The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-09-04
THE BABY'S FUN RAJ.
Hearse, and Casket, and F1owers-The Un-
dertaker's StOry-Auf Wiedersehen.
From the Detroit Free Press1

| Hearse, and Casket, and F1owers-The Un
dertaker's Story-Auf Wiedersehen.
From the Detroit Free Press]
at is well with the child"
We could hardly see it at first, for some.
thing that was in our eyes, and made sort
of mist, but as it moved slowly away we
looked after it, and thought how pretty and
appropriate it was. Father saw us all stand
ing at the window, and when we said it was
the baby's hearse, he looked too, and then
something got into his eyes, and he walked
off, and picked little Mabel up and gave her
such kiss, and she seemed to understand
what he meant and held out her little white
hands and said, pretty ba-bee," and then
we all laughed and squeezed her, and mother
must be getting nervous, for she cried, just
as fit had been our baby that had gone
away.
/ staid at the window as long as l could
see the little white carriage, with Its clear
glass sides, and all the lovely flowers heaped
within as if there had been nothing else but
load of rosebuds and white carnations and
velvet panses. Then looked to see if the
long white ribbons, with their garland of
green leaves and pale pink buds had been
taken from the door; thew were still there,
but while L was looking white-haired wo-
man came and took them in. She was cry
ing, and thought she was the baby's grand
mother, and most likely would be glad to
die now, and why must the little child go
first? l told mother about it, and she said
if would look in my Sunday-school Bible
l would know, and referred me TO the last
clause of the fourteenth verse of st. Mark,
chapter ten; then she sung to Mabel as she
often does. but this time it was abeut "a
Reaper whose name is Death" and wished
the baby's mother could have heard the
verse.
He gazed at the flowers with fearful eyes,
He kissed their dropping leaves,
1t was for the Lord of Paradise,
He bound them in their sheaves.
We knew mothers heart was full by the
way she sung.
l 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 it to let me look at it.
anybody dead?' he asked in sort of
professional tone, "want me to come over
and measure the baby2"
My heart almost stood still.
"Measure the baby2" 1 echoed his words
in dazed way, for it was not week since
We measured the riotous baby
Against tnt toitaec "dit.
What did he mean2
eff you just want to see the vehicle" he
continued, seeing this was not 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 picture yet.
Now amt it beauty?" and he stepped up
and took off the covering.
IL was pretty. White and satiny smooth,
with gold and silver rails running along the
sides, and pretty carved ornaments of wood,
engraved with gold and silver, and crystal
sides, with white silk curtain festooned
within and little silver urns to hold fresh
flowers; four snow-white plumes decorated
the corners, and the wheels glistened in their
freedom from spot or blemish. 1t looked
so like the pretty coach baby would choose
to ride in, no wonder people watched it as it
glided noiselessly, like a chariot of Israel,
through the busy noisy streets.
"Now, you must see the horses that draw
it." said the owner of thu hearse, and he
pushed open a side door, and there were the
two milk white animals, in their separate
stalls. "1hey're jus. a. far,win', them fell
lows" he sid, pattin, questiowhite, smooth
hair, as if they had when the ca quite as gen.
tie as if they knew 1rsd, and, hey they were
drawing. "They've got style, too, but it's |
of kept in all the time to |
a becoming degree. They know just as we'll |
as the driver when to start, and what gait to |
strike, and they change steps coming back, |
and move out livelier, as if they knew there
wouldn't be any feelings hurt. That team
and vehicle are worth $sO0-couldnt match |
them for that"
''Are all babies buried in the babies
hearse."
"All that can afford it, and good many
that can't. 1t costs SO to so trip for that
alone; and, on account of the glass sides,
the casket must be a handsome one, and
that costs all the way from soto 500. And
then people like to have good many fow-
ers, and they cost good penny, but it is a
beautiful sight-beau-ti-ful. When we first
would come out and look after it, and cry
like it was their baby. Older children use
it too-as old as IL years, but there amt so
many of them die"
"What did they do before the hearse was
nader"
Carried them in their laps sometimes in
the first carriage, or put the casket in the
seat, or had the big hearse jus. as they fam
cied; it wasn't so comfortable and con-
venient a way, either; there's lots of babies
die; you can see rows of little graves up at
Elmwood or Mount Elliott, in some lots
eight lying side by side. Graves not over
two and half feet long. There are all
kinds of ornaments and keepsakes on them.
tco-toys they used to play with half-worn
shoes under glass case, and marble y nbs
and dogs. Folks always take it so to heart
losing the babyl Why, I've seen middle
aged men and women break down when the
time came for me to put on the lid; and it is
hard to smut out sweet little face, that looks
as if it might be asleep. A baby isn't like
anything else. 1t will suffer more than any
grown person will, but, when it is dead,
there amt any hard lines or pinched looks;
it's just like little sleeping doll, with a
smile on it's lips. I've seen heap of them
first and last.n
AS / followed HIM back through the ware
house he stopped to show me little casket,
covered with white cloth and lined with
white merino, with satin puffngs; there
was a silver gimp that ran all around the
inside edges, which were festooned with the
white satin; there was an inscription on the
name-plate that stopped to read:
Blossom,
Aged 2
"To God we give with tears.n
ar 80 said ha