The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-11-03
A Dunkard Funeral

On Wednesday, the 21st day of last July,
a young man named Isaac Menser met with
"A sudden death, while engaged in harvest
ing on the farm of Mr.. Wingard, near
Scalp Level. He was a bright promising
youth of about eighteen, and the princi-
pal support OF a widowed mother, who
resides in the village named. While
whetting his scythe, on that fatal morning,
a dead tree in the vicinity toppled over,
and one of the limbs struck him on the
head. Eeath was instantaneous; for when
a companion went TO him, he was still
leaning on the handle OF the instrument
with which he had been working, but the
vital spark had fled. 1t was very sad. the
little community was greatly shocked when
the news of the terrible fatality was brought
in. Darby that morning he passed through
the principal street, whistling a merry
tune, and ere the sun was many hours
high in the heavens he was carried back
to the lonely residence OF his mother-a
corpse!
One of the artists for Harper's Weekly
was s%ojourning in Scalp Level at the time,
and he made a sketch OF the funeral. His
description of tie simple services is very
pretty, and the picture which he has
drawn, on the first page OF the paper, por-
trays faithfully a scene which many OF us
have often witnessed. All the neighbors,
from Ear and near, came to the burying.
for in country districts the people are very
neighborly where there is orrow The
artist says that the elder women came in
decent black gowns, with sun-bonnets and
umbrellas; but the young girls were in
bright holiday attire, and the effect OF
color was beautiful as they stood grouped
about the door of the house of mourning.
After the usual services in the house, two
chairs were brought out and placed In the
middle of the road, The simple coffin was
then borne out and placed upon them, and
the lid was opened. The bereaved mother
threw herself upon her boy, and kissed
him for the last time. Then two by two
the neighbors formed in Line. and followed
the body to the little graveyard among the
trees upon a hillside. There was no
plumed hearse, no display of carriages or
flowers, but a simple eloquenee OF grief,
deep and sincere. Through a sweet clo-
yer field the little procession passed up the
hill, against a sky low in tone and gray, the
light breaking here and there through the
sombre clouds, a. if to typify the bright
world beyond the dark curtain OF death.
As they approached the little wood through
which lay the path to the graveyard be
yond. a wild echo from the hill rudely
Knocked the mothers wall. 20 Godi my
poor boyl What shall l do! What shall
| dop' Every cry was repeated in the air
with startling and almost grotesque effect.
And this was all of what the writer calls
81 n.--r T-zu - D,z- a. .I.,-
homes the kind neighbors slowly and sadly
wendell their way, and thu widowed
mother was left alone with her terrible
load of grief. 1t was a sad blow TO her,
for her boy was the stay and hope and
pride of her declining years. 1t was a
cruel bereavement: and while she meekly
bowed her head aud recalled to mind that
although Death had indeed came like a
thief in the night, yet with it wa the con-
ISOLATION that her boy was good and true
and noble-all that a fond mother might
wish her child to be.
The picture presents a very saddenIng
scene, and the expressions OF grief upon
the face of the group who are attending
the last sad funeral rites of the poor boy
are well portrayed. Many of them have
forgotten all about the awful tragedy by
this time. but there is an aged woman
sitting very lonely and very ~disconsolate
in her home il that village: shei is waiting
tor the echo OF a iootstep that will never
come; and that love which overFeac hes all
others-which extends beyond the grave
a mothers pure and disinterested affection
still sustains her. and bids her wait until
the fullness of time when a blessed reunion
for eternity with her loved one will be
granted to lonely, patient AMI sorrowins
heart.