The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-07-26
A SOUTHERN FUNERAL.
Tho True Story OF Burial In an Old
Virginia Town.

The very town itself was old fashioned. The
streets. II You can call them such told the
story OF the war-told how al! tho Union army
had gone through there pursuing what was
left OF the Southern army. The houses were
old and queer but they had about them the
most beautiful gardens you have ever seen
gardens where great white. pink, and red
roses bloom, whore tall holyhocks Eft up
their heads. where tho fragrant ctronaloes
grows almost us tai Us n tree and whore all
the fine trees in tho world seemed to grow
like the iowers-Iust because God intended
them to be there. 1t is n town where new
customs never coma. Everybody does as
his grandiathers and grandmoihers did
before. Every bride Is married in u
white satin fro X. even II she only has one
other new gown in her trous-eau. The babies
are baptized by the old fashioned names: and
the girls named Ca ter, aud Gordon. end Brax-
ton are as many as tho boys OF thee names.
SO when somebo ly died she was buried In the
Sumo ou-fashinnel way that somebody's
grandmother hal been.
This tim, it was n Young rir. q girl just II
years old. For weeks an weeks she had been
illl OF that dreadful d ssase that down South
they call old IA -hionel Consumption. All the
neigh borhood know OF her illness knew that
death was surely coming and every woman
far and near did all she could to make life moro
cuevr.u while 1t lasted and uen.h custer for
this young girl But one night death came.
lowered over the iowa for minute. and then
descended aal drew Its gray vel over the
young girls face and she slept.
The next murnin.: about 10 o'clock there
came to our do,r till. disnicd co.ored man
VINO was all dres, ed in black. lie Wore gh
black hat. On which WAS Il long mourning scarf;
he had on black g!o eS, and in his hand he
4 Il.
black ho dcred envelope tied with ulnck rib
bon. He gave threo solemn knocks, and then
cynthia the ~ 10 w!lllnE mad. orcned THO
10 ,tess took of IN eNo'oi o. un,yinG tn rib
bon hat bound l.. TOOK onI the PAPER onrlo Oh.
Written ON il IL large. clear letters:
Mr.. and Mrs. Cntou request The honor Of
your presence ut tne, burial OF their only
daughter Nancy. who departed this he July
fifteenth. ei.h' cen hundred and LIneiy-oLe.
aged seventeen years.
into its emNelo.c, the ribbon tied: It WAS nd
on t. SILVER sa!ver, and WITH great quie ness
bearer. VII, bore ito the next house. TAen We
all vent out mo the garden I? l"ol Tor white
rs Sc. ing TO Ners. bat when the is IA bridal
ora Leatn al TIE nelEhbors Tor miles around
hs ono WHO IS hs
bride OF 10Y or tho bride OF sor ow. All tho
white towers were plucked mnic up into old
fashioned bpnunots. tien with white ribbons
and senr 10 III" mousse Of mourning
The next day was tho time for tho funeral
beautiful ceremony OF he Episcopal Church
road over toe body Of this yoanG cir. 1t was
q curious sght. lie little stone church over
grown with E.een vines. the sunshine coming
in through tho window over the altar. ~ u That
uucor LoX. that rcriinbe coffin. broad at tho
sorn any more in the North and all about It
were flowers and all about 1t were tears. uot
was youn-.. she Ind suffered mu Ii. and those
Who loved her OF know that death was tho
i,sH h n' Wore "r wo iG for
tho ceneiory not us we Do in l,o :,nrtL; not
WIN carriages rushing through thu street, and
with gIeat wagon, coming Doiwean them and
breakinE M the lrnrAss"n No; there wcro
only TWO carriages here, and yet Lore wrre
II. coffin, aud in the two carriasls behind
that; 9ld-'nshionnd mo our coaches, ro!e,
nnrsed her. and IN, sisters AMI biothors OF
me d al girl, Behind these, walking, came
the inm'e. WI" Were nitod to !"nn tho
little child led l,y tho moth RS hand
h.p LsIid Them -, the o y""nF Eirl whS
group. following. untl 81 of al! came The eos
% Gre reonie VIII, RId kHGw an loved her.
cool. shady retreats. past Il o -.nging OF the
r rye We AND ero !s say ns
how Young she was; and almost uncons iously
n father put his Ii nd on tha shone. II hi,
which al! think = hard. ~ leaving tho wOrll
whom we ar. Dung and while life seem til, Of
Sunshine. Thn pan barer, stepped iurwt d.
The o .r, no hhei ones: III SO are Young
men who mo her brothers fronts: thny
tako the little conin: Il has 80 ham
de-. I'd they bear it IN their shoulders to
tho grave; it l., carefully luwrr"d aud then.
hetor" ono handful o. earth is mt upon It. 10
pail benrcrs havo tnEon o I In" b,.'cE MAJ IL
about their arms. ha' gloves that az Oh their
linds. and haze dropppd ,heul on lilo go nm,
so that when tho earth falls there is 10 hnr-h
sound to give added pain ~ tho 90 who alien ~
suffer. They all know what this mems: they
nll know what It tells 10 the mpnrncrs, that Ito
day must rot lie far OF when The badge OF
mourning must DO lnid aside. for each SHOWS
that 1t is u sin to mourn forever. Tie giHy' -
NJ led up. the last prayer Is said. 10 towers no
all nut on top oil the mound and the proces-io
starts to return homo.
But before that the head OF every fami has
zone W., and. giving a. sympnt cite handmade
to the father. has made him understjn nd that
they are all in unison with him in his sr .
Hack they go the friends all wllkinr ~ lhtY
came. the colored people mt the back As uliiot
ms II they knew that IS eu In he wen that hanpy
soul dh6t want t. hear noise and con,ro.
ton. And Just a tho SIN In gong dawn. n
clear vpc' lrOn among than tax - I'D n.
hymn that IN dead L 50 well NE :, and
with their clear, rich Ices hey sang whu' 30
many OF us need u sing. and II seemed M if in
the dim twilight there mus hp M answer 10 it,
at least TO her who had been lsl where she
wished. ionknow that we all need to ask it.
1t is lead. Kindly Light"
Now. this Is the tr,le story OF q funeral In Q