Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1891-04-09
THE FUNERAL MAN.
Uncanny Delusion of Curious charac-
ter Who Follows che Hearse.

Uncanny Delusion of C0rious charac-
ter Who Follows che Hearse.
Afuneral procession wound its gloomy
way down Mission street. The car
riages rolled heavily over the pave
ment
The hearse was q white one, and the
little coffin inside was covered with
flowers. q
An old man passing along stopped
and raised his hat as the hearse passed
him, and group of noisy street gamins
stopped their play moment. As the
last carriage turned the corner strange :
figure shanbled into sight-a weird
figure that seemed to loom suddenly
[ out of the mist like aspecter-the figure :
of tall old man running.
He was running as fast as he could,
with sort of hating limp that brought
him every minute nearer the last car
riage. He stumbled painfully over a
stone in the street, but he never paused
He limped breathlessly on, his wild
eyes glowing with an eager light. He
was a thin, gaunt old man with bag
gard face and jaws that moved horri-
bly,.
Just as the procession stopped at the
church the strange figure stumbled for
ward.
When the little coffin was lifted ten-S
derby from the white hearse the figure
pushed eagerly up to the steps. The
Pallbearers walked carefully up the
stairs to the door.
On the topmost step stood the tall
man. He was still. His lean arm was
stretched out in a stately gesture His
wild eyes were alight with fanatics
enthusiasm.
When the coffin passed him he waved
his stick with kingly dignity. He
lnuttered something to himself. A po
Iceman took him by the arm
Move or" he said
The tall man started suddenly. The
light faded from his face He li1nped
silently away a little child standing
near the steps clutcled her mother
ooh" she said, terrified, there
the funeral man."
The funeral man is well known
character. All the undertakes know
him All the sections know him, but
no one knows where he lives.
Some horrid intuition seems to tell
him where the unburied dead are ly
ing. He haunts the afflicted neighbor-
hood until the funeral procession forms.
Then he hurries behind the carriages
and always manages to reach the church
in time to meet the coffin as it is borne
to the church Sometimes cortege
starts without his haunting shape, but
he always starts into sight somewhere
and hurries, limping, after the last car
riage.
He is very tall and, very thin! His
gaunt figure is incased in a tight fitting
frock coat, which is shiny and thread
bare, but scrupulously neat His head
is covered by a gray cap and he carries J.
in his hand a long stick. He never
speaks to any one nor does he re
when one addresses him.
No one ever sees him except a
funeral. He seems to think it his
sion to mutter his mysterious wolus
over the bodies of the dead. Whether
they be curses or blessings no one can
guess. There is scarcely church in
the city upon whose steps he has not
stood and waved his gaunt arm in mys-
terious greeting to a silent figure in the
coffin
Tbs drivers of the hearses know
him, and look back expectantly at the
sound of his shambling limp
The little children of the poor, who
wander aimlessiy in the wake of any
procession, know him, and shrink away
frightened at his approach. Yet he has
never harmed them. He sees nothing
but the nodding of the mourninae
plumes. He listens only to the run1s
of the heavy wheels of hearse.
No one knows his name or how
lives. He issi1nply the Funeral NJ
To what strange happening he q
this ghoulish fancy who can say2-Sa
Francisco Examiner.