The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1897-08-27
A Good Word for the Dead.

To THE Press: Having returned
from the proper and appropriate dis
posal Of the remains of Henry and
Blanche Reed, there is left one Other
duty to perform, seemingly as neces'
sary under the circumstances and iu
some respects more important.
The bodily remains of our friends
are not all, by any means, which we
should attend to and care for. Hon
or, character and reputation are fai
more at stake. And physical murder,
the deprivation of purely physical
life by violent hands, is not the only
crime that can be committed in this
case. The persons who welded the
mallet and pointed the revolver are
not the only criminals in this affair,
AS relative and friend of the de.
ceased, / have quite as much respect
for them as for the horde of news
paper correspondents, who, merely
for sensational purposes, utterly re-
CARELESS, not only of facts, but of a
decent respect for the living as well
as for the dead, have flooded the
country with every kind of vague sus-
picion and conjecture that would tend
to heap odium and disgrace upon
those whose hand and tongues are
now powerless and stilled in death.
Like worms they crawl only in the
dirt. Like vultures they can feed
only upon carrion. Only the TRACE
dies and the dark side of human life
and character have for them any at.
traction.
| A half century ago in the hills of
Vermont young girl toiled and de.
prived herself of all the luxuries, and
well nigh comforts of life in order
that she might give support to the
members of her household and es.
pecially the means of education to
her younger brother and sister. Fol
long years after, they were the chief
objects of her care and attention.
The habits of thrift and strict econo.
my she was then obliged to adopt, in
the course of nature followed her to
later years when their exercise was
not needed for these cOmmendable
purposes. A well meaning lady all
her lifetime, above reproach in pri
vate character, interfering in no af-
fairs not her own, struck down by
the hand of an assassin at midnight,
why should she not now be allowed
to rest in peace :?
AS to Henry Reed, am surprised
at the testimonials of respect thai
come in from class Of persons with
whom he bad daily intercourse upon
the street and whose good opinion is
of the most note. | did not know
but what the exceedingly gentlemanly
manner, accommodation and kindii
ness with which he always treated me
was exceptional. But | find that ii
was not the exception but the rule.
And that many, very many, with
whom he had business connections,
necessarily delicate aud unpleasant
iii certain respects, are not Only will
ling but DESTROYS to testify both to
the integrity of his deal and to the
leniency and accommodation of his
disposition, where such lenieucy and
accommodation could be exercised
upon recipients worthy of such atten-
ton or capable of appreciation.
He was not brute but a man,
with the feelings and the heart of
man and his splendid outward ply
sique, indicating well nigh unequalled
strength and symmetry of form was
by no means, in all respects, false
index Of his character,
AS a sample Of the scores of
methods used to pervert the truth fol
sensation purposes, | would take
space TO mention the motto ',Sweet
Resi- in Heaven" made conspicuous
in every print and photograph and
repeatedly and only mentioned as a
sample of his probable "pluuder. F"
The facts are that this motto vas
worked many years ago by the hand
of his now dead sister Ellen, towards
whom he had extremely tender and
affectionate feeling, and for, he was
making preparation to erect monu-
ment in the cemetery at Manchester.
Wise men of Old have directed us
to speak but good of the dead. Yet
if this maxim is too restrictive for
our use, we can, at least, observe
towards the dead small measure of
the courtesy that we would feel CON-
PEELED to extend towards the living.
Nj. j. HAPGooD.
BICYCLE GOSSIP.