Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1880-09-16
THE BABY'S FUNERAL.

"u nshcts ana ilnWers-'Thp Vns
"c"'nker's Story---Aur Wiedersesc,.
WE could hardly see it at first. for
something that was in our eyes. and
lI'nuy sort OF mist, but as it moved
slowly away we looked after it, and
thonght how pretty and appropriate II
WAS fhther saw us all standing at tho
MHuoW' ana when we said IL was the
paby hoarSc, he looked too, and tbcn
something got into his ayes. and ba
walked oil, and picked little MaboI nm
ana gave her SHca kiss und she
seemed TO understand what no meant
ana held out her littlo white hands and
SnI' pretty ba.bee,n and then yve
al iaughed and squeezed her. and moth.
or must be getting nervous. for sbo
Crleu, yIst rs Il II had been our hahv
that NJ d yonu away.
aid nj the window "A limo os
60" al see the little white carriaGe With
~. clear glass sides. and ali the invely
h0wers heapcd within as II there had
oeen nothing else but load of rose.
Iuds, and white carnations and velvot
ahSleS' linen | looked TO SEQ il the
iohg white ribbons, with thoir garland
Si green leaves aud pale pink buds had
pcvh taken from the door; they were
sun therc, but while ! was looking a
white naired woman came and took
.iioiA IN She was crying, and thought
a'.e was ths baby's grandmother, and
most lkeiy would be glad to die now,
anu why must the little child 20 first. |
V"ld mother about il, and she said IL L
would look in my Sunday-school Bible
would know, and referred me 20 the
last clause of the lith verse of ST.
Mark, Chapter X; then she sung TO
Mabel as she often does, but this time
u was about "a Reaper whose name is
Death and | wished the baby's moth
er could have heard the verse;
lie gzed at the flowers with fearful eyes,
ne kissed their dropping leaves,
~ WITS Tor the Lord of Paradise
tie bound them In their sheaves."
We nll knew mothers heart was full,
by the way she sung.
had curiosity to see more of the
baby's hearse, so one day ] stepped into !
the place where it is kept and asked the
man who has charge of il, to let me
look at it.
Anybody deadp" he asked, in a sort
OF professional tone, "want me to come
.yer and measure the baby?n
My heart almost stood still.
Measure the baby?" l echoed his
words in dazed way, for it was not
week since,
I" We measured the riutous baby
Against tho cottage wall"
What did he meanp
Ifyou Just want to see the vehicle"
he continued. seeing this was not n |
business call, "come right out and look |
at it; it's the first one ever came to /
DetrOit-been in use thirteen years, and |
pretty as a picture yet. Now amt it |
beauty v and he stepped up and took OF |
the covering.
1t was pretty. White and satiny |
smooth, with gold and silver rails run
ming along the sides, and pretty carved |
ornaments of wood engraved with gold |
and silver, and crystal sides, with q |
white silk curtain festooned within and |
little silver urns TO hold fresh flowers; |
four snow-white, nodding plumes dec
Grated the corners, and the wheels glis- |
tened in their freedom from spot or |
blemish. IL looked 80 like the pretty |
coach baby would choose TO ride in, |
no wonder people watched it as II
glided noiselessly, like chariot OF
Israel, through the busy, noisy streets.
" NOW, you must see the hOrses lnaI |
draw IT," said the owner of the hearse, |
and he pushed open a side door, and |
there were the two milk-white animals. |
In their separate stalls. They're just |
ms KNOWN, them fellows" he said,
patting their white, smooth hair, las
II they had reason, and quite as gentle
as II they knew it was baby they were
drawing. They've got style, too, but /
it's subdued-kind of kept in, all the |
time, to becoming degree. They |
know Just rs well as the driver when to
start, and what gait to strike, ana they |
change stems coming back, and move |
out livelier, as if they knew there
wouldn't be any feelings hurt. That
team and vehicle are worth SSOO--
couldn't match them for that"
care all babies buried in the babies
hearse"
"A'l that can afford it and a good