Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-04-04
Sermon by the Corpse.

farm. In summer he watched with
pleasure the yachts sailing and
steaming about the sound.
Eight years ago his wife, the part
ner of thirty-seven years of his life,
was carried to the grave. But 10 him
she was still alive, and often al even
ing the sweet sound OF her beautiful
voice pealed forth, singing the
hymn:
We shall meet once more
on that beautiful shore.
Lately Mr.. Horne has been laid up
with pneumonia, and he expired at
the age of seventy-seven.
He had left explicit instructions as
to his burial and the services 10 be
held over his remains, and yesterday
his dining-room and parlor were
filled with mourners who had come
to pay respects to his memory.
Shortly after o'clock the cermony
commenced, and from the table was
heard the sound of an angelic voice
singing that beautiful hymn:
A few more years shall roll,
\ few more seasons come,
And we shalt be with those we love
In the land beyond the sun.
For some time feeling OF super
stitious awe pervaded the apartment
as may distinctly recognized the
voice of Mrs. Horn, but when they
preceived that it came through
photograph they grew more compos-
ed, though many wept as they recall
ed the owner of that sweet voice.
As soon as the hymn was over
Charles Horne, a nephew of the de
ceased. made some alterations in the
machine and inserted IL roll that con
tained the funeral sermon OF his un-
Gle, uttered by himself Seldom had
a more Impressive one been listened
TO. 1t sounded so weird that two
ladies tainted and had To be carried
out.
The well-remembered voice OF the
deceased Clergyman told OF how at
the time that his audience would
hear him he would be III that land.
Where the wicked cease from troubling,
And the weary are at rest.
He went on 10 say he would have
passed the portals of ignorance ana
would have entered that existence
where there would be no further
mystery, but where all things would
have been made plain.
1t is usual at funerals TO eulogize the
dead, and the pastor who breaches
the sermon seldom touches on the
deceased mans faults, but faithfully
carries out the old precept
DE mortuns nil nisi bonum.
On this occasion the virtues OF the
dead man were left alone, and instead
there was long list Of faults enumer-
ated, for which the mourners were
ed to pray for Gods pardon. There
was a stop, and the nephew put in
another roll. The voice took up the
address where it had left oil. 1t emu
merated the virtues OF the deceased
wife, and prayed God that the
speaker might be considered worthy
TO become a member Of that portion
of Gods kingdom where she might be
enthroned.
At this point of the address the
voice of that deceased had evidently
broken down, and from the instru-
ment the terrible sounds OF a strong
man weeping and unable to restrain
himself, broke out with terrible, re
alistic force, and caused a shudder OF
horror among those who were present
at this extraordinary service. The
he xt few sentences were uttered in a
broken voice, aud prayed God thar If
il pleased Him TO remove the speaker
by a sudden death, or To take him
away in some unusual manner. lie
would consider prayers after death as
elficacious as those before.
At the close Of the address he called
upon his hearers to join him and his
wife in singing the hymn, There is
Better Land. y
The nephew arranged two instru-
ments on the table, and ell at once
the soprano of the wife and the bar
itone 81 the husband joined together
in singing. Several Of the audience
tried TO join in the hymn, but their
voice choked with emontion and they
were unable TO proceed
The interment took place in Wood
lawn Cemetery. After the coffin had
been lowered into the grave the i'm
pressive burial services Of the Episco-
pal Church was read over it, still in
the voice Of the deceased.
The end came without hitch, the
final words being God grant that
in the sweet by and by We way all
meet in that beautiful land"
The Rev. Thomas Horne was a
familiar figure TO the yachtsmsn of
Larchmont, and on any summer day
he might be seen with his green
broad straw hat, and sun
umbrella sitting on the east cliff in
the vicinity Of the old club house
reading his book.
''See this coat = he queried as he