The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-07-02
GIN THE POETS CORNER. /"
The obsequies OF Charles Dlckens-His
Final Resting Place.
from the London Times.l

+ / y Ii IL u " IL j j IL Oo'
The wish Of the people of England has pre-
Church of st. Peter, at Westminster. Our
readers will learn with surprise and satisfac-
ton that the funeral of the great novelist was
celebrated at an early hour yesterday morn
ing, in Poets Corner, with as much privacy as
could have been secured for IL in any little vii
lage church in Kent, OF even In Wales or
Cornwall. A grave had been dug during the
night, and we believe we are right In assert
ing that, besides the dean and canons, hardly
a member OF the cathedral body on Monday
evening was aware Of the intended arrange
ment It appears that some days ago the dean
sent a communication to the family Of Mr.
Dickens to the effect that If 1t was desired by
themselves or by the public that he should
be buried in the Abbey, he would do all IN his
power to facilitate the arrangements; ana
also that on Monday, suggesting that
man, he repeated the offer in terms more dis
tinct. Most fortunately, it was found, upon
opening Mr.. DIckenss win, that, although his
Instructions were explicit In forbidding all
pomp and show, and all that 'smockery OF
woe" which undertakers are at such pains to
provide, he had named no place OF burial; and,
therefore, his executors felt that 1t was open
to them to concur with the national wish, II
they could only insure secrecy as to place and
time. This was arranged satisfactorily on
Monday, and at On earlNhour yesterday morn
ing the body was conveyed, almost before any
one was stirring, In hearse from Gadshill to
one of the railway stations of the London.
Chatham and Dover line, whence it was for
warded to London by special train, which
reached the Chartng- cross station punctlally at
O'Clock. In a few minutes more the hearse,
which was plainness itself, was on it's way
down Whitehall to the Abbey, followed by the
mourning coaches, and we believe that not a
single person Of the many scores who must
have met the gloomy caValcade as 1t slowly
paced along, was aware that that hearse was
conveying to its last resting place all that was
mortal of Charles Dickens.
A few minutes before $3.50 the hearse and
mourning eoaches--the latter three In number
entered Deans yard, and the body was car
ried through the cloisters TO the door of the
nave, where it was met by the dean, the two
canons in residence, Canon Jennings and
Canon Nepeau, and three Of the minor canons
The choir were not present, and indeed, for
the most part, were unaware that grave had
been opened in the Abbey and that the sounds
Of the burial service were about to be heard
there once more, more than half a year having
passed by since the last funeral-that of MIR.
Peabody. The service was most impressively
read by the dean, all but the Lessons, which
were read BY the senior canon. There was no
anthem, no chanted psalms, no hymn, not
even an intoned response or "Amen;" but the
organ was played at intervals during the
m0urnfhl ceremony. The earth was cast into
the grave by The clerk of the works; the ser
vice ended, the mourners-fourteen In num-
ber, with perhaps as many more strangers
who accidentally CHANGED to be present-gath-
cred round the grave to take last look at the
coffin which held the great novelIst's remains,
and to place wreathsof i7naaortelJes and other
flowers upon the coffln-lid, aud the service was
at an end.
Tue coffin was of plain, but solid oak, and 1t
bore the plain and simple inscription: