The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-01-10

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Death In the Family-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 neighborbood in which he
had grown almost 10 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. m. How did
everybody know iti The clerk in the store
at the Corners told il to such farmers, their
wives, sons and daughters as 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. IL the caller was the farmer
or one of his sons, the message of death
was delivered in this way:
"Tom Bakers boy Jim died yesterday.
Funeral day after tomorrow at 2 o'clock"
III the farmers wife or daughter told the
sorrowful news, il was done in this way, or
about so; "Mrs Thomas Bakers son James
Is dead-died at o'clock this morning He
will be buried day after tomorrow at 2.
Mrs. Diedrich will take n bunch of sweet
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."
was nearly half mile away, but
heard Farmer Loehr call TO Farmer Holiday
and say: did you know that poor Jim
Baker was dead? Yes, died this morning.
fol- 81
Not less than a dozen different persons told
the news to my entertainers, pioneers of the
neighborhood That is the way everybody
for five miles roundabout came to know of
the sorrow in the home of generous neigh
bor Baker
My friend asked me if cared to go to the
funeral. did The day before had taken
a long ride through the neighborhood and
had noticed that all the farmers and their
sons and on some farms the wives and
daughters were as busy as beavers in har-
vest fields. The broad brimmed hats all
wore-men. boys and women-the plain
gray, brown or half red wearing apparel
made the women all look alike, and il was
not easy to tell one man from another. But
they were substantial citizens, specimens
of the real bone and sinew of the land.
"They will not look like the same people
when you see them at young Bakers funer-
al" remarked my friend. do you mean
to tell me that those farmers and their fam
lilies in this busy harvest time will stop
work, or more than a few of them, to at
tend funeralsn Watch and see" was
his lone response to a question he seemed
Astonished to hear propounded.
Soon after o'clock there were seen little
dust clouds on half dozen roads centering
at the Corners half a mile from Bakers.
"We will go early, 40 that you may see our
people under different circumstances-see
them away from their farms, out of their
working suits and in their dress up Clothes"
Half an hour before it was time for the
services to begin there was a constant COM
ing of carriages--bright, clean, modern car
riages-all bearing men with clean shaven
faces, clad In stylish clothes, women in fine
gowns and hats, and children as pretty of
feature aud as well dressed as their city
cousins, and they looked and were a great
deal healthier
For a quarter Of a mile on both sides of
the road teams were hitched to the fences
The house of mourning was crowded, and
the ample grounds were filled with sym
pathizing neighbors and friends. AS far
as the eye could reach-and it could reach
long way in that level tract of the finest
farming land in Wisconsin-not farmer
or a member of his family or hired man
could be seen at work that afternoon. All
work had been suspended that everybody
might go to the funeral.
What beautiful custom thatl A brother
farmer and his family were in sorrow.
Their neighbors would express their SYM
pathy by participating in the last sad rites
by following the silent sleeper to the grave.
This they did, and with a warm press of
the hand, and in many cases choking,
broken word of regret at the loss they had
met with, they lifted a heavy load from
the hearts of the weeping family.
The hymns were sung by hurriedly col
lected choir from a couple Of farmers fam
lilies. i shall never forget the soft, solemn,
sympathetic way in which the possessors
of those sweet voices rendered the touch
ing hymns. The young minister read the
beautiful and impressive Episcopal service
In clear, ringing voice, as though he had
done so many times, but that was his first
experience as pastor at a funeral. Several
different nationalties were present. Bap-
fists, Methodists, Catholics, Episcopalians,
CenRregatienaiists,P Prcsbyterians and those
who belong to no church reverently bowed
their heads when the good man spoke his
message TO the King of kings, who looks
into hearts instead of church pews when he
seeks TO know of and about his people.
My attention was called TO two clusters
of men, one under an apple tree and the
other under a maple. In the welcome shade
of the latter were dozen or more Of gray
haired men. On their left breasts were
pinned familiar badge. These men had
come from dozen widely separated farms
for the purpose of showing their comrade
IN trouble that they were ready with sym
pathy and would be glad TO aid him in any
manner in their power. They We're soldiers
comrades of Baker, who had been hero
IN the Thirteenth New York. While was
not surprised 20 see this evidence of broth
erly love-of true comradeship-I was
deeply affected by it.
Under the other tree there was assem-
bled delegation of Odd Fellows from the
lodge TO which the young mans father be-
longed. There, too, was evidence Of true
fraternity. The fraternal spirit was ap-
parent on all sides. How beautiful strong,
belpful aud splendid is the true fruternal