New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-01
A PRACTICAL WIDOW.
TWO FUNERALS ON ONE DAY


particulars. Here he hnds himself a once IT. the
midst Of great grief and should use the utmost dis
erection TO save the respect and the feeling Of the
bereaved family and also 10 protect the interest Of
his lodge.
remember occasion Master
away on business in Eastern city when
ceived very laconic mssive from a member that
Brother Condln had Just died See to IT," Prothcr
Condin lived on First-ave near Sixteenth-st. In a
densely populated tenement district He occupied
part OF a moor on the fifth story back" He had
been a brcklayer. was often out Of work and re-
Gently had fallen from scaffold receiving injuries
which caused his death He left widow with
large family to look after leaving them. too. with
his debts to pay: leaving them continue the
fierce battle and struggle for existence And such
an existence! Five persons In three little
with three more families the same floor. |
counted twenty-seven persons In that little hive.
and ascertainod that three hundred human
beings were "sardined' Into this hig trap I ascer-
tanned. too. and this concerned me more closely.
that We would have to take entire charge OF
Brother Condln's funeral at once and OF the family
thereafter. The only inheritance they had from
the husband and father was his excellent repu-
taton and good name; that Of course. was good
but IL does not buy bread or pay rent.
| FASTENED to an undertaken. who took charge OF
the remains. and then to the Senior Warden. also
called upon Past Master. and 1t was arranged
that the funeral should take place the following
Sunday. That gave me two days TO Issue the
summons and have everything In readiness. Mean
time the family had to be looked after and through
the kindness Of Of brethren and their
good wives this accomplished much easier than
we had anticipated The ladies took charge Of the
female portion Of the family and with great deli
cacy loaned" them the required mourning apparel
We also provided them with the immediate nccessi-
ties. and several of the members called at intervals
TO help cheer and console the bereaved family.
When all the arrangements had been made and
the hour had been agreed upon I hurried home
write out the proper notices. ! had hardly got
through with the long list of when tele-
gram was brought to me- signed by a member of
the lodge. saying: Brother Walter 3. Clarendon
has just died Please call at the house at once"
Brother Clarendon lived at No. - Madison-ave.
and when l arrived at the brownstone mansion
found a stylish and highly vanished underaker's
wagon at the door. / was not permitted 10 ring
the bell; a liveried servant stationed in the
elegant vestibule to prevent any noise from dis
turbing the deathly stiffness that prevailed. made
myself known 10 the person In charge. who re-
ferred me 10 the undertaken. and he being Mason
understood my motives in insisting seeing Mrs
Clarendon at once. | was shown upstairs. whore |
found several females busiiy engaged among heap
OF mourning goods; cutting. sewing and fitting the
stuff / supposed to have II ready for the
ing funeral l saw the bereaved widow. bowed
down with grief and sorrow. surrounded by her
little ones She. too, was left alone with four
orphaned children. but what a contrast TO the
women deeply felt their afiction. and felt their
lCr ely condition but the poor sorIowng in tde
hfth story back had. besides the bleeding wound OF
her heart. the fearful pang Of hunger and want to
bear. She could nothing In the future but
trouble. struggle and desperate fight for bare
living for herself and children. while me widow
in the Madison-a"e. mansion at least spared
that horror. She knew that her husband had left
her well provided with this worlds goods.
l finally made the arrangements here. too and ~
it the wish of Mrs. Clarendon to have the
funeral axe place Sunday had TO bestir myself
and again summon the lodge for this second funeral
the same day. We arranged 10 meet in the
lodgeroom altogether and then divide party
headed by the Senior Warden TO go to one house
while another party. with the Junior Warden, weni
TO the other. each section TO be accompanied BY
some of the Past Masters.
confess to having watched with great deal OF in
terest 10 see who among the brethren would choose
to go to the Madlson-ave. mansion and who would
prefer the tenement-house funeral. and 10 the
credit of Masonry and the honor of the members
be 1t said that a large majority thought the poor
woman in the fifth story back needed more Of our
countenance; our presence and aid than the Madi-
the rich woman in Madison-ave. doubt has many
friends to-day. who. even II they DO not mean H.
while poor Mrs. Condn will be more neglected than
ever, and we must show her that with US al
thought as much OF her and as much of NE
oye dead brother in the tehemeni mouse as or tne
ourselves into two parties. but by far the large
G he 9s wo w Fsna to tho to VIM"
the latter place ample preparations had been made,
members of the lodge rode from the house TO Green
wood ceneery while the other eo h WaEeI
to the ferry. thence again in cars to the same
Both funeral services were performed by our Past
Masters. surrounded by the brethren and the grrt-
cred into the ground the earth looked the same
both graves, the mound over the brother Oh
brother Of the fifth floor back. There all ranks are
levelled. all distinctions obliterated tho ,,,ou
helped out very much and where great dnal
of anxiety was spared us all by 1hs
Brother Werdenheim kept prosperous lager per pc,
in n stnm wife Msda The be-
came sick fingered for about three or four months
ard died ed 6HFa 9 hs % the
Mrs Werdenhem had already engaged an mndef
her saloon II may as well give him the job" said
Matilda He always liked my Jackey. and he
sides o ne amG MS r men, V we must look out for
ness This with sad smile INTO Wn'ch she '''''
When the day Of the funeral arrived ! asked her
how many carrages We ought ,oa sNc,sy one
is enough for If you or any Of your mere ,oI
We sa to ride to- jya G" o Eay They
riding al my expense" There was no sentimea'bnH
IN Ha'uI ier be funeral service she over to
where were standing ana asKee sb Us b 20 little
luncheon ready and invited us all TO partake omar,
and business in full blast. Mrs. Werdenheim tooS S
of her bonnet put on "nle , a., Master
whispered to me in admiration There Is a ~"bi
an tbat can HELM herself. We Will nave no r1uue
Win her And we never had. Her Jackey ha1 ntt
onged to about dozen different soc,eues IA ne
~ insured in nearly all of them, ana NauaIe
raoned a rich harvest from this receiving some
eight or ten thousand dollars IRON tht a M
81 afterv,ard sold the saloon on Elehtl ave. an
bought large house in the upper part OF me CITY,
where she still pres.des over Kegs ann nsa rbe other
extreme is the total Pros,raGn lu saSG bronsh
Face n lace with the fact that her only supporI,
/ hoan