Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-02-02

- Hack Drivers Odd Experience
on Thanksgiving Day.
speudiag the Sstioa-l Feast Day with .
Father Who Died ssx Months Before
and Was sisepiag Calmly ia
Laurel Hill CsnetsTy.
Philadelphia rlme..l u

fPhiladelphia rines.l =
"Last year l drove q party Of I've 20
Laurel hlll Cemetery, and We took . box
OF grub with Us. TIE party must have got
permission from the superintendent, for hs
seemed 10 know what we were a-going 10
do, and he shout I'd as we goss through the
gates: Il hopes as you won't nnd It cold
You remember last Thankgiyin'i Well, 10
wasn't exactly the day 10 choose for an
open-air picnic; hOwsomever. | was asked
TO call for my party the night before by .
young man Ia a stOve-pipe hat and q gray
ulster. and the directions hs gives ms was
house in Green street. Never mind no
numbers, as ID doesn't do 20 give ones Gus
toners away. has an idea when draws
up fust TO the house that il was agoing TO
be a quiet weddin'; but, when the door
opens and the young man IS gives me the
order the previous night steps down with
an old lady on his arm, and 10 followed by
q young lady az leans on the arm of an
other young N an, with the rear brought up
by a boy OF about ten and black and TIA q
dog, and all, excepting tho dog. dressed In
black, says to myself, 'Child's funeral,
and there ain's much in the job But in
stead of a coffin as is handed up for me 20
put under the seat, it's box as once had
claret wine in it, and along, also, comes .
half-open basket, which certainly con-
tanned plates, knives and forks. Going to
take lunch after the plantin', says TO my
self. Drive on Coachman," says the
young man as gave mo tho order order.
Without no coffin?' says l. why, this
amt no funeral says he. Hop says
/, where tor West Laurel Hill,' says
he. What . tarnation liar he is,' thinks
l, and l whips up the horses
1--WE got to the cemetery and Is greeted,
as I told you, by the Superintendent Then
] was directed to drive to the river path,
and did, alooking round everywhere for
the rest of the procession; but didn't see
no nothing in the shape OF a hearse. At
last was told to stop, which did outside
OF lot with neat-looking monument in
the center with Father on it and q stone
chair by the side, and reads-never mind
mentioning no names, Colonel--as 1t 10
sacred to the memory of somebody as
hadn't been dead more than six months,
as was a dearly beloved husband and
father, and much lamented by all who
how the 'insides' is agoing to spend their
Thanksgivin' with him-that is, if they
felt thankful under the circumstances.
ell, man wot drives n hack can have
q hsayt .anyhow, and / looks awful kind
like a5Ape party as they all gets out and
begins to walk all round that monument
and every now and then kiss the letters as
is cut Oh it. Then the old lady she seats
herself in the stone chair, just the sort Of
one you so often see in the cemetery lots,
and the rest, as of course were her sons
and daughters, they wraps her round with
rugs and shawls, and the black and tan
dog he jumps up in her lap. Then the
young man, as give me the order, says:
Coachman, we are going TO keep Thanks
givin' wish our father as was live and
hearty this day last year, and we've
brought somethin' TO eat and spirit-lamp
to boil coffee. You don't mind our making
ourselves comfortable, and think there's
enough to find bite for you anyways
Says /: Young man, honors your feel
ing, and you, mum, ] says taking OF my
hat TO the old lady as was crying over the
dog, but didn't seem to want me to see it,
and if you'll just low mo to tie up the
hosses to that there fence why III take a
w&k round the cemetery grounds and
smoke my pipe where the Superintendent
can't see me- SO fastens up the hosses
and off | wanders; not as didn't know
the boomin' cemetery pretty well by heart,
but Just TO leave tn an q ~ snce to all have
a good cry without stranger a.lookin' on.
Il comes back after awhile and l And
them ell Sitting on camp-ssools in front of
thai monument, looking quite cheerful
like, and they has plates on their knees
with something on 'em as evidently occu-
pies their knives and forks. on the wine-
box is laid out hot coffee There's a sand
wich for you inside the carriage says tho
young lady TO me with a smile. God bless
her. and on the back seat I finds half q
chicken and big piece of cake, and pres
emily she brings me a cup of coffee with
her own pretty hands. Do you know,
Major, felt thankful, somehow, as
watched that family a making a sort
OF a sacred picnic of their grief; leastways
don't know what else 10 call the lump as
rose In my heart
'They staid there a sitting and talking
round that monument until 1t was verging
toward evening and a grave-digger comes
along and shouts as how the gates is GO
ing to close shortly, aud so we drives
home, and thayoung man as had give me
the order d5 slips a extra - bill in my
hand and he says; Buy something for
nome, coachman, In remembrance Of .
cemetery Thanksgiving party"