Milford chronicle., 1888-03-02

V chic proposed 10 take longer walk thar
!. usual up to the head Of the Loeb, taking
d the two dogs with him; how, as the day
: grew on, he did not return, how the Bishop
\ and Mrs. Haldane waited and waited, but
I still he came not Then their fears began
to awaken, but the feeling was that ifany-
thing had happened to him the dogs
/ would have come home. Snow began TO
fall and the wind to rise, and il was
thought that he had taken refuge i'll some
cottar's hut by the way. Sin he did not
come and then their fears awoke in all
earnest. Then came the long and anx-
ious search, the discovery of the body by
means Of the dogs, and the bringing of it
home. The village doctor informed them
that the death had been a painless one,
that there had been no suffering; and it
was remembered how, in arctic voyages,
to those who laid down exhausted in the
snow, it was the sleep of death to them,
and it was felt that with him death had
come with absolute painlessness. It was
late on Monday night before the final
preparation of the body was made, and at
7 on Tuesday the Bishop celebrated, and,
in the darkness of the morning, in boats
from here and there, there came the
clergy ofthe neighbourhood, and received
the Communion from the Bishops hands.
Then, at eight, while it was still dark, the |
coffin was carried by the clergy over a field
to the water-side. There were two boats
waiting there, and in the stern of one of
them the coffin was placed, the Bishop
sitting on one side of it and Father Rus
sell OIL the other. The coffin was covered
with purple pail. The snow was falling
thick and fast, and all the hills around
were veiled and hidden by it. There was
no sound of life about, except one great
white-winged sea bird, which rose up and
Tapped its wings, and led the way before
the boats. Even the very oars seemed
muffied as the boats moved along the
lake; and in the stiffness, when there was
time to think Of many things, he could
not help thinking of the Passing of Ar
thur. When they came to the pier-head,
he looked round, and was almost startled :
to see that the coffin, which had been =
veiled i'll purple, was now veiled i'll white
it stood white i'll Gods snow. Then i
came the waiting on the pier for the t
steamer; and as the Bishop and he walked c
up and down, the Bishop said this, among
many other things, my heart is with You Il
at St. Alban' s,and would give anything Il
% be there with you; but you know, if I
vent it would make all the difference TO
ny poor flock and their Christmas Com
nunion, and he would never let me do
hat, and so will stay here" The Bishop W
ilso wanted them to know what a priv
lege It was to him to have Father Mac
i'll his house-his presence had
eemed like conservation of it. "You
now" said the Bishop, 'that every morn
ng when l am at home, I celebrate in my
hapel, and he never missed to make his "
at my altar, and always it IN
'as he who knelt there first, and when
ne Mass was over he it was who was
ne last to leave" They should clearly
that there had been no sort
failing save only of his memory, and
fe had seemed for him to grow brightest
nd happiest towards its close. Then
lme the ship and took them on board;
nd suddenly there came a change over
le sky The snow stopped falling and
rckly the sky cleared; the clouds and
lists rolled away. The sun shone out me
I'd all at once the great mountains, IN
hich yesterday had only been patched an
IRE and there with snow, now stood re- 10, sa,
'aled, clothedin virgin white from head -,
loot. 1t had been asked why he had of
en allowed to walk alone. Il am quite he
re of this" said Father Russell, that -
one who knew the dear Father could ai,
I'VE asked that question. He was of tbe
at sort that he would walk alone; and last
nm persuaded that if, in the mercy of Am
ID, he had been found still living. and Il
had been spared to us, he would still at t
We walked alone. Let no one venture and
breathe a single word of blame be- lem
use he walked alone" To the good and
shop and to Mrs. Haldane, St. Adams thoi
uld forever owe great debt of graft All
lie. Some one had written that the rec
ming of life also brought with it its pro-
mp. For him the lamp in the evening 'ne
his life had been to a very great extent Mac
nished by the good Bishop and Mrs. the
ldane, for some of the brightest hap low
st moments at the close Of his life had sac
II spent with them. repC
t the conclusion of this touching adj ob,a
IS, which seemed at times TO be more cor
the vast congregation could bear to abo,
I, the hymn, ''Hark, hark, my soul, prot
elic strains are swelling" was sung, fnc
then the sonowing people slowly BODY
ersed, many lingering to listen to the narr
itiful strains of Beethoven's Funeral stree
ch, which was played on the organ. Will,
'atch was kept in the church through hood
the night, and Low Celebrations were chan
ed the next morning at six, seven, gan
past eight,an at quarter past nine. narrc
hich there were numerous commuui- so
=. 'sn eioek' WINE the ancient street
for the dead, called the "Dirge," were
'ne opening words OF the antiPhon shops
: - '0'lspee5N no. was being said, appes
hurch rapidly began to fill for the effect
rem Mass. From the necessity of bv II
ase, admittance had to be by ticket, the 81
even then the church was crowded dwell
DeiO.e eieVen O'Clock, the hour fixed the m
lie solemn Celebration, and outside Stood
ioors were besieged by hundreds leave
hoping TO gain admission. A sms
ngst the congregation were many the oil
oI AiDanites, some Of whom had betwel
from long distances to be present. and
6 tne present church wardens, tons