Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-08-23

1t was a curious story, and since you
have all told some experience of your
own, TO help the time along this rainy
day, don't mind if / tell it. 1t hap
pened ten years ago, and soon after
my husband died.
| was left very poor, and | was very
thankful when my uncle John wrote
to me that if / would come to London,
he would give me 4 home and steady
wages to help him in his shop. He was
florist, and had a nursery in the sub
urbS and n shop in town. 1t was not q
very big shop nor very large nursery
but he had Il reputation for cultiyating
rare choice flowers, and his business
was with rich people, who would pay
any price for something that was not
common.
| had not been long with him before
he began to depend upon me to fill his
best orders for had natural gift for
arranging flowers, and my baskets and
bouquets We're much admired.
So, one morning when | went in,
was not surprised when he said to me:
q want YOU TO go to No. =, Oscar
street, to dress room for a funeral.
It is a big order. Old Mrs. Howell is
hCits dNNl llltl & W lii NC nv tiltt III SN GIL
people there. J"
| went ON the car, and the wagon
with the flowers was there to meet me.
While ! was busy about the room, the
coffin was brought down, and u lady
came TO me.
''Can Won arrange the flowers in the
cofiinp can't bear to look at q
corpse, She said.
Eyes. ma'am. said, aud she went
away; and the undertaker's men, they
went away.
was alone in large, half-dark par
lors, with only the coffin for company.
I was not particularly brave, and | did
SILVER when | took box of loose
flowers, and went over to dress the
corpse with them. But the old lady "
inc there. with her soft white hair and
pretty lace cap, had nothing horrible
about her unless it was the coffin. Her
lips had faint smile, and as | put the
white flowers around her face touch
ed the check gently. My heart seemed
to stop, for it was warm. Many times
had / touched corpse, and l knew
the feeling. | was half-suffocated,
when both my wrists were grasped,
and Mrs. Holwell drew herself up by
them and opened her eyes.
''Marie,n she said in faint voice,
marie, l am afraid of Timothy and
his wife; but if / die, Marie, look in
the false drawer of my drcssing-case."
Her voice was scarcely more than a
whisper, but every word was distinct.
1t was silly of me, | know, but | gave
one scream and dropped in dead
faint
When l came to myself there was an
old woman bathing my face, and as
soon as she saw me open my eyes, she
said:
There, you feel better now, don't
You? No wonder YOU were frighten-
ed! She isn't here. They've taken her
up stairs, and the doctor is with her.
and her nephew and niece, and I'll go,
if YOU feel all right, for I am her
nurse
"But is she aliye?" / asked.
Eyes, dear. 1t was trance, they
say, and she seeming out of it. There,
can you get up?n
She gave me a glass of wine, and l
went back to the shop.
But the very same week uncle John
had another funeral order for Mrs. Hol-
well, and she must have been dead that
time, for she was buried, but | could
not dress the room. [ think / should
have died if had tried.
But after she was buried | thought
very often about what she had said,
and | wondered if l ought to go there
and tell her folks about it. 1t was real
" only a nervous dread of going neal
the house that prevented me, and, af-
ter all. it was none of my business.
1t must have been several months at
forwards, for it was warm weather
and Mrs. Howell died in October, wher
one day, as l was dressing some bas'
kets. in walked the old woman who
had brought me out of the faint
''Deary mer' she said. Il do beheyt
you are the woman who was with Ole
Mrs. Howell when she came to lie.
| nodded, and she said:
at didn't do her much good, Tor she
died, fair and square. that same night
They dion't dress her for the grave til
they were sure she was dead.
Ibid she speak again?nI asked.
s.Speak! Save US, no. Did she speak
10 you?m
yes | said.
.sWhat did she say?n
was sorry l had said so much, so
answered.: