The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-10-11
Written tor the WuREINSNAN'> Abvoy an
A WOMAN'S LIFE.


v. x xEKEpul
CHAPTER
Some one has said that the beginning Of
life is death Yet huN f.w ara willing to
exchange the dying condition f,r an un-
known eternity. Bemoaniug ourselves be-
cause Of hfe's troubles, some seek % lay il
down. while others shrink and draw back
AZ the dread summons, and plead ipr Vet a
few more Of the evil DAYS m which we c.,n
see uo pleasure
WE know that the first uttcrances pf hu-
mauty are cries Of sutyru. It's last eN
pre~~Iuns. gtuans ana sighs that nn favor
ed spYt VI earth has been found " here the
wall ,f the sufferer has not been heard,
until An mcu have united IN designating
the scene Of mortal life, "A vale Of tears Y
ana We feel that we are
Poor wanderers On 4 stormy sea
From wave 90 wave we're driven.
Aud fancy Hash and reason, ray
serve but 10 light the troubled way;
There's nothing true hut Heaven"
DO not know VI the woman whose life
forms the subject w NY story, was 10th to
close her eyes upon nv world where very
little happiness and great deal uf sorrvW
had be4n her portion.
That she had suffered deeply no one who
saw her IN her coffin could doubt Very
still aud hushed was her sweet noble face
beautiful. still albeit there were lines
upon brow and cheek lines which seemed
to have fallen there prematurely The rich
brown hair was thickly sprnkled with grey
and the tired hands seemed to have been
folded Id sheer WEAKNESS.
The deep tolling of the church bell fell
muurnfully upon the soft summer air, and
told tu the careless world that one more
weary traveller was with her God
AIT the fashionable world If the great
city we're throngug the house tv see for the
last time one who had once been tone of
them. hut who for many years had alb
sented herself from their midst
Many and divers motives brought the
gay crowd to the house Of mourning.
Some came to see III she looked natural.
that they might duly report to others ''how
mnch she had altered. oh, curiosity
most powerful Of all feelings
One young lady Of uncertain age had
seated herself Just opposite large mirror
and proceeded to give a friend such infor-
nation concerning the silent sleeper as
she was possessed Of.
''Oh she was an old maid said the fair
creature, with glance at her ringlets,
| ''and | hare heard quite A belle when
4 y r.. L n. - Z IL
never got married, and don't suppose she
ever had an offer
As the above mentioned fair one viii ap-
pear no more in this story, will here state
| for the benefit Of those who may have pa
tieuce to read 1t, that she retains her maid
en- name simply because no one has ever
asked her to change 1t.
] An elderly gentleman, his calm, peaceful
countenance and black dress, proclaiminG
! him a man of God, entered the room a,
the fair friends finished their conversation
He had taken his stand at the head o
corpse, prayer-hook in hand, when a note
was handed him. 4 shadow fitted acros,
his face as he read it, and with gentlI
sigh he said
II have been requested by our departed
friend to perform no other service save
that of the reading Of the burial service
Of our church
singular to the last, remarked som,
one in an audible whisper 1t could mat
ter little with the dead woman now wha
they said OF thought The dull, cold ea
of death heeds not praise or blame.
In an impressive voice the minister read
the solemn, beautiful service, and remark
ing that the services would be concluded
at the grave, leaned over the casket ant
gazed long and sadly at the face of tn,
dead.
II thank God, my child, that see yol
as your are. Yours has been a stormy life,
he said, as he smoothed the bands If sill
very hair away from the broad brow Som,
one stepped forward an placed wreatl
Of flowers upon the still breast. The odo
Of iassamine (of which the wreath wa
formed) was almost overpowering.
'Jasamine flowers" said the minister
take them away, my friend, she could no
bear their odor in life, and methinks tn
fatal fragance would disturb even this deel
sleep"
All being in readiness. the body wa
borne from the house to the black -plumet
carriage at the door, which slowly wende,
its way to the ''city Of the dead, followe'
by long line Of carriages and hacks.
In far off corner Of the cemetery,
section containing but two graves, wa
neatly enclosed by an iron railing. To tn
right of these two graves, was one newl
opened. Great cypress and -magnoli
trees swept their long branches moumfull
over the fresh earth, and rose tree grow
ing by the smaller Of the two graves ha
shed shower Of perfumed petals into tn
open grave.
The coffin was lowered and "dust to dust
ashes to ashes, rang ont upon the balm
air. The earth ratified dismally upon tn
wooden case, the last shovel-ful was pack
ed upon the mound, and the silent sleepe
was left alone with singing birds an
cleaning tombstones.
Oh the calm, peaceful sleep of death
life's journey ended. Away to the land {
rest. Nomore sorrow ortears, for There
no night there, and all tears shall be wipe
from their eyes"
The great brovn stone house locke
very gloomy and dark, now that its mi
, tress was gone out from il forever. an
gazing upon the portrait Of young "a
} over fhe nnrior fhOn0hta az the woman