The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-12-30
HOW SYMPATHY WELLS UP WHEN
DEATHS SHADOW DEscENDs.
The Universal and Spontaneous Condo
lenoo That Is Called Into Being by q
Death In the Fnmiiy-A Funeral Cere-
mony In the Busy Harvest Time.


Death In the Famiiy-A Funeral Cere-
mony In the Busy Harvest Time.
He died in the morning-died in the
farmhouse where he was born-in the
quiet, peaceful neighborhood in which he
had grown almost to manhood, where for
miles around the farmers and their fam
lilies knew him or his parents. Before the
sun set that warm summer day everybody
knew that Thomas Bakers son James was
dead, and that the funeral would occur
two days later at o'clock p. IN. How did
everybody know itt The clerk in the store
at the Corners told 1t to such farmers, their
wives, sons and daughters MS came to
trade, and they passed the word along. If
no one was visible in the fields, they called
In front of each house they passed until the
door opened. II the caller was the farmer
or one of his sons, the message of death
was delivered in this vey:
tom Bakers boy Jim died yesterday.
Funeral day after tomorrow Mt 3 o'clock. I"
If the farmers wife or daughter told the
sorrowful news, it was done In this way, or
about so: Mrs. Thomas Bakers son james
is dead-died ut o'clock this morning. He
will be buried day after tomorrow at @
pea blossoms, and am going to send John.
ny over to the pond for some lilies Can't
You take some pansies, phlox and gerani
umss heard that Mrs Brown, Mrs. Vim.
cent and Mrs Good are going To take mi
gnonette and goldenrod.
l was nearly half n mile away, but ]
heard Farmer Loehr call to Farmer IIolliis,
and say: did you know that poor jim
Baker was deadS Yes, died this morning
Burial takes place Mt o'clock Wednesday
Not less than dozen different persons told
the news to my entertainers, pioneers of tht
neighborhood. That is the way everybody
for five miles roundabout came to know o.
the sorrow in the home OF generous neigh
Dor Baker.
My friend asked me if cared to go to tht
funeral. l did. The day before had taker
a long ride through the neighborhood anc
had noticed that all the farmers md thei
sons and on some farms the wives ant
: daughters were as busy as beavers in har
vest fields. The broad brimmcd hats al
lwore-men. boys and women--the pluii
gray, brown or half red wearing appare
made the women all look alike, and il wa
not easy to tell one man from another. Blu
they were substantial citizens, specimen
Of the real bone and sinew of the land
They will not look like the same peopl
when you see them Mt young Bakers funer
al, y remarked my friend. do you meal
to tell me that those farmers and their fam
lilies in this busy harvest time will sto
work, or more than a few of them, to ut
tend n funeral2' Watch and See" wa
his lone response to question he seeme
:. astonishel to hear propounded.
; Soon inter o'clock there were seen littl
dust clouds on half a dozen roads ccnterin
Mt the Corners half II mile from Baker,
I'VE Will go early, SO that you may see otl
people under different circumstances SC
them away from their farms, out of thci
/ working suits and in their dressu up clothes
! Half au hour before it was time for til
: services to begin there was u constant con
ing of CarriageS-bright clean, modern cal
> riag sail bearing men with clean shaw
i, faces, clad in stylish clothes, women In fin
gowns and hats, aud children as pretty {
+ feature aud rs well dressed as their cit
. cousins aud they looked and were grea
} deal healthier.
For quarter Of mile on both sides {
+ the roud teams were ltitched to the fence.
The house Of mourning was crowded, M
the ample grounds were filled with syn
: pathiliug ncighbors and friends. As ia
= us the eye could reacll-and it could rpac
a long way in TINT leyel tract Of the fine.
. farming land in WiEconsin-uot fnrmc
, or member of his family or a hired ma
: could lie seph ut work that afternoon. Al
work had been suspended that evcrybud
might 20 to the funeral
What bralifDl custom thatl A brotht
farmer and his family were in sorlnu
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