Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-01-10
her as any Christian If you do it in the

together before you 60. We need to
ask forgiveness for many things and
wisdom for everything"
So the two men kneeled while the
minister prayed. It was q good, strong,
sturdy prayer that did John Gordon
good. There was no whining, no cant,
no complaining. An honest heart plea
for more strength, more liberation,
more faith, more love, more patience,
and Gordon, after hearty handshake,
went out and back to Hope House,
where he had agreed to meet Falmouth
and the singers little before o'clock.
At 3 o'clock Bowen street was fully
aware that something unusual was
taking place. A funeral in Bowen
street was as rule an informal affair
in which the immediate neighbors were
alphabetically interested. But this af-
fair of the deformed Louie Caylor
promised unusual developments. Word
had gone around that Tommy Randall
had been temporarily "downed" in a
"set to-" with one of the gents from
Hope House, but that before the funer-
al was over he would be on top of the
pile, 80 to speak, and everybody satis-
fed. So Bowen street poured into the
court of No. 81 and choked the narrow
stairways and back yards commanding
a possible view Of the funeral party.
When John Gordon, Falmouth and
the quartet turned into the court of
the street, the amazement Of the DIFF
ferent members of the choir had given
way to an expression Of disgust min
gled with actual fear.
"For PHYS sake. Mr.. Falmouth,
where are you taking US" exclaimed
the tenor, a distinguished looking mar,
well known in musical circles as
growing singer at fashionable recep-
lions. The soprano, a young woman Of
some beauty, and the alto, a little older,
but a woman Of real strength Of ex-
preston, drew closer together as the
miscellaneous crowd Of Bowen street
pressed nearer and the real horror of
the place began to make itself felt.
The gentleman who sang bass was
with John Gordon and was looking at
him with look Of intense indignation,
as If he were the real cause Of bringing
the party into the place.
do you wish to 60 back? You can
If you WISH" Falmouth said quietly.
"No. no; but this is horrible. It Is
mast all belief. Is Il safe for the ladies?
Will they be able"-
Perfectly safe, ladies'" John Gordon
spoke with touch Of grimness. "Peo-
pie are born and live and die here.
Safe enough, assure you."
he led the way promptly. asking the
people to give them room. How the
quartet ever lived to get up that stair
case where Mr.. Marsh nearly tainted
no one can telESKcept themselves. The
soprano said afterward that it was
miracle that any of them ever came
out of it alive. And her indignation at
the Rev. Paul Falmouth was 80 deep
that nothing but financial considera.
tons could induce her to sing in the
Rev. Falmouth's church again.
The corridor in front Of Mrs. Caylors
was packed almost solid with un-
washed humanity, although everybody
was dressed in the best garments he
possessed. Tommy Randall was on
hand as general manager. He was OBJ
seQuious and even seemingly fawning
to the Rev. Paul Falmouth. He spoke
good naturedly to Gordon and gave
everybody the impression that the
whole arrangement was Of his own
planning. And In fact that night when
Gordon ran over all the incidents OF
that remarkable day he almost smiled
to think that Tommy Randall had
scored triumph with Louie's funeral
as the background.
The quartet sat out In the corridor.
and the minister stood In the doorway
where he could be heard by the crowd
In the rooms and outside. The three
rooms were jammed with promiscu-
GUS mob that was packed into every
conceivable corner and left the under
taker and Tommy Randall merely room
enough to squeeze themselves In close
up by the coffin. Gordon was assigned
a place by Mrs. Caylor. Out on the
roofs that commanded view Of the
minister and the singers a motley
crowd Of children, boys, young men
and old women and babies was clus-
tered in various degrees Of more or less
noisy interest, which quieted down to
an intense stiffness when The quartet
rose to sing the first selection.
The singers had evidently made up
their minds to make the best Of a
very bad situation. They were tech
nically skillful, and from q variety
Of reasons they sang with a power
that probably astonished themselves.
The unwonted surroundings, the very
squalor and inhuman aspect Of every
repulsive physical thing, the staring
white faces that grow up in tenement
atmosphere until they become types
that can be fitted on to any other tene-
ment house grown person. all this act
ed with q definite measure Of excite
ment upon the quartet. and rs mat
ter Of fact Rev. Paul Falmouth said to
himself he had never heard them sing
with more expression or real feeling
on any occasion.
When the song ceased, a sigh went
up through the rooms, and out on the
roofs q movement could be heard that
Eol, cfn ~,
and began to talk. He was not at al:
afraid or seemingly conscious Of h:
unusual situation. He talked Of eter
nal life, how it began, what 1t was
worth, how it could be distinguished
from physical life.