The Progress. [volume] (White Earth, Minn.) 1886-1889, 1889-06-22
MY FRIEND Sparkling.
\ Troubled Conscience and q
Haunting Presence.

! am manufacturer of and dealer in grave
stones and monuments. There are three men
who habitually associate death with bust
ness-the doctor, the undertaken and the
tombstone maker. have the finer feelings
and sentiments of the average man, yet my
occupation has led me to regard the great
and solemn change chiefly from a business
point of view. That men should die has
seemed to me as a matter of course, and as
necessary means for the support of my
self and family. Still, death may produce
O great shock in me, as was the case with
that of my friend Sparkling.
We had been friends from boyhood. He
lived near me; my way to and from bust
ness led past his house. met him almost
daily. Mutual assistance over some of the
hard places of life, similarity Of tastes,
and frequent interchange of thought and
opinion had endeared each of us to the
other. $50
3 For week had been busy with prepare
tons for a long business tour It was to
last three months. The day before my de-
parture had met Sparkling and had said to
HIM: $ ! am going on another tour. Lest
we should not meet tomorrow, let us saw
goodbye now.' We separated with a
hearty hand-shake and the friendiest Of
farewells
was to take the evening train OF the
next day. NV ticket for New Orleans was
in my pocket, my trunk packed, the
parting with those at home was over, and
the hack was taking me to the station. The
afternoon paper was in my hand; / opened
1T and the following paragraph caught my
eye:
8tT SUDDEN DEATH-As we 20 to press the
painful news reaches us Of the death Of our
esteemed citizen, Ezra Sparkling. which zoc-
CURED at his residence about three O'Clock
this afternoon. The occurrence will be as
startling as painful to his host of friends
and acQualntances, MS the deceased has ap-
parently been in the best of health. The cause
was probably heart disease. Particulars are
necessarily deferred till our next lssue..'
The paper dropped from my hand; the
shock made me faint for a moment. Spar
ling dead! Icould not comprehend it.
The hack had just turned into the street
on which was his house looked at my
watch there was not one moment to spare
# Shall tell the truth, that this certainly
gave me great relief, Just thena I, OF all
men, should be with the afflicted family in
that dark hour; and here was an excellent
excuse for the non-performance Of the sad
duty shrank, as all do, from the dis
agreeable task #
The hack went swiftly to the house; the
driver knew he had no time to lose / saw
in the twilight that the blinds were closed;
two or three neighbors were on the front
steps. / had a glimpse of woman doing
something at the door. s Putting Grape on
the knob said to myself, and the scene
disappeared like some fleeting picture con-
jured by the memory.
Sc So my Journey was commenced with q
heavy heart. ] looked about anxiouslv for
somebody at the station who could tell me
something more about my friend death.
Nobody could. The two or three with whom
Twas able toexchange a few words about
1t before the express came and went knew
what did and no more. They had seen the
brief newspaper announcement, and that
was all.
lay awake two hours that night after nv
berth in the sleeper was made up, thinking
of poor Sparkling, of his bereaved family.
and what ! ought to do in the premises. It
was an unusual occasion with me: nobody.
not even relative, had ever departed and
left the gap in my life that this man would
leave. Naturally, began to condemn my
self for Fastening away as had done. after,
learning of Ezra's death. To be sure, my
plans were all previously made, and the
three days delay that would be necessary
IN Offering my consultations to the family
and attending the funeral would be lncon-
venient. That was all, merely little de-
rangement Of my plans, not even involving