The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-09-15

messed thoss death-bed visions before-when
from the shadow land the loved ones come to
,-.,S. those starting for the journey. She re-
manned some moments IN prayer tneh sne
rose to perform Tie fest Offices
ssrhe dead man appeared Us her 70 be a mem
her of that friendless and be@ated tribe the
existence OF which is one OF the Piteous secre
hi lden in the heart of great city. NO one
had come TO claim kinshp with or make in
oI1iries concerning him. He seemed well fitted
~ demand as a right the States last charity
Of a pauper funeral, to take him TO that tryst-
In o-nlace of the poor, the ToSSs commune.
Pere Perrault's body WAS put into humble
shell. the lid of which was not nailed down, as
a formality to give a last chance OF identiii-
cation. 1t was placed Ia The mortuary chapel
of the hospital there to wait the time imposed
by law before interment-
The morning came, and in the wan light,
before the city was astir, the officials in rusty
black entered They were removing the cot
fin in order TO close IL outside The precincts,
when there came a shuttle and scuiiie of feet,
and number of ragged and excited figures
entered. 1t was Pere Blot followed by some
chiffoniers; when their eyes fell on the cold
and pulseless form in the shell, a cry like
cheer burst from their lips.
Some months later, went one afternoon to
Pere la Chaise. On former occasion had
seen the grave of Mere Perrault, and knew
something of its history. My thoughts had
occasionally wandered with a sort of mournfu
interest to that solitary headstone, aud |
sometimes wondered when the husband would
come TO lie by the wife's side. With melan-
choly pleasure / saw the other headstone
standing there with the name Jean Desire
Perrault, aud the inscription upon it. The
day was fun of the serene poetry of autumn,
and the light fell with large aud restful radi-
ance on the two tOmbstones. The grave, with
its rows of double daisies, geraniums and
pansies had an air of fete An old man was
picking tle weeds and trimming the plants
It was Pierre Bi It. He told me the whole
story. 9 Ali madame, / could no. tell you
what It was TO US when we missed Perrault-
When we made sure that afternoon he had not
come home the night before, we oked for
him everywhere that day and the next first
az the cemetery, then at one hospital, then at
ano her, then at the Morgtie. Madame, he
was nowhere. We had sad hearts. 1t seemed
to US that he good God had said up there in
His sky sfhe chiifoniers are degraded race !;
let them be forgotten after death as one for
gets HE refuse flung iufo the street. That is
what il seemed to us. That hospital was out
OF he way: we did not know III like the others:
but, madame, when we came 10 it, when We
went in-when we were shown into the
chapel, and when lying before Us, in that shell
of coffin, We recognized Perrault-rigid-
cold-1ead, but etfn Perrault-Heaven for
give us, madlme-we gave a cheer like; we
were reproaehed for it; but, YOU see, they
could not tell what il was 10 US to have come
upon our mate in times we took him away,
and the next day we buried him, aud here now
he lies by the side OF his wife. "-BWlgrdvid.