The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1890-01-01
AN ASTONISHING MEMORIAL



The deacon Died from Eating Too Much.
and His Widow Put the Meal In Wax.
The story of the q1eerest tribute 70
the dead on record comes from Lam
bertvllie In Hunterdon county. Near
that town lives Mrs. Elisha Pratt. wid-
ow o. deacon Pratt who was famous
as farmer, genial soul and an ar
Den, Aethodlst- BE was Particularly
fond q ucssling his appetite. and was
deemed considerable of an epictire.
Ills VIE was an excellent cook, and
her dinners were rare exhibitions of
culinary skill for a rural neighborhood.
Ihe deacon enioyed nothing better
than house ftsli OF clergyis around
q table laden with tempting vituals.
And Mrs Pratt. who dotted on the
deacon, was III her clement when pre-
pairing such a feast and helping en-
tertain tie goodly guests.
About year ago a number Of min
listers We're on their way TO the camp
meeting al Ocean Grove. There were
Just dozen Of them. Deacon Pratt
had them all stop over night al his
farm house, and gave them a rousinp
dinner early In the evening. Ii was, a
dinner modelled OH the New England
piac, s. Profit came from Vermont
and so did his wife. There was every-
thing conceivable TO eat, and plenty
of reasonably hard cider TO drink.
The deacon was IN the best of humor.
and partook even more heartily than
usual of the food. His wife. accus-
toned as she was to her husbands
large appetite, was astonisiied at the
amount he consumed, and made a
mental inventory of the various ar
ucleS and the amount of each that he
swallowed.
The next afternoon Deacon Pratt
died of cholera morbus. The physician
said the dinner knocked him out. The
funeral was the largest the nei9hbor-
hood ever knew. Eight of the twelve
clergymen present at the dinner acted
as pail bearers and the other four Off
ciated at the church and grave.
The widow was ipconsolable for a
while and talked about the tribute
she proposed having prepared in mem,
ory of her husband Everybody sup
posed that she was going to erect a
handsome monument and the makers
OF tombstones sent in bids. But they
were all mistaken. Mrs Pratt had IN
view the most markable and yet sug-
gestive Of memorials. She had the
work done quietly in PHILADELPHIA
III
When it arrived at the farm and
some OF the widows friends were in
vlted to call and see the tribute. thew
were at first astOunded and then
shocked, and finally they felt dispo-
sltlon to laugh that was controlled
with difficulty. On the table in the
parlor stood a large glass case. On top
OF the case was small arch, made OF
solid silver. SuFmounting the arch
was the figure in silver. OF an angel
blowing trumpet. Inside the arch
and suspended from its center was a
tablet of white marble, on which were
Inscribed the following words in deep.
black letters: y
This Is What the Deacon Died or"
But ii was underneath the glass case
that tile great surprise awaited the spec-
tators. There, on plates arranged in
the order they were served, were exact
duplicates in wax, and some in glace
shape, of tle various articles Of food
the deacon had eaten at the dinner the
evening before lie died. and also ex.
act duplicates in quantity and size Of
the amounts lie consumed. There was
large plate of soup, big slice OF
meat, heaping side dishes full of vege-
tables, three cucumbers, large slices
W PIC a lteNiSI VI u WdIcfIlcIOO, TWO
plates OF ice cream, a, small cun~ of
coffee and three goblets of cider. they
were perfect pieces of work in wax. as
well us perfect representationso what
had passed down the deacons throat
at dinner. The whole thing had cost
several hundred dollars.
The neighbors naturally ridiculed
the tribute at first, but they all re-
spected the widow. and when they
found she was really in earnest in her
grief and in her regard for the wax
memorial, they restrained their mirth
and said little about it outside. Many
OF them thought that the sudden loss
had uuhinged Mrs. Pratt's mind some
what. This is why it is only after tho
lapse OF year that the report of tho
astonishing tribute has leaked out
Trenton Letter to Philadelphia Times.