Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-14
AN ASTONISHING MEMORIAL.
How Mrs. Pratt Paid . Tribute to HeI
Late Husband.


Trenton Letter to the Philsdelphis Times.
The story Of the auesrest tribute 10 the dead
ON record comes from Lsmbertvills in Hunter
don county. Near that town lives Mrs Elisha
Pratt. widow of Deacon Pratt, who was famous
~ farmer, q genial soul and an ardent Metho-
dist He vas particularly fond Of tickling his
appetite and was deemed considerable of an
epicure. His wife vas an excellent cook and
her dinners were rare exhibitions of culinary
skill for . rural neighborhood. The deacon
enjoyed nothing better than . house full Of
clsrgymen around Q table laden with tempting
victuals. And Mrs. Pratt, who dotted on the
deacon, was in her element when preparing such
a feast and helping entertain such soodly guests.
About year ago number OF ministers were
on their way to the camp meeting ct Ocean
Grove. There were just q dozen Of them.
Deacon Pratt had them all stop over night ut
his farm house and gave them rousiug dinner
early in the evening. Il IVES Q dinner modelled
ON the New England plan, 40 Pratt came from
Vermont and so did his wife. There was every
thing conceivable to eat and plenty Of reason
ably hard cider to drink. The deacon was in
the best of hunor and partook even more
heartily than usual Of the food. His wife, ac-
tened - she was to her husbands large APP
petite, vas sstonished at the large amount he
be consumed and made mental inventory of
the various articles and the amount OF each
that he swallowed
The next afternoon Deacon Elisha Pratt died
dinner knocked him out The funeral was
the largest the neighborhood ever knew.
Eight OF the twelve clergymen present at the
dinner acted a. pail bearers and the other four
oficiated at the church and by the grave. The
widow was inconsolsbls for awhile and talked
| about the tribute she proposed having pre-
pared in memory Of her husband. Everybody
supposed she was gong TO erect q handsome
monument and the makers Of tombstones sent
in bids. But they were all mistaken. Mrs.
Pratt had in view the most remarkable and yet
suggestive Of memorials. She had the work
done quietly In Philadelphia and II
required some weeks TO finish IL.
When IL arrived at the farm and some OF
the widows intimate friends were invited To
call and see the tribute they we're at first as
founded and then shocked, and finally they
felt q disposition TO laugh that was controlled
with difficulty. On the table in the parlor
stood large glass case. On top Of the case
| was small arch made of solid silver. Sur
mounting the arch was the figure in silver OF
an angel blowing trumpet. Inside the arch
white marble, on which were inscribed the
following words in deep, black letters:
"Ths is What the Deacon Died Of"
But 1t was underneath the glass case that the
great surprise awaited the spectators. There
on plates arranged in the order they were
served, were exact duplicates in wax, and some
In glace shape, of the various articles of food
the deacon had eaten at the dinner the even
ing before he died, and also exact duplicates il
quantity and size Of the amounts he had con
sumed. There was large plate of soup,
big slice Of meat heaping side dishes full Of
vegetables, three cucumbers, huge slices of pie
quarter of a watermelon, two plates of ice
cream, a small cup Of coffee and three goblets
OF cider They were perfect pieces Of work in
wax, as well as perfect representations of what
had passed down the deacon's throat at the
dinner. The whole thing had cost severa
hundred dollars
The neighbors naturally ridiculed the tribute
at first. but they all respected the widow and
when they found that she was really in earnest
in her grief and in her regard for the wa,
memorial they restrained their mirth and SAID
little about it outside. Many Of them thought
that the sudden loss had unhinged Mrs. Pratt,
mind somewhat That is why it is only aftel
the lapse of year that the report of the aston
ishing tribute has leaked out