The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1890-03-08
FUNERAL ~ A TENEMENT.
UHOSTENTATlOUS SERVICE OVER
THE DEATH OF A BABY.

rents-A Mothers Whim--The Burial
at Cypress Hills.
A little girl in red checked apron stood
on tiptoe TO tie two pieces of white ribl III
TO the front toor knob of the big tenement
where she lived 1t was in Rose street
just around the corfier.
The ribbon was limp and old, and huns
In lifclcsS way against the worn panels
of the door. She stepped back to note the
effect, and another girl about the same
age came out from a door in the lower
hallway and joined her. The two little
ones were the only signs of life about the
great building, that looked black and for.
bidding, with its range of grated fire es-
capes giving it the air of barred prison.
The second conner stared at the first girl
with bold eyes for moment and said,
pointing to the fiuttering ribbons:
"What did you do that for?'
"Baby is dead"
"Do you live in this housef'
Eyes; OH the fourth floor"
'Huh," with a sniff of contempt. "We
live on the first floor and we've got q
baby carriage" Then in a more concil-
iatory way: MAY come up and see it?"
81 guess so,n and the two children,
hand in hand, went up the dark steps to
the little room fronting on the street,
where the IN, ther and the woman Of the
next room weic preparing the child for
burial
It was bloodless little thing, the piece
of clay the woman fondled in that linger-
ing way they have with those they love.
The mother seemed jealous of Il. atter1-
ton her friend showed the child. She
wanted to attend to the last rites herself.
She could not bear to have other hands
touch the little thing. No other hands
Dut hers should smooth the pillow for its
last sleep There was no wild outburst of
weeping on her part, and, beyond a GER
tain querulousness, no demonstration of
affection. The mother did not even cry
She was too used to suffering for that
She talked reminiscently of the bundle Of
white on the bed. She told how she
never expected to raise it; that it had al
ways been thin and sickly; that it was the
best child in spite of all that the world
had ever seen; that she knew it could
never stand the warm weather, and 1000
little details that only mother could re-
member and repeat. And every now and
then she would begin again and go over
IT'S peculiarities, finding some new charm
TO tell Of.
ol MIAlhEIIC NElGHBOH.
The other woman was sympathetic and
receptive, petting the mother and calling
her "Dcarie' and MY darlin'" and fit
ting about the room putting things to
rights with an air of proprietorship that
would have been holly resented at any
other time. The two neighbors living so
close together had been great enemies and
had fought royalty over the petty privi-
legeS of the fourth floor hallway. But
all that was forgotten and laid aside now.
Pretty soon young map with a weeks
growth of beard and furred silk hat came
Ia softly without knocking at the door.
He said he was the undertaken. Nobody
knew how he had found out about the
death. He had book with pictures of
collins in it. He stepped on tiptoe across
the room and asked in q suhlued voice
whether tomorrow morning would suit
for the funeral Then he said that for
S14 one could get beautiful casket He
always called his collins caskets. The
neighbor took him aside and conferred
with him, finally getting the S14 casket
for $l1. Then he went away, after leav-
ing receipt for the So cash that had been
paid on instalhrent.
The mother tooE the cold form of her
child in her arms and rocked it as she had
done so often in life. 1t had long, white
gown, with a bit of lace down the front.
She took q wisp Of pink ribbon and fas-
tened it ut the baby's throat The neighbors
protested that she must not do that; Il
would never do. But the mother persist
ed ana the bit of bright color remained.
The husband came home from work Mt
the usual hour and did not grumble at the
cold supper that was spread for him. He |
kissed his wife in a way that he had not |
done since they were married. They were |
q loving couple, full of the traest affection |
for each other, but the affection did not
often find outward expression. lie sat |
with his wife for half an hour and then |
feeling himself in the way went down and |
Joined The group on the stoop. She did |
not caro- to leave tic room.
A sI,IPLE FUNERAL.
Tie wGs working on particularly urgent |
Job and went off with his tools us usual the |
next morning. He kissed the mother of the |
little one again before he left. The woman
across the hall came in early and put
things to rights. Then she disappeared |
for a little space and returned, dressed in
a newer gown of black. She brought q
bunch of OK eyed daisies with her and put
them III the bahyfs hands. The little girl
who had tied the white ribbon that served
as crepe to the fro.N door knob came ND
wondcrinSly and felt of the flowers. Then
she took one for herself The neighbor
and the undertaken arranged the casket,
the woman quietly slipping the bit of pink
ribbon from the shrOud. But the quick
eyes of tine mother saIy it and would not
have the child deprived of the bit of color.
It had always loved the bright string, She
pleaded. So the pink knot rested there.
a vO1I0O Tl1inicfor ba yr-oc
more than boy-and read chapter from
the Bible and said few words of conso-
lat Oh in German. There were ten or
twelve persons in the room. He PRAYED
for the bit Of clay in the coffin. Then the
MIN took tue coffin in his
nrm and carried it down. the hack that
stood waiting at the door, The mother
cried softly TO herself during the services.
and her little girl stood by her side and
stared at the minister. There was no
hearse, and only one carriage. The man
put the little coffin on the front seat of the
hack. the mother and her littls gill and
the neighb0r who had been so kind to her
got in with it, one Of the group waiting on
the sidewalk slammed the door. and the
carriage took IFS way over to Long Island
to Cypress Hills cemetery. Nothing was
said at the grave by any one They took
Jhe Lutte DON ana put IL In great grave |
with half hundred boxes Of the same |
kind of precious dust that had been al
ready laid away TO rest.
Ia the afternoon the three mourners
came home. The mother went up to her
'oom and the little girl again stood on tip
zoe ut the door 10 untie the fluttcring
white. She took the ribbons upstairs.
olded them carefully and put them back
n the box where they had been at first.
rhey were the ribbons that her mothc:
nd Xnrn he day CHG Su.s l,,nrrind -Nn1,.