The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-10-19
THAT BURIAL LOT:
The Story that Mark Twain Heard .OI
New Haven Steamer.
From the Atlantic for October.


. New Haven Steamer
From the Atlantic for October.
All the journeyings I had ever
done had been purely In the way of
business. The pleasant Nay wealth
or suggested 3 novelty, namely, a
trip for pure recreation, the bread
and-butter element left ont. The
reverend said he would go, too
good man, one of the best of men,
although . clergyman. By one at
night We were in New Haven and
on board the New York boat We
bOHght our tickets and then went
wandering around, here and there,
in solid comfort Of being free and
idle, and of putting distance be-
tween ourselves aud the mails and
telegraphs.
After . while 1 went to my state.
room and addressed but the night
was too enticing for bed. We were
moving down the bay now, and it
was pleasant to stand at the win
dow and take the cool night breeze
and watch the gliding lights on
shore. Presently two elderly men
sat down under that window and
began . conversation. Their talk
was properly no business of mine,
yet was feeling friendly toward
the world and willing TO be enter
tanned. ! soon gathered that they
were brothers, that they were from
q small Connecticut village, and that
the matter in hand concerned the
cemetery. Said one:
"Now, John, we talked It all over
among Ourselves, and this is what
we've done: You see, everybody
was Q moVin' from the old buryin'
ground, and our folks was most
about left to themselves, As you may
cay. They were, crowded, too, as
You know; lot Warn't big enough in
the first place; and last year, when
Seth's wife died. we couldn't hardly
tuck her in. She sort O. overlaid
Deacon Shorb's lot, and he sOured
on her, 90 to speak, and on the rest
Of rs, too. So we talked it over,
and was for . layout in the new
simitery on the hill. They wasn't
unwilling, il il was cheap. Well,
the two best and biggest plots was
No. 8 and No. 9-bOth of good size ;
nice comfortable room for twenty
six-twenty-six full crowns, that is ;
but you reckon in children and 9TH
or Efforts, and strike an average, and
l should say you might lay in thir-
ty-tWo or three, pretty genteel-nO
croWdin' to signify"
"That's plenty, William. Which
one did you bay ~
swell, I'm comm to that, John.
You see, No. 8 was SIS, No. 9 Sig
81 see. Sos it's you took No. g."
"You wait. took No. 9. And
I'll tell you for why. In the first
place Deacon Shorb wanted IL.
Well, after the way he'd gone on
about Seth's wife overlappin' his
premises, I'd "a beat him out of that
No. 8 If I'd "a had to stand two dol
lars extra, let alone one. That's the
way felt about it. Says !, what's
dollar, any wayT Life's only q
pilgrimage, says L; we amt here
for good, and we can't take it with
as, says 1. So / lust dumped it
down, KNOWN the Lord don't SAT-
fer q good deed to go for nothin',
and calkalatin' to take it out o.
somebody in the course O. trade.
Then there was another reason,
John. No. 9's q long ways the hand
somest in the simetsry, and the like.
lest for situation. It lays right on
top of Q knoll, In the dead ceatze of
the burryin' ground, and you can
see MilipOrt from there, and Tracy's
and the Harper Mount, and q raft o.
farms and so on. There amt no bet.
ter ont look from . buryin' plot in
the state. 81 Higgins says go, an /
reckon he ought to know. Well,
that amt all. Course Shorb had to
take No. 8; want no help fort.
Now, No. 8 joins onto No. 8, but
it's on the slope of the hill, and ev-
cry time it rains it'll soak right
down on the Shorbs. Hi Higgins
ssyst when the deacon's tune comes
he better take out fire and Derine
insurance on his remains"
Here there was q sound of 9 low,
placid duplicate chuckle of appre.
citation and satisfaction.
draft of the ground that I've made
ON . piece Of paper. Up here in the
left hand coner we've punched the
departed; took them from the old
graveyard and slowed them one
along side o't'other On . first-cOme
first-served plan, no partialities
with gran'ther Jones for . starter
on'y because it happened so, and
windin' up indiscrlminate will
Seth's twins. A little crowded to-
ward the end Of the layout maybe
but we reckOned 'twa'rnt best Il
scatter the twins. Well, next Gomez
the livin.' Here, where it's marked
A, we're goin' TO put Marian and bel
family when they're called; B, that
for brother Hosea and his'n; Q, fOl
CALVIN and tribe. What's left i
these two lots here-i0st the gen
j OF the whole patch for general styl,
and outlook; they are for me anC
my folks, and You and yourn
l Which Of them would you ruthe
be buried in 2"
81 swan, you've took me might,
unexpected, WilliamI It sort o
started the shiVers. Fact is, va
thinkin' so busy Of maxim thing
comfortable for the others, hadn'
; thought about bein' buried myself.
"Life's on'y q feetin' show, John
IS the sayin' IL. We've ali got to e
sooner or later. To go with Q cieai
recoros the on y thing Wuth striviu
"Yes, that's 90, William. that's 90
there amt no gettin' around il
Which of these lots would you re
commend 2"
"Well, 1t depends, John are yol
particular about outlook 2"
"I don't say ] am, William;
don't say / ain't. Rely, / dom
know. But mainly, / reckon T.
set store by q south exposure. The,
take the sun and the Shorbs get tn
shade"
chow about slle, william"
"D's sandy siIe, E's mostly loom.
"You may gimme #, then, Wal
liam ; . candy siIe caves in, more o
less, and costs for repairs.o
GAn right; Get your name dow
here, John, under E. Now, iK yol
don't mind payin' me your share o
the $14, John, while we're on th,
business, everything's fixed"
After some higgling and shaFI
bargaining the money Was paid, AM
John babe his brother good nigh
and took his leave. There was si
lence for some moments; then