The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-01-13
a Strange Dilemma.

In the south Of France lived a short
time ago a worthy carpenter, who,
through misfortune, got in arrears, and
was oblighed to borrow of a friend to pro-
vide his family with the necessaries of life.
AS time went on, through sickness and
other unforeseen circumstances, he was
unable to repay the amount borrowed,
and finally begged of his friend to take
some piece Of furniture as part payment.
The friend was perfectly willing to ac-
cOmmodate him, and consulted his wife
as to what he should order of the carpen-
ter. They could think of nothing of
which they stood in deed, as their house
was very well furnished, and finally the
wife in joking mood suggested that they
have their cottins made. Nonsense"
said the husband "what an idea! don't
mention it again" But as time went on,
and they could discover no other article
that they stood in need of, the wife did
mention it again, and this time the idea
was not so repugnant so after they had
talked the matter over for some time,
they came to the conclusion that nothing
but foolish sentimentality stood IN the
way, which they, and sensible people,
should pay no attention to, and finally the
collins were ordered The carpenter came
one day and took their measures, and
shortly produced a couple of as nice cof-
fins as any one need desire. The gentle
man and his wife looked them over, tried
the fit, approved them, and they were put
away in an upper room until such times
as they should be needed In this same
room the wife kept all her preserved fruits,
candles soap, &c, and as she became ac-
customed to seeing the collins there, she
began to think it pity that two such fine
boxes should be put to no use whatever,
and finally she began to use them as de-
positories for all the miscellaneous articles
that are found in the store-room of well
conducted household. But after awhile
the husband took it into his head to die,
and as he had been spoiled child in his
youth, and accustomed to always doing as
he pleased, he went off one day, and
there was great mourning i'll the little
town where he had been highly respected
for his many virtues. One of the collins
was cleaned out, the preserved fruit, DC,
put into the other, and the husband laid
out in state On the day of the funeral,
inc COlllu Ndc W anu
mass said by the priest; it was sprinkled
with holy water, and the Reverend Father
declared that the rites had been efficacious
in releasing the soul of the deceased from
purgatory. From the church the coffin
was borne to the grave, where friend
pronounced touching eulogy that drew
tears from all present, the coffin was low
cred, the earth thrown in, and the COM
pany dispersed. A few days after, some
friends called to condole with the widow,
and before their departure, being hospi-
tally inclined, she went up to her store
room to procure some cake and other ar
tcles to set before them. Opening the
coffin, she started back with a scream that
alarmed her visitors below, who, rushing
up into the room, beheld dreadful sight
the face of the dead husband staring at
them fror, ont tho o1>n-,aI eafsr un~n.
then, perplexing question is raised. The
husband not having been regularly buried
is he still in purgatory? Or, have the
mass and holy water had the effect of alb
solving the preserved fruits and pickles,
and are they now enjoying the pleasures
of celestial state in consequence? Or,
finally, as the mass was said and the holy
water sprinkled for the husband, has he
been duly benefited by them? 1t is a
question which the lesser lights of the
Church are unable to settle satisfactorily.