Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-05-06
Mrs. Stun.


If all women were as cool and matte,
of-fact as Mrs. Stun! But she ia one of a
thousand. She was over at Mrs. Moodv,s
on Macomb street, the other day ba,
iron-gray hair combed down fiat and her
spectacles adjusted to gossip range. when
she suddenly rose and said:
Mrs. Moody, be calm. Where do Won
keep the camphor bottle ~
Moody.
Because they are bringing your bus.
band through the gate on boardl 7
think he's mashed dead, but be calm
about i'll I'll stay right here and see to
things!'
Mrs. Moody threw up her arms and fel,
down in a dead faint, and Mrs. Stun
opened the door as the men laid the body
on the porch.
Is he dead % she asked in an even tone
think so" answered one of the men
the doctor'll be here in minute"
The doctor came up, looked at the vic.
tim, and said life had fled, adding:
His back and four or FIVE ribs are
broken''
That's sensible, that is" said Mrs
Stun, gazing at the doctor in admiration
"Some physicians would have said that
his vertebra was MORALLY wounded, and
would have gone on to talk about the lar.
ynx,' the arteries the optic nerves and
satisfaction to know what he died of
Well, lug in the body and send boy after
an undertaken"
The men carried the body through to a
bedroom and Mrs Stun went back to Mrs,
Moody, who had revived and was walinc
and lamenting
Don't, Julia-don't take on So" con.
tinued Mrs. Stun. "Of course you feel
badly, and this interferes with taking up
carpets and cleaning house, but it's pleas
ant weather for funeral, and think the
corpse will look as natural as life.'
OH My poor, poor husband" walled
Mrs. Moody.
He was good husband, I'll swear to
that" continued Mrs. Stun, "but he was
dreadfully careless to let house fall on
him. Be calm, Mrs. Moody I've sent
for one of the best undertakers in Detroit,
nd you'll be surprised at the way he'll
up the deceased
When the undertaken came in, Mrs
Stun shook hands and said that death was
sure to overtake every living thing sooner
or later. She mentioned the kind of cof
fin 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
everything working smoothly. The widow
was sent to her room to weep out her
grief, doors and windows were opened,
and, as 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 the 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-clas hacks, and don't have any
hitch in the proceedings at the gravem
From that hour until two 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, minister was sent
for, eighteen chairs were brought from the
neighbors', and everything moved along
like clockwork.
You must bear up" she kept saying
to the widow. House-cleaning must be
done; that back yard must be raked off,
the 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 morning
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 her door again Mrs. Stun
asked:
Now, didn't you really enjoy the ride,
after all %
And the widow said she wouldn't have
believed that she could have stood it so
we'll. Detroit Free Press.