Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-04-14
Mlistellaueuns &eadiHg.
LIFE AND DEATH IN A GREAT CITY.


life, perhaps, is the utter lack of social sym.
pathy and intercourse. Persons live for years
in street without knowing the names even Of
their neighbors, and think little more of visit
ing each other, merely through neighborly in
stinct, than you would of calling on the tran.
sient who occupied the room next to you at a
hotel. There is not trace of the fellowship
and sympathy that dwellers in smaller cities
are accustomed to. Of course, this has its
advantages, in that it gives every one perfect
independence of action and establishes the
police and health officers as about the only
censors of social conduct or individual beha-
viour, and enables one to live in perfect quiet
and seclusion, if it is desired But it seems
to me that it tends to sel6shness, coldness and
lovelessness. Just next door to where 1 am
located, for instance, saw yesterday a little
coffin taken in at the door, No one in the
house in which live knows the names of the
next door neighbors. Inquiry developed the
belief that a bright eyed little boy, who had
been missed from the sidewalk and the little
yard for Il few days, was dead, and that the
coffin was intended for him. But none of us
we're permitted to offer sympathy or assistance
in that house of mourning. We had nothing
to do but to look out of the window upon a
velocipede standing idle in the yard, and a
boys dog wandering aimlessly about. And
yet we knew that little child was dead in
the adjoining house that a little form was
lying still and pulseless in cofin-a mother's 5
heart was breaking in that silent and-desolate
house. Of course, any interference might
have heen worse than useless, but it seemed
strange to people coming from a town where
the death Of little child started the tears in
hundreds of eyes, and wrapped the bereaved
family in heartfelt and universal sympathy,
that it should be made so much matter of
fact. There were no friends who called at
the house that could be noticed. The little
coffin was taken to the door-the door open
ed-the casket was passed in-the messenger
departed the street cars swept noisily by
the newsboys cried the evening papers the
ragpicker passed in the alleyway without
lifting his eyes-the door closed-the parents
were left alone with the dead.
To-day, Sunday, the funeral took place.
There was the same dearth of sympathy and
tenderness that we had noted before There
were dozen persons present, but the most of
them had the formal look of mere acquaint'
ances. The little coffin was put in carriage
and the procession trotted off briskly to the
cemetery. In an hour or two one carriage re.
turned, bearing the parents and little sister
of the dead boy. They got out of the car:
riage, the door was opened by servant and
they went in alone with their grief, to master
it as best they could. Of course, this is the
custom Of cities and of city people. They
doubtless feel as deeply and are as full of ten.
derness and sympathy as provincials, but the
death of that little child, the desolation of the
house in which the corpse was laid, and the
stiff formality of the funeral, has saddened a
little colony of Georgians this Sunday after
noon, and sent their hearts wistfully back to
Georgia with its warm sympathies, its a1ec-
tionate friends and its impulsive kindness. l
hope never to see Atlanta grow so large that
misfortune to any one of its citizens will not
kindle regrets in the hearts Of the people, and
bereavement not be tempered by common
friendliness and sympathy.-H. W. g., in At
lanta Constitution.