The age-herald., 1898-08-17
BURIAL OF
A SOLDIER

stephen Crane in New York Journal
 Ponce, Porto Rico. Aug. 5.-A company of regular infantry marched into the p'aza at Ponce, halted, stacked arms and broke ranks. In the cool shade of the trees the men loafed carelessly while the natives, always intensely interested in the soldiers, gathered near and began their comic, good- natured pantomine The lazy, still, tropic afternoon drifted slowly, hour by hour, with only the rumble of passing carriages to interrupt it's profound serenity.
 The captain of the regulars went down the street to where, before the door of a house, waited hearse. There was a car riage containing two American women, and on the pavement stood a little group of officers, with their battered old hats in their hands. The natives began to accu- mulate in a crowd and from them arose a high-pitched rabble of gossip concerning this funeral They stretched their necks, pointed, dodged those who would interfere with their view. Amid the chatter the Americans displayed no signs of hearing 1t. They remained calm, stoical, superior, wearing the curious, grim dignity of peo- pie who are burying their dead.
 The company of regulars swung down taiO SllCClb ulSW up III lIOHI Ol lAc HOuSSl and presented arms with clash Six big. blue-shirted privates paced out with the coffin. The throng edged up suddenly, lodging and peering. The little band of Americans seemed like beings of another world, with their gently mournful, impas- sive faces. during this display of monkey- ish interest.
 The cortege moved off, preceded, accom-, panied, followed by the crowd of natives. Ponce, a large city, drowsed on peacefully in the sun, and the passing of the small procession brought no particular emotion to its mind. In the suburbs women hurried out to the porches of the little wooden houses, and naked babies, swollen with fruit strutted out to see, sucking their thumbs. A man walking directly behind the hearse was hailed interrogatively from a distance. He answered loudly. waving his arm toward the graveyard. girl called greetings to some friends in % the crowd. Suddenly, close to the road, woman broke out in a rancous trade at some of her children. The crowd still bab- bled All these sounds beat like waves upon the hearse noisy, idle, senseless waves beating upon the hearse, the invul- nerable ship of the indifferent dead man. And the Americans, moving along behind it, were still calm, stoical, superior. The spray of the chatter whirled against them and they were bronze, bronze men going to bury their dead, and the humming and swishing were only as important as the rattling of so many pebbles in tin box.
 The graveyard was circled by high wall which was surmounted by broken bot ties sunk into the mortar The interior presented the appearance of a miSuSed potato patch were it not for the gaunt wooden crosses which upreared here and there. The crowd of natives ploughed through each other in order to reach the gate.
 The troops marched forward and faced up sharply before an open grave. A chap lain appeared. The Americans, barring the infantry, stood bareheaded. The na- tives, noting this, took off their hats. There was moment of intense expectancy.
 q am the resurrection and the life''-. The chaplain's words were quite smothered in the ejaculations, inquiries, comments which came over the wall where many people were pushing toward the gate. An enterprising lot had climbed bit of old wall which overlooked the cemetery wall; and upon it they shrilled like parrots. The chaplain, beset,' badgered, drowned out, went on imperturbab1y.
 The first volley of the firing party creat- ed great convulsion in the crowd outside. who could not see the proceedings a~d were taken by surprise. As the sound crashed toward the hills many jumped like frightened rabbits and then moment la- E ter the whole mob. seeing the joke, burst into wild laughter.
 bugler stepped forward. Into medley of sounds such would come from a combined base ball game and clambake, he sent the call of "taps," that extraor- dinary wall of mourning and song of rest and peace the soldiers goodbye, his night, the fall of eternal darkness, the end
 The sad sad, slow voice of the bugle called out over the grave, a soul appeal ing to the sky, a call of earthly anguish and heavenly tranquility, a solemn, heart- breaking song. But If this farewell of the soldier to the sky, the flowers. the bees and all life was heard by the natives their manner did not betray it.