The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-09-26

| KIND to them. Of course they never
speak, but there is golden eloquence in
their silence. Different positions of
their quiet faces give language to
them, and slight change in attitudes
makes the contour and whole effect
different.
"Let me tell you about young
woman who used to assist me where |
formerly lived: She made handsome
bouquets and garlands during her lei
sure, and she also kept the entry books.
"Well, sir, that girl had much good
philosophy on the subject of death. She
liked to read about the old Greeks who
dressed their dead in white, sang odes
to Immortality and placed floral decor
ations on their tombs.
81 often noticed that she spent many
idle hours among the collins after the
| bodies were prepared and properly
clothed. of course thought that she
was simply studying the business and
trying to learn how to make what we
call artistic settings, for she was always
in love with the business.
"One day her affianced-for she was
engaged to young lawyer-came in to
chat with her few moments. He was
a bright young fellow, and they were
to be married in the fall. He had been
coaxing her to leave the business, but
she would not do it. Well, this was
delightful June day, and as he left she
pinned neat little bouquet upon the
lapel OF his coat. Not noticing my
presence he lightly kissed her on the
brow and departed. This did not seem
to trouble her, although noticed that
she blushed as her sweetheart de-
parted. do not know whether that
kiss offended her, but do know that
she seemed troubled for several days,
and after Lawyer Ralfe left her the
next Friday noticed that her eyes
were moist. / believed that they had
gone through little lovers quarrel,
and l thought no more about it. At
least did not have the slightest sus-
picion of the wonderful alterations of
her affections that was then taking
place in her mind.
The next day the body of one of the
handsomest young men l ever saw was
brought into our parlors. He was un-
known, but from papers found among
his effects 1t was ascertained that his
family lived in London, England. He
had been out hunting, and getting sep
arated from his companions the gun
was discharged, the charge entering
his thigh. He soon bled to death. Of
course you know he would be very
pale.
1.-TWO efficient aids in my establish
ment helped me to prepare the corpse
for the coffin. We dressed him nicely,
combed his beautiful hair, arranged his
very handsome mustache, gave his
cheeks few touches of color with
the blender, and left instructions for
our young lady assistant to have a
floral tribute made for the Elks, who
were to manage the funeral. I then
went home to dinner, and | was gone
several hours. When l returned the
girl was working over the face. She
made a handsome wreath and placed it
over his brow. Then she fairly rayed
about his beauty. When | came back
in about fifteen minutes, she was still
there, and she seemed to be talking to
him. heard her ask him If he still
loved her. 1t was with delay that she
needed my request to come away and
attend to some other work. The next
day it was the same, and when /
stopped by the corpse a moment she
said she could marry a man that hand
some. She seemed to blush and laugh
a little, but / thought nothing of it.
Toward evening the Elks and their
band came after the corpse. Will you
believe me when | tell you that nv
pretty girl kissed that cold face and
burst into Mysteries so that we could
not calm her when it was removed.
That was twenty-five years ago, and
she was then about eighteen years
old.m
''And where is she nowP" asked the
reporter.
II saw her when I was home two
years ago. She looked well and hearty.
and she was really handsome, although
her hair was little gray. She told
me she had been married many years,
and then she talked and laughed with
her husband, but he made no reply, for F
he was buried by the Elks many years
before. You don't understand? Listen!
when left her, gentle attendants
ed her away from the gaslit parlor into
hat part of the great insane asylum
where, for a quarter of a century, she /
aas lived and loved that young English
nan, whose body has rested heneath I
he mossy marbles since we buried him
here away back in the sixties. AsI
stole away / could hear her voice
sehoing through the great corridors,
or she was laughing and talking with
Ter husband, the bodiless creation of
scstacy. Her eye was bent on vacancy,
Iet she was happy. San Francisco
Examiner.
-Judge-''You were arrested for
Vallyinp on the GRASS in tho ,aa,l~ oa5