Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-10-05
Moving 10 a New Graveyard.
MARX TWAIN oyERHEARs BRoTHERLY CONVEX
sATIoS.



After while | went to my state room ant
undressed, but the night was too enticing fol
bed. We'were moving down the bay now
and it was pleasant to stand at the window
and take the cool night breeze and watch the
gliding lights on shore. Presently, two el
derly men sat down under that window and
began a conversation. Their talk was pro
perly no business of mine, yet WAS feeling
friendly toward the world and willing to bt
entertained. | soon gathered that they were
brothers, that they were from small Con,
necticut village, and that the matter in hand
concerned the cemetery. Said one
Now, John, We talked it all over amongst
ourselves, and this is what we've done. You
see, everybody was a-movin' from the old
buryin ground, and our folks was most about
lett to themselves, as you may say. They
was crowded, too, as you know lot want
big enough in the first place and last year,
when Setns wife died, We couldn't hardly
tuck her in. She sort o. overlaid Deacon
Shoibs lot, and he sourei on her, SO to
speak, and on the rest of us, too. So We
talked II over, and | was far a layout in the
new sipiiterv on the till. They want I'M
-.illu.. At was chear Well, the two best
- uiSe. ~ plots was Ne. and No - both
IT size ; nice comfortable room for 26 PC
tall crowns, that is ; but you reckon in child
ren and other shorts, and strike an average,
and | should say you might lay i'll 80, or may
be - or 81, pretty genteel-no crowdin' to
signify"
That's plenty, William. Which one did
you buy ,"
"Well, I'm a coming to that, John. You
see, No. 5 was Sl3. No. sig
''l see. So't you took No. 81
You wait. l took No. 9. And I'll tell
You for why. In the first place, Deacon
Shorb wanted it. Well, after the way he d
gone ON about Seths overlappin' his prem
ses, I'd a beat him ont of that No. .
If I'd a had TO stand 81 extra, let alone 81
That's the way telt about it. Says l, what s
a dollar, anyway: LIES on'ya pilgrimage,
says We amt here for good. and we can t
take 1t with us, says |. SO | Just dumped it
down, KNOWN the Lord don't suffer IA good
deed to go for nothin, and cal'latin' to take
IT ont of somebody in the course of trade.
Then there was another reason. John. No.
Us Il long way tie handiest lot in the simi-
terry, and the likeliest for situation. 1t lays
right on top of knoll in the dead centre of
the buryln' ground and you can see Mill
port from there, and Tracy's, and Hooper
Mount, and a raft o farms, and so on. There
amt no. better outlook from II buryin- plot in
the STATE. 81 Higgins says so, and | reckon
he ought to know. Well. and that amt all
Course Shorb had TO take No. want no
help for I. Now No. $ jines on to No. ., but
its on the slope of the hill and every time it
rains It'll soak right down on to the Shorbs.
81 Higgins says I when the deacons time
comes. he better take out fire and marine in
surance both on his remains"
Here there WAS the sound of low, placid,
duplicate chu kle of appreciation and salts
faction.
Now, John, here's little rough draft of
the ground that I've made on piece of pa
per up here in the left hand corner we've
punched the departed took them from the
old graveyard and slowed them alongside o
tother. ON a tirst-c -frst-served plan no
pnrtialties. with gran 'ther Jones for II start
er, ony because 1t happened so, and windin
up lndiscTiminate with Seth's twins. A little
crowded toward the end of the layout may
be, but We reckoned I want best to scatter
the twins. Well, next comes the liyin'. Here,
where III marked A. we're goin' to put Mariar
and her family when they're called +; b, that's
for brother Hosea and his'n n q, Calvin and
tribe. What left il these two lots here
just the gem of the whole patch for general
style and outlook they're for Inc and my
folks, and you and your'n. Which of them
would you ruther he buried IN =
81 swan, you've tux me mighty unexpect-
ed, William 1t sort of started the shivers.
Fact is, was thinkin SO busy bout maxim
things comfortable for the others, | hadn't
thought about being buried myself"
"Llies ony ileetln' show, John, MS the
sayin Is. We've all got to go sooner OF later.
To 90 with clean records the main thing
Fact is, its the on'y thing worth strivin' for,
J6hn."
"les, that's so, William, that's so there
amt no getting round it. Which of these
lots would you recommend 90
well, 1t depends, John. Are you partic-
ular about outlook ~
II don't say am, William | don't say
amt. Rcely, | don't know. But mainly, |
reckon, III set store by south exposure"
That's easy fixed, John They're both
south exposure. They take the sun, and the
Shorbs gets the shade
'Ilow about sile, William ?"
"D's sandy sile E's mostly loom"
You may gimme l. then. William A san
Nv slle cnNes in, more OF less, and costs for
repairs.
IAN night set your name down here,
John, under T. Now, If you don't mind
paym' me your share OF the Sli. John, while
we're on the business. everything's iXel"
After some higgling and sharp bargaining
the money was paid and John bade hs
brother good night and took his leave. There
was silence for some minutes then soft
chuckle welled up from the lonely William,
and he muttcred "l declare Tor I, #
haven't made mistake. Its u that's most
ly loomy. not +. And Johns booked Tor
II sandy sIlr. nit CT all. "
There was another soft chuckle, and vii
liam departed To- his rest. also.