Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1904-01-07

it's walls the materials for such q fune-
raj sermon as, in all its ancient his.
tory, It had never before seen gath
cred together there.
The remains, now all decently in
closed in collins, still lay within the
precincts OF the chancel, where they
must remain until after the inquest
On the following day.
The church, which was Of no great
size, was filled TO overfiowing. For
not only were there many mourners
present, who had come post-haste
from all parts of the kingdom, but
strangers for miles round. attracted by
the morbid curiosity which draws
crowds as with a cart-rope, wherever
there is a prevalence OF the CHASTITY
element, blocked the aisles, filled the
porch, and even occupied the pulpit
stairs
People who came to cape and gaze,
and then, going home to the Sunday
dinner, exchanged experiences over
the shoulder OF mutton and baked po-
tatoes, remarking, as they wiped their
mouths, that 1t was a sad sight, but
one they wouldn't have missed for
anything you could have offered them.
AT the same time they were compelled
to own that there were not SO many
bodies as they had confidently ex-
pected, but then, nothing ever did
come up to your expectations in this
world.
Ted Burritt had seat assigned
him in one of the front pews. A
glance at his face, on the part of the
functionary who discharged the office
of ushering the people into their
places, seemed to be sufficient to show
to which portion Of the congregation
he belonged.
Ted Burritt knew that his fathers
body now lay there within the chan
eel rails, in one of those hastily con-
structed collins, which had been
roughly put together to meet the sud
den and unprecedented demand.
1t was evident that a certain num-
Der of seats had been reserved for
those who, 1t was felt, had the great
est claim to them, for he observed,
after short time. that the same pew
into which he had been ushcred also
contained two Of his fellow passen-
gers on that ever memorable, Journey
"a poor widow and another woman.
The former, 1t was impossible to.
doubt, had found her worst fears
realized, for she still cried silently
and ceaselessly behind the shelter OF
her veil. The other woman, whom
he now guessed to be about forty
years of age, and who was cookbook
ing in sort of Manufactured way,
was also clothed in deep black gar
ments, but there was suppressed
glitter in her eye, and that same rest
less movement Of the fingers, as she
perpetually rustled the leaves of her
prayer-bookr which betrayed the ex-
istence. of some strong but suppressed
feeling, which seemed to be more like
excitement than grief.
But, then, we are all at liberty to
show our grief in our own, peculiar
way.
In the other pews round him herec-
ognized other faces-those of fellow
travellers or others whom he had seen
at the station or in the church. in the
early morning of the day before.
Among these there were, of course;
happy exceptions to the general rule.
There were those who had found this
living where they had looked for this
dead, and who. after few hours of
torhiring suspense, had discoysredth
one they sought, either in the village
or in some Of the neighboring, ham
let's. and were present on that MORN
ing with a chastened Joy and gratir
tude unspeaRable.
(To be eontinued)
School children Saved.