The Washington times., 1902-01-19
They went over The BRINK toqetbe'

morning. Once only did she murmur
II s'pose there is folks as keeps er fire
| all night in sickness" AS the day broke
she fell into light sleep, sitting in her
| chair.
| She awoke with a start 1t was open
| daylight, and the baby was dead. I'll un-
| used to death, she was shocked at its
| suddenness. Her cry of alright brought
| Tom from his bed. He hastily dressed
| and ran for the neighbors They came
| and took full charge, as was the custom
While death was in the house no mourn
err ever did thing for the living or the
, dead. Mrs. Jones was dumb and helpless.
and Tom sat in a stupor behind the stove
until the funeral The children whispered
and wondered. They had never seen death
/ before. They thought the baby was
asleep, yet he was so cold, and he lay on
board in the best room" What could
it mean?
On the third day the funeral was held
The minister came-a poor man, and a
poorer minister. rickety old melodeon
was brought on a hand sled, and four
persons tried SO hard to sing. The critics
remarked that they sung grand" One
old woman whispered to her neighbor
''Singin's half tn maxim NV er fun'ral.
1t helps on tn mournin' morn tn preach
in do
The minister meant to be comfortinc,
wrath, quoting Scripture to prove that
children are lost unless of the household
OF faith. He might have read. Suffer the
little children to come unto Me- and for
bid them not, for OF such is the Kingdo..
OF Heaven" What he did read was the
first chapter of Romans, beginning at the
eighteenth verse. Everybody cried
throughout the long sermon The prayer
was loud and harsh. Touch the parched
lips of this sinful soul with water" was
phrase often repeated. The people ex-
pected it and understood it.
1t was truly pathetic scene as the
wretched family gathered around the lit
tie coffin, neither knowing how nor when
to leave, until the loud voice OF the
manager" said, THE neighbors an
frien's now have op 'tunity to view tn
remains"
Everybody looked at the sleeping child.
and again everybody cried. They passed
out and whispered comments on the ap-
pearance of the remains" and the degree
of feeling shown by the mourners. The
poor mother had no more tears and it
hurt she heard a loud woman say,
They don't take on terrible bad. Folks
don't mourn as they did onct When Daisy
died tainted twice whilst tn sermon wuz
goin' on, an screamed tn hull ways ter
the grave. Folks praised me, an every
body said as it wuz er good fun'ral
Mary wuz allus queer. They does say as
she didn't take Grams death terrible hard
She tainted onct: but lor, she faints easy. |
anyways. MOurnin's what makes er good
fun'ral.'
1t was the custom to stay to supper
after funeral on the Neck; but this des- |
olate house had none to give. One old |
woman who had walked five mile ter git |!
thar said, Things is changed sence | |
wuz er girl. I've ben ter ev'ry fun raj on |
III Mock fortv wear n &c
fust time I've gone home hungry. AS fer
one, like tn oil ways NV er bite an er
cup up tea after sarvices; its kinder
cheery.'
The funeral was followed by the same
old life. Tom grew more mOrose He
would sit for hours behind the stove. his
head in his hands. Before he had felt;
now he was blindly struggling with
thought. His slowly awakening mind was
at work on n erode philosophy Of right
and wrong. He was maturing some bold
plan. Late one evening, after they had
finished shocking IA bushel OF clans in
silence, he engaged his mother in con
versation.
I'VE can't go on the town."
"No, Tom; nohows.
"Th' chil'ren's hungry"
Better bury EN- all than ter so onto
tn town
I'VE can't bOrrer. but We kin beg; any
thir' but gOin' onto tn town.
is it wrong ter take things what haint
ourn?"
Yes; but p'r'aps stealin's better-Tom,
what does ye mean?'
"Nothin."
The conversation ended Tom settled
into his usual stupor until they both went
to bed. Tom did not undress. and hearing
his mothers regular breathing. he stepped
into the kitchen. threw on an old coat,
took some bags and n basket from shelf
and noiseIessly left the house. The night
was partially lighted by half moon. but
the clouds were heavy, and the wind was
blowing hard from the south. He took
the road leading to the cottages at the
Point.
The boy was superstitious. and not I
,yer-brave in the dark. The heavy clouds [
hat now and then hid the moon, looked