The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-28
TRIBUTE OF SONG.
oeeaArlc STAR At THE POOR
THE o' GIRLS FUNERAL.

p.repa Rosa Relates inci-
4 fre'' :, sh. says was the Only
I"p '.' Ever Bright ana MA r'ss ~
y. many years ago that = 20 poor =, .w "a.
hv man, leading q hard nio or IN
owed wV ,anar was called 70 pars WIZ ,ns
ending I'D dear to herr-her onAy cn,h.
one tnlpS Sd daughter had toiied together
Mother anu and the only bit OF suniigns
i@ib years year, their dark lives was that shed
filling ln Icing companionship. But the
By theii s,,saSs been sickly. Under tho
girl bsu -, mothor's eyes she had radod
hertpronSa away with consumption, ana
and VAST ~ day came when Tho wan lace
at las. W. with It's CHASTITY smile the
failed " aaar minded eyes OF the mother. N
anxious, m voune creature was dead. For
Inc P. the pair had been supported
many d. woman's sewing, ana u was
By tne r'a aractor of employer / had become
To- sa with Mrs Cramp and her story.
scqua'ne visit to the awful heights
ny az y" side tenement, where they lived,
OF an 90" hooks and with some comforting
|ao" Ssd won the love or the dying
wo,u' uor grateful thoughts turned In her
grl' n 20 the small number OF friends
lss nO" .asasd and, she besought her moth.
NJ notify me Of tbe'day Oh nerNiun'f'''
"a ask me to attend.
an %to summons reached me upon one Oh
- si,dsst days preceding Christmas. A
Wv Wv. that was not rain and ram tnat was
~. s'ss, sr nov, came pelting from all points OF
NOV smWr A wind that walled IN the
lpeS and howled In the street told
.n,'n ,r,,lv dreadful for outdoor purposes
nom .So weather of the day. i piled the
wa' .,,,, yrates. | drew closer the curtains
su" Int ont tho gloom of the December
au turned on tho gas and sat
az dovoutly thankful that had cut oil
usnnoction with the witched weather when
,nstaIlment of il burst In on me In the
sh.ne Of Parepa Rosa. She was Euphros
INA parepa at that time and the operate
idol Of tho city.
Al wo congratulated ourselves ON the
,,0snact of delightful day together, there
pame the summons for me to go to the
Snmble funeral of the poor sewing wom-
ms daughter turned the little tear
allotted note over and groaned.
0'V s,Tbis Ia terrible" said l. "It's just the
one err,nd that could take me out today
But must 60" And then told Parepa
tbeoircumstances and speculated on the
length of time should be gone and sug-
Sosted means of amusement in my alb
sence
uBut | shall go with you," said the
great good hearted creature.
So she rewound her throat with the
hing white comforter, pulled on her
worsted gloves, and off In the storm we
vent together. We climbed flight after
aoht of narrow, dark stairs to tho top
floor where the widow dwelt in miser'
sble little room not more than dozen
feet SQUARE. The canvas back hearse, pc
euliar TO the S25 funeral, stood In the street
below, and tho awful cherry stained box,
with its ruflle of glazed white muslin,
stood on uncovered trestles I'm the center
Of the room above. Ht
There was the mother, speechless In hcr
grief, before that box-a group OF hard
working, kindly hearted ncighbors sitting
about twas useless to say the poor WON
an was prepared for the inevitable end
II was cold comfort to speak to her OF thu
daughters release from pain and suffering
The undeftaker's man, with O screw
driver In his hand, jumped about In thu
passage TO keep warm. The creaky boots
Of the minister belonging to the $50 flu
neral were heard on the stairs. There wa
acatarrhal conversation held outside be-
tween them as to the enormity Of TIT
weather, and probably the bad taste Of thu
deceased in selecting such n bad time t.
die was discussed Then the minister
came In with pious sniff and stood re
yealed, o regular Stiggins as to get up
dry;self sufficient man, icier than the da.
and colder than the storm.
He deposited his hat and black glove
and wet umbrella on the poor little bed IL
the corner He slapped his hands vigor
ously together. He took himself In wei
merited fashion by the ears and pulle'
them into glowing sensation, and aftc
thawing out for q moment plunged Int
business n
He ratified merrily through some select
eosentenoes from the Bible Heigavo u
aprayer that sounded like peas in a'drie
bladder, and no came to amen with a jerl
that brought me up like patent snaffie
de pulled on his old gloves and grabbe
bis rusty hat, and with his umbrella drip
ping inky tears over the well scrubbc
80 ShNiON u bou iOLii VA OOnuOiShOo Y
The broken hearted mother. He told he
OF her sin in rebelling against the deere
Oh providence. He assured her that moth
ing could bring the dead back. He In
Weighed against the folly of tho world l
general, and this poor woman IN partict
lar, and then he made horrible blunde
ana showed he didn't know even the Sc
OF thedead by saying, He cannot come I
you, but you must go to him. -
Ibis was settler for Parepa and my
sen. We looked at the departing minists
In blank establishments tss., 2 ~
Inc door swung wide. We saw the screw
uriVer waving In the air as the undertal
@sman held converse with tho clerg,
man A hush fell on everybody gathere
~ tine little room. Not one word had bee
uttered OF consolation, Of solemn impol
VI pentting the occasion. 1t was the empt
es1 hollowest, most unsatisfactory, mt
nent ever remember.
inen Parepas arose, her cloak fallin
soout her noble flgur6, like mournin
urapery, She stood beside that miserab
.ucrry wood box. She looked momer
~ 'ne pinched, wasted, ashy face NJ
slned toward her from within. She la
MY soft, white hand on the discolore
,.SS'snead OF the dead girl, and she lifted u
s .aa. matchless voice in the beautiful me
Wys t.Hr - .Hfftt tAft 9-4f