Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-10-07
BURIAL OF ALICE OSWALD.


Il ut llOuuOu
Yesterday morning, about eleven, the
waiting rooms of the private departure
station of the Metropolis Company, at
Westminster Bridge road, Witnessed an
assemBlage of ladies, unmistakably
American, and outside, stretching across
the road, stood crowd Of people also
expecting the arrival of a hearse, bear
ing all that was mortal Of Alice Blanche
Oswald, the young woman who drowned
herself atWaterloo Bridge on the 9TH
inst, under circumstances already IA
miliar to our readers. The coffin, how
ever, had been brought to the station in
a Chearse followed by one mourning
coach, early in the morning, and had
rested temporarily at the station until
the time for removal to the train.
Miss Oswald's coffin was to be, taken
from the carriage into the church; and
there, in the presence Of about fifty peo-
pie, chiefly females, the Rev. Horace
Roberts read the burial service with
affecting solemnity. There we're few
fearless eyes among the English and
American ladies present, and express
sions of sorrow were even more obvious
when the procession, headed by Mr..
Roberts, left the church on its way to
the grave, which is in the Church of Eng
land ground, at the southwest of the
cemetery. In the procession, Miss Stride,
the Superintendent of the Home for
Women, Hart street. Bloomsbury, walked
next after the coffin, accompanied by
the Rev. Charles B. Gibson, a clergyman
of the Church of England. Then came
number of American and Eng
lish ladies, among them Mrs. Henry
Altman, Of New York; Mrs. E. A.
Callahan, ,.of Brooklyn, New York, and
Cornhill, Londsn; Mrs. Estelle Anad
Lewis Stella"-Miss Voller, Mrs.
Tribe, and several others The free
hold of the grave has been purchased BY
Miss Stride, who is receiving subserip-
tions for its cost, as well as for the erec-
ton of a tombstone at its head. The
body was incljsed in two coffins the
inner being of pine and the external one
of polished elm. Its ornamentation was
of the simplest kind-black studs and a
black plate with the inscription, "Alice
Blanche Oswald. Died 9TH September,
1872, aged twenty years.. The Rev, II.
Roberts having finished the burial ser
vice amid the deep emotion of the com
pany, the coffin was lowered.
Service over, Mr.. Roberts addressed
few words to those who stood around.
The reverend gentleman said no doubt
it was matter of deep regret that, in a
country like England, well.known for its
generosity, benevolence, and the Chris
tien charity and philanthropy of its in
habitants, the existence of friendless
stranger coming to our shores without
a friend, without hand to help, without
word to guide, should not have been
known. Still, with all these deep and
regretfuI reflections, there was linked
one Joy for this Christian country-that
their poor sister who had Just been con-
signed to the earth had preferred the
dark shadow of death to that glitter for
a time which ended in everlasting gloom
He prayed that this case might serve as
a memento to the English people and
warning to them as well, that there exists
no home for strangers in London. He
closed with an earnest and touching ap.
peal for the establishment of such
home, as the best method Of turning the
sad occasion to advantage.
London Correspondence Cincinnati CONNER
cial.l
Such labors as those of Miss Faithful
for the employment and benefit of wo-
men have their Importance demonstrated
every day; but fortunately they are not
often impressed upon the public mind
by any tragedy so peculiarly painfu as
the late suicide Of cultivated Ameri-
can girl from Waterloo Bridge. The in
cident has not lacked any circumstance
Of pathetic significance, and has laid
hold of the public mind to an extent
quite unparalleled The poor girl
Ieaped into the river at the yssy point
where Hood once saw the liieless form
of one more unfortunate lifted from the
waves and went home 10 pen that poem
which still brings the pallid form to
Iannt human hearts. Even SO slenderly
fashioned, and so beautiful, was Alice
Oswald, who preEared the cold, dark
gave of death TO the abyss Of shame
which IN this huge city alone opened
loor to her. A friend Of mine was
a short time before the occurrence
passing along the Thames smbank-
nent, and saw a beautiful yoHng
woman walking slowly toward the
bridge, weeping. His impulse was to
approach her and ask if he could do any
hing for her, but surmising that she had
ust parted from ? relative or lover bound
on some voyage, and still more yielding
10 the natural timidity Of married man
est his conversation with a woman in
hal public place should be misunder-
stood, he psssed on about his affairs.
On his return by the same path he recog-
nized the same grl in Alice Oswald,
whose body some men were just taking