The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-06-10
misceIlanepns
A TRIBUTE OF SONG.

There is no place on earth where ut
ter helplessness comes out SO strongly,
where the ceremonies in human use
fall SO powerless before the majesty of
the occasion, az at a funeral. 1t need
not be that ones heart shall be inter
ested. The obsequies of a stranger
conducted with all the pomp and van
ity of church and state, with the
melancholy rolling drum of the mill
tary funeral, or the gorgeousness of
the masonic regalia aEron-all are
alike inadequate and unavailing.
But once in my life have witnessed
| a ceremony that was grand impress
sive and appropriate to the silent, aw-
| full occasion.
will tell you of a funeral which
| fingers in my memory as the grandest,
most solemn and BETTING ceremony
that was ever given to the dead.
1t was rumored many years ago that
hard life of amending labor, was called
| to part with the one thing dear TO her,
her only child. Mother and father
| had toiled together for 10 years, and
| the only bit of sunshine falling into
their dark lives was that shed by their
loving companionship. But the girl
had always been sickly. Under the
heart broken mothers eyes she had
| faded and wasted away with con-
sumption, and at last the day came
when the wan face failed to answer
with its CHASTITY smile the anxious,
| tear blinded eyes of the mother.
The poor young creature was dead.
| For many months the pair had been
supported by the elder woman's sew
ing, and it was in the character of
EMPLOYER | had become acquainted
with Mrs. Cramp and her story. By
an occasional visit to the awful heights
| of an east side tenement where they
| lived, by few books and with some
comforting words, had won the love
of the dying girl. Her grateful
| thoughts turned in her last hours to
| the small number of friends she pos
sessed, and she besought her mother
to notify me of the day of her funeral
and ask me to attend.
| The summons reached me upon one
OF the widest days of winter. a sleet
that was not rain and rain that was
not snow came pelting from all points
| of the compass. A wind that walled
| in the chimney and howled in the
street told how truly dreadful for out
door purposes was the weather of the
day. piled the glowing CRATES, l
drew closer the curtain and shut out
the gloom of the December afternoon.
| turned on the gas and sat down,
devoutly thankful that had cut all
connection with the witched weather
when an installment of it burst in on
me in the shape of Parepa Rosa. She
was Euphrosyne Parepa at that time,
and the operate idol OF the city.
Muffied with tippets, fiecked with
snow, glowing with the short encount-
er she had had with the elements
rushing up the steps from her carriage,
she threw herself into an easy chair
and proclaimed the horrors of the
outer world to be beyond description.
And even as we congratulated our.
selves on the prospect of delightful
day together there came the summons
for me to go to the humble funeral Of
the poor sewing woman's daughter
turned the little tear blotted note
over and groaned.
This is terrible" said |. Its Just
the one errand that could take me out
today but must CO." And then told
Parepa the circumstances and specula
ted on the length of time should bt
gone and suggested means of amuse
ment in my absence.
"But shall go with YOU" said the
great, good hearted creature.
Your throat and old Bateman ant
your concert tonight?'' l pleaded.
''1f get another 'froggy' note il
my voice, it won't matter much; I'm
hoarse as a raven now" she returned
, So she rewound her throat with the
long, white comforter, pulled ON he
worsted gloves, and off in the storm
we went together. We climbed fligh
after fight of narrow, dark stairs t,
the top floor. where the widow dwell
in miserable little room not NOR,
than a dozen feet square. The can
vasback hearse, peculiar to the 81
funeral, stood in the street below, an,
the awful cherry stained box, witt
its ruffle Of glazed white muslin, stoo,
on uncovered trestles in the center o
the room above.
There was the mother, speechless il
her grief, before that box-a group O
hard working, kindly hearted neigh
bors sitting about. 1t was useless t
say the poor woman was prepared 70
. the inevitable end-it was cold con
fort to speak to her of the daughter
release from pain and suffering Th
bereft creature, in her utter lonelines
, was thinking of herself and the awfl
fate-of the approaching momer
when that box and its precious burde
ID would be taken away and leave ht
wholly alone. So, therefore, with
= sympathizing grasp of the poor, worl
, bony hand, we sat silently to ''atten
~ the funeral"
D., The undertaker's man, with a screy
N driver in his hand, jumped about