Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1875-05-27
Helena, Montana, Thursday, May ~, 1875.
From the Detroit Free Press.

From the Detroit Free Press.
1t all women were as cool and matter.of-
fact as Mrs. Sum- Bul she is one of a thou
sand. She was over at Mrs. Moody's, on
MacOmb street, the other day, her ion-gray
hair combed down flat and her spectacIes ad-
Justed to gossip range, when she suddenly
rose and said:
''Mrs. Moody, be calm. Where do you
Keep the camphOr bottle?'
'Why!" asked the surprised Mrs. Moody.
''Because they are bringing your husband
through the gate on a board! think he's
mashed dead, bur be calm about it, III stay
right here and see to things!"
Mrs. Moody threw up her arms and fell
down in q dead faint, and Mrs. Stun opened
the door as the men laid the body on the
porch.
us he dead" she asked in an even tone
Il think So" answered one of the men :;
'the doctor II be here in a minute"
The doctor came up, looking at the victim,
and said life had fled, adding:
ellis back and four or tve ribs are broken
'''Thats sensible, that is" said Mrs. Stun,
gazing at the doctor in admiration. ''SOme
ysicians would have said that his vertebla a
was moltally wounded, and would have gone
on TO talk about the larynx,' the arteries,
the optic nerves and the diagnosis If he's
dead it'll be some satisfaction to know whet
he died Of. Well, lug in the body and send a
boy after an undertaken"
The men carried the body through to Il
bedroom, and Mrs. Stun went back to Mrs.
Moody, who had revived and was wailing
and lamen1ng.
''Don't, Julia-don't take on so," continued
Mrs. Stun. "Of course you feel badly, and
this interferes with taking up carpets and
cleaning house, but it's pleasant weather for
u funeral, and think the corpse will look as
natural as life"
oh! my poor, poor husband" walled
Mrs. Moody.
''Ile was q good husband, I'll swear to
that" continued Mrs. Stun, s'but he was
dreadful careless to let house fall on him.
BE calm, Mrs, Mood I've sent for one of
the best undertakers in Detroit, and you'll be
surprised at the way he'll fix up the deceased"
When the undertaken Came in, Mre Stun
shook hands and said that death was sure to
overtake every living thing sooner or later
She mentioned the kind of coffin she wanted,
stated the number of hacks, the hour for the
funeral, and held the end of his tape-line
while he measured the body.
Several other neighbors came in, and she
ordered them around and soon had every
thing working smoothly. The widow was
and windows were opened, and rs Mrs. Stun
built up good baking fire, she said:
''Now, then, we want pie and cake and
sauce and raised biscuit and floating islands.
He'll have watchers, and the watchers must
have plenty to eat."
When the baking had been finished the
coffin and undertaken arrived, and the body
Was placed in its receptacle. Mrs. Stun
agreed with the undertaken that the face wore
natural expression, and when he was going
away she said:
'.Be around on time! Don't put in any
second class hacks, and don't have any hitch
in the proceedings at the gravel
From that hour until o'clock Of the second
day thereafter she had full charge. The
widow was provided with black bOnnet, a
Grape shawl, etc., the watchers found plenty
to eat, II minister was sent for, eighteen chairs
were brought from the neighbors. and every
thing moved along like clock-work.
''YOu must bear up" che kept saying to
the widow. 'House-cleaning must be done,
that hack yard must be raked off, the pen
stock must be thawed out. and you haven't |
time to sit down and grieve. His life was
insured, and we'll go down next week and
select some lovely mourning goods"
Everybody who attended said they never |
saw funeral pass off SO smoothly, and when
the hack had landed the widow and Mrs.
Stun at the door again Mra. Stun asked:
Nov. didn't you really enjoy the ride,
after all?"
And the widow said she wouldn't have be-
lievcd that she could have stood it SO well.