The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-11-30

The False Funeral.

| never liked my uncle's business,
though he took Inc when my father
died, and brought me mp as his own
son. Tho good man had no children.
His wife was long dead and he had an
honest old woman for housekcepcr,
and n hourishing business in the I'M
deitakng line, TO leave to somebody,
but he did not leave it to me, and III
tell YOU the reason.
When ] had been about five years
with him, and had grown worth my
salt rs he used to say, death occur
ned in our neighborhood, which ceused
greater lamentation than any we had
heard Of since my apprenticeship be-
gan The deceased gentleman was u
Mr.. Ellsworthy. The family had been
counted gentry in their days.
should have said my uncle lived in
York, and all the world knows what
Yorkshire families arc Well, the
fllsworthys were of good family, and
very proud of it, though they had lost
every acre of a good old estate which
had belonged TO them time out OF mind
L am not sure whether il was their
grandfather's dice and cock fighting,
or their fathers going surety for
friend who did something wrong in a
government Office, that brought them
to this poor pass; but there was no
house in all York where candles went
further, and tea-leaves were better
used up. There was mother, two
sisters, and cousin who lived with
them. The mother was q stately lady,
never seen ont of black brocade.
The sisters were not over young or
handsome The cousin was counted
one of the prettiest women in York
shire, but She walked with crutch.
having met with an accident in her
childhood Master Charles was the
only son, and the youngest of the fami-
ly He was tall, handsome, dashing
young man, uncommonly polite, and n
great favorite with the ladies. 1t is
said there were some red eyes in the
town, when the story got wind that he
was going 10 be married TO the Hon.
Miss Westhay. Her father was young
or brother to the Earl of Harrowgate,
and had seven girls beside her. with
out penny for one of them; but Miss
Westbay was a beauty, and the Won
der was that she had not got married
long ago-being nearly seven Yeas
out, dancing, singing, and playing tip
top pieces at all the parties. Half 70
dozen matches had been talked of for
her, but somehow they broke down
one after another Her father was
rather impatient to sec her off; aud SO
were his sisters, poor things, and no
wonder, for, grow up MS they might,
not one OF them would the old man
suffer TO come out till the eldest was
disposed of, and at last there seemed
something like n certainty of that bust
ness. Young Mr.. Ellsworthy and she
struck up courtship. He was fasci-
nated-isn't that the word Pat an
assize ball, paid marked attentions ut
the bishops party, and was believed to
have popped the question at a pic ME,
after Lord Harowgate, the largest
shareholder in the North Eastern
Bank, got him promoted from clerk
/ ship to be manager. It's true he was
some years younger than Miss West
bay, and people said there had been
something between him and his pretty
cousin; but lords niece, with beauty,
accomplishments, and serviceable
connection, does not come in every
young mans way; so the wedding day
was fixed for the first of January, and
all the milliners were busy with the
brides bonnets and dresses.
1t was just month to come, and
everybody was talking of the match,
when Mr. Ellsworthy fell sick At
first they said it was n cold; then it
turned to brain fever; at last the
doctor gave no hopes, and within the
same week Mr.. Ellsworthy died. The
whole neighborhood was cast into
mourning A promising young man,
in manner the only dependence of
his family, newly promoted to station
of trust and influence, and on the eve
of marriage, everybody lamented his
untimely death, and sympathized with
his bereaved relations and his intend
ed bride. think my uncle lamented
most Of all. None of his customers, to
my knowledge, ever got so much of his
sorrow. When he was sent for in the
way Of business, it struck me that he
stald particularly long The good
man could talk OF nothing but the af
ficted family how the mother went
into fits, and the sisters tore their hair
how the cousin talked of wearing
mourning all her days-and how it
was feared that Mrs Westbay, who
insisted on seeing him, would never
recover her senses. The county pa
pers gave expression to the public
grief. There were a great many vers-
es written about it. Nobody passed
the house OF mourning without sigh
or suitable remar'. My uncle SUI
perintended the making of the coffin,
as | had never seen him do any other;
and when the workmon had gone
home he spent hou 5 ut night, finish
ing it by himself
The funeral was to set ons for the
family vault, in the Minister church at
Beverly, about three o'clock in tho af-
tonoon. 1t was made strictly pri-
vate affair, though hundreds OF the
towusmen would hayc testified their