The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-27
He SURPRISED HIS FRIENDS.
After the ARRANGEMENTS We're Com
pleted Mr. Churchill Concluded to
gya1I
(CoDyrioht 1897

pleted MIR. Churchill Concluded to
Get Well
(CoDyri0h 1897
NEW York, Jan. 90. In big city like
New York there are always cropping
up curious phases of life which pass I'M
noticed in the hustle and hurry Of our fast,
metropolitan style Of existence. The news
papers are, Of course, always on the alert
to secure aught that is interesting, but
even their vast dragnets, thor enterprise
and their ubiquitous reporters cannot gath
er in all the strange md curious happenings,
aud many Of these that thus escape publicity
are quite as interesting as the others that 60
into print and become sensations for days
upon days.
A story recently came TO me from the
most reliable sources which must be in
cluded in the hitherto unpublished curious
happenings Of this CITY Dickens or Tnack
cray would have delighted in just such
foundation for one of their qaint, delicious
characterizatOns, and as / heard it ] could
not help noticing throughout the narrative
the close resemblance that 1t bore TO
some of Dickens tales.
Mr. David b. Churchill is a wholesale
ieweler located in the Aston house. He is
tall handsome, impsessive-loOking man,
mon strength. He is married and lives
with his wife in a hand ONE three-storv
building in the suburbs of Broo0kly. IL
seems that in spite Of his appearance of
health and strength Mr.. Churchill Is fire.
Quently in the care of his doctor, onu at
times his condition has been 30 serious MS to
keep him in close confinement for weeks.
The trouble my informant said, is conStl-
tutional weakness of the heart
Within the past year Mr.. Churchill has
been very close to deaths door number of
times, and a few weeks ago he lay in his
bed apparently sinking gradually into the
mysterious realm Of the unknown. The
doctors held numerous consultations, talked
in hushed whispers. shook thelr heads
gravelv aud sighed when Mrs. Churchill in
dured as to her husbands chances Of re-
covery. Mr.. Churchill grew worse and
worse, and the doctors decided that the end
had come They thought 1t might be lin
gering death, but there was no doubt, they
said that the grim monster OF death had
secured another victim.
Mrs. Cnnrchiill is a woman with a strong
sense of the pgoprieties Of life. Ny ntor-
maut, who saw the family daily, noticed
change in her as soon as the doctors had
decided positively that her husband must
die She began to look forward to the fu-
neral, and mapped out IN detail that lugu-
brious affair 1t was not a piece of cold
hearted Indifference to her liege lord and
master, but "a strong feminine determine
ton that the last earthly ceremonies should
be such as to demand respect
She called in the services Of her dress
maker and entered heart and soul into the
plans for her mourning dresses Every
thing she insisted, mnst be of the best.
The quality of the Grape trimming, Its
depth, the style of hedress, all these things
vera carefully considered, decided uDon and
changed IA dozen times. Each dress was
mace the subject of hours of anxious
thought. How many were ordered | was
not Informed, but there were number of
them. These were rushed through aud de
lvered. In the mea time her husbands
condition remained unchanged.
Mrs. Churchill cudgelled her head for
some other way of demonstrating to the
world, after Mr. Churchilrs demise, that he
had been man of some Importance, and
that his memory was deserving of all re-
spect. She finally decided TO invite some
relatives and friends Of the family to stay
at the house SO as to be ready for the sad
event. Letters and kilograms were accord
ingly sent out, and soon the invited guests
began to arrive The door bell was kept in
almost constant motion for several days
and trunks began to pile up in the halls tor
want Of room elsewhere. Finally all the
spare rooms were filed.
Mr. Churchill, although very i'll, seemed
to be amazed 10y this turn of affairs. lie
could not quite grasp the meaning of the
presence Of 50 many persons in the house Of
sickness. When it did finally dawn upon
him he appered 10 resent these ante norton
preparations for post mortem effect. He
refused to soc that either pr priety or af-
lection could inspire such action on the part
Of his wife. The guests found themselves
in somewhat unpleasant predicament.
They walked through the house on tip-toe
and hardly dared 10 talk above a whisper
Their expressions of sympathy were not
received with any degree Of gratitude by
Mr.. Churchill. Their presence outraged
him and his looks showed that he re-
scnted It.
Whether it was the effect OF indignation
or ID determined desire 10 thwart the plans
made Tor his disposition cannot be said, but
certain It is that from the day he learned
the purpose OF the presence Of his guests,
there was a remarkable change in his con-
dition, and he began 10 improve rapidly.
lie recovered entirely, and the guests who
were invited 30 mis- funeral were able to re-
joce at his recovery.
Their position was not rendered lass em-
barrnsiIg, however, b cause Mr.. Church
ills resentment was slow TO vanish. His
wife put awl " her MOURNING dresses in the
deepest reccsses of hor closet, but evon this
did not molly his anger. Hr, being sem
sible man, howove~, finally concluded that
the intentions Of bis vito were not bad aad
that his guests were at all events innocent.
As "a result the Pipe Of peace has been
smoked, and all is again Tranquil IN the
Churchill household.
Mr.. Churchill is stronger now than he
was before his asst aud almost fatal illness,
and the probability IS that thu style OF Ms.
Churchips mourning dresses viii have to bo
changed before sac gets a chance TO use
them. JoHN HOE.
osnAN DlosA means osman tie bearded The