The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-08-23

odo "e@iI w UtSi ASI.
Take = week. says I real hearty,
seeing it's your mother-in-law. Do
the job up we'll, and good luck!'
"I'm afeard.' says Bill. I'm
afeard of misfortune. She lever
liked me-
She can't do you dirt now,' I
comforts him. Stow her away in
the ground, and batten her down
under white stone
"'But she's left a WILL says Bill.
What's the difference?' retorts.
Bury her.
"T can't says Bill. She left it
in her will that she was to be Gre
mated
'Cremated!' I exclaims. DO you
you mean she wants to be stuffed
and put on the mantle-piece Don't
you do it, Bill
"'It's not that says he. She
wants to be burned to- ashes-cre-
mated in an oven
"I see,' I remarks, real hearty,
end you don't fancy eating vittles
cooked after her.
MOI he yeNs. I've got to take
her to crematory and burn her in a
place made for that. It's a cere-
mony same as burying.'
We'll, why don't you go ahead?'
I demands, some vexed at his stupid
" hrr iv, Ia ;v
minute. take it kind that your
wife's ma left word to do it.
I'D rather bury her, says Bill.
You see when she's burned, Mary
wants the ashes back to keep in the
house. She says it's the proper
thing
Il din't just see what the trouble
was, but az Bill was low in his mind
I cheered him up as best I could, ard
told him to take as !nsny days as was
needful to make a good job of burn-
ing his wife's ma.
Next day Bill turns up in the
afternoon, quite solemn in black
clothes. I want you to do me a
favor, says he.
What is it?' 1 asks.
Come with me to the cremation
he says. Mary says she can't bear to
60, and I don't want to be alone.
Doesn't seem scarcely decent
I aint good mourner,' I says,
\'but I never 1esert a shipmate.' So
We trotted off to the crematory, and
sat on chairs in front of a furnace
while Bills wife's ma was cremated.
1t was terribly gloomy, specially
when the man in command came and
says very solemn and blue, It's all
over. What shall you do with the
ashes?'
"'She's gone,' says Bill. Poor
woman! Did she leave many ashes?'
Not many says the man. Will
you take 'em with ,ou?'
"'rhat's the proper thing?' Bill
demands.
1T is,' says the man.
t'All right says Bill, resigned. 4
thought maybe Mary was wrong, but
what's proper must be DONE
so the man sweeps up the ashes
and brings them out in little pot.
Here are the remains he explains.
"'How'll I carry her?' asks Bill,
all in a cold sweat, looking at the
little pot.
Put her in your pocket I says
1T don't seem decent Bill pro-
tests. T can't carry my wife's ma
home to her in my pocket
$50 we discusses the matter, and
I suggests hearse. Too big says
Bill. I aint going to make joke of
it hauling this little through San
Francisco in a big wagon
1T all ends by us starting out
with the pot in our hands very gin
gerly. So we goes COR few blocks,
when Bill gets an idea. I'll buy a
bucket says he, and put the pot in
that. There won't be no scandal that
way
81 was doubtful il my mind, but
let it go, seeing it wasn't my funeral.
We got tin pail slowed the re-
mains in it, and started on. Present
ly Bill says, This is a sorrowful oc-
casion. Let's have drink So we
had a drink, end Bill felt better. We
had another, and Bill thought it was
all for the best, We stopped in an
other place, and he said it was queer
to think how death came to all of us.
I thought she never would die,' he
remarks, lugubriously.
"'You better get home with them
remains 1 exhorts him.
"'Looks like lunch-pail,' says
he. l must comfort Mary for the
loss of her ma
"'Do,' says I. Excuse me if I
quit chief mourning and go back to
the ship
80 I left him and went back to
the Dom Paul, where 1 ate dinner
not so hearty as usual for thinking
of tin bucket with a mother-in-
law in it. I was 7moking my pipe
afterwards when in comes Bill, all