleeps to-day unhcnored and ,lIl
Il. known.
serl Gg-A young gentlemen beingpresscd ve
,en icy hard in company to sing, even after h
ast had solemnly assured them that be conl,