The weekly echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1868-1876, 1876-03-09

! TO rather open eNlAncuS0 az SAAS fS
wood, where pro tempore seats had been
constructed Of boards resting on blocks.
when these were filed the remainder
of the people sat down in picturesque
proups IN the denser shade. Some wild
! Iv.melodious and some dolefuLy-twang-
| ing hymns we're sung; then a solemn
hush fell oger the throng, which was
made only the more impressive by the un-
ceasing, varied murmur of the pines, the
frequent twittering of the birds and the
far-away sound of voices at the house.
Shade alternated with sunshine over the
scene, but on every side stretched away
the dark aisles of the wood. A white
paling surrounded the solitary grave,
over which waved sprays of rose affection
had planted, and of the blackberry which
seems to spring spontaneously by every
fence. Beside this resting place was
platform, on which the minister, a ven
cradle man, with strong frame and iron
gray hair, stood, while in loud, clear tone
rang out the words:
Ro, every one that thirsteth, come
We to the waters, and he that hath no
money, come ye and buy and eat yea,
come, buy wine and milk without money
and without price.
Come, now, and let us reason together,
saith the Lord; though your sins be as
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow
though they be red like crimson, they
shall be as wool"
Farcical as were some of the circum-
stances of this gathering, there was an
indescribable solemnity about the service
that impressed itself indelibly upon my
memory. "COme, let us reason together"
mas haunted me since in many church;
and the vision has grown upon me until
the walls stretched away into a border
ing melancholy forest, inclosing strange,
unreal groups of figures, where a rustic
of pine was heard, and mellow sunshine
irradiated the grave of the man who had
desired that his friends should SO assem-
BILE in his memory.
But the service over, our spiritual
wings were quickly folded, and we joined
the stream flowing back to the house.
The disconsolate widow was already
there, experimenting the laying of the
tables, which were spread in the yard in
the full blaze of the sun. There was no
end of "flesh and fowl" biscuits-and
-four was exceedingly scarce then-and
l,Other things that people in that re-
gi tLwere supposed to be fond of. There
we numbers of the rough country folk
there, to whom the banquet board seemed !
one of tabled magnifcence-fOr people
of all classes, from far and near, had
focked to the unheard-of festivity of a
barbecue" funeral. The tables we're
soon filled, and the walters plying busily |
between them and the kitchen. The text |
of the minister was literally followed out,
whether or not any regard was paid to
its real significance.
We placed several Of the young ladies
in the shadow of the chimney, and held |
her parasOl over my charmeT, at the same
time that was ondeavoring to wait on |
her and feed myself, One thing bafled |
my ingenuity for moment. The butter
was of the consistency of sweet oil; but
We obtained a spoon at length, and many |
brilliant remark related to a sup of |
butter" a "spOonful of butter" and |
"eau de butter"
After dinner our party tooka prolonged |
stroll through the beautiful wood with
its many interpreted sunny openings |
where sumach blazed on grassy knolls.
OF course the town ladies were consid-
cred models of style, and think my
brigandish new felt hat, with a cord and
two little swinging tassels, produced |
some sensation; though | have a slight |
impression that some breeze bore me a
whisper Of "What a dandyr' and am |
sure that ! overheard an old lady saying |
TO her daughter, "You may be sure a
man with white hands and a ring on his
finger win make his wife do all the work"
This Is about all that remember con-
nected with the occasion, except that the |
next day as passed Elias house in the
afternoon ! saw in the street under her
window the bouquet Of leaves and fall |
flowers had gathered for her during our