New-York tribune., 1912-12-22

Ye- nothing Oi the proceedings "llNn llc
u open door where the Grape iiutcrcd.
M Il s'po5c the countyl take care OF
AA her somchow-scnd her 10 some
~ home or another. That what wc pay
y taxes for.
at seems q shame don't it," began
Mrs Watkins again: but her sympathetic comment WAS
cut short when the pallbcarcrs began cro"dng out
through the narrow doorway with the coihn between
them and the curious little group outside the pli8S
shcd forward 10 see IL all for everyone knows tht
next 10 the passage Of bride and groom 10 their carriage
there is nothing OF such absorbing interest 10 bysanderS
as the start OF that last journey We are al 50 eager 10
postpone. But the COrcgc that passed out lIo'l uc
ppng cottage the covered black wagon al the CurD
oficrcd little in the spectacular line 10 reward the waiting
onlookcrs; for it was a county funeral, and county
Commissioners ever prone 10 eXpcnd thelr hudicS
Of thousands on model Jas for cutthroas and mouse,
breakers while they hurry the dead to Potter fleiu
with the smallest outlay Of time and dollars
II was plain pine coffin the four men bore across the
little dooryard and through the group oi gaping women
and children to the county wagon NOT mower IehcEcu
its grim outlines, not tiny wreath bespoke ie SYN
,athy Of anv human soul for the woman VINO hdd indly
found rest Nor would she have been surprised could
she have known: for life had brought her lew Oh us
roses and many OF its thorns, and now that she id ild
her burdens down forever her toihardcncd hands
would i'll become the blooms that had been denied her
CLOSE behind the coffin walked Emmy, the tcn-ycar
- old who was facing the world alone. one hand
tightly clutchcd the broad palm Of Samuel Winters.
citizen Of the world, actor upon OCCASION ne erdo-wecl
in general and with the other Emmy managed Soppy
rag Of handkerchief that had done duty the day
when the county physician had brusky told the child
that her mothers troubles over Winters had no
more intimate relationship with the family than ms
broad sympathy with fellow creatures in distress wher
ever thcy were found. Winters lodging with MIS- Gcr-
scnberg what time his theatrical associations did not
call him to wider fields had come to know the dead
woman, Mrs Seymour, by sight as she passed his VIM
dow with her burdens 10 and from her wasltubS lie
knew Emmy-cvcryonc knew Emmy And when he
learned that death had followed distress into the little
house that Emmy alone and in trouble, as is the
custom OF his profession, Winters volunteered.
He it was that had summoned certain OF the ncighbor
women TO the Seymour home when they hcSltacd only
for want Of leadership; nc that had urcd Emmy away
TO the unwontcd delights Of restaurant while prcpara-
ons for the burial were going forward; he that had
purchased the Grape on the doorbcl handle when he
found that the bontful outfit of the county did not in
cludc such outward manifestations Of sorrow the
county did not expect the poor TO feel and now that
the funeral was actually at hand, Winters found himself,
by virtue of his self imposed prominence in the prcn
naries installed with Emmy as chief mourncr.
When the doors OF the black wagon had closed upon
the coffin and three OF the palbcarcrs vslby conscious
Of having achieved an importance as tremendous as 1t
was momcntary drew apart little from the crowd TO
watch the last move before returning 10 their normal
inches in the community there was an awkward pause.
The fourth Of those who had borne Mrs Seymour over
her threshold for the last time driver Of the hearSe,
and as he gathered up his rcns and prepared brsy to
20 forward with the duties that patcal county board
employed him to perform his glance fell upon little
Emmy weeping quietly against the plaid vest OF Samuel
Winters.
isn't she coming ou?" he demanded Of the gathering
in general noddng curtly toward the child.
Winters started in dismay and embarrassment. Here
was a contingency upon which he had not figured His
mcagcr plans crcumscrbed sadly by the chronic pau
city Of the Winters purse had gone no further than the
moment that had arrived; but funeral without even
one mourner at the grave plainly impossible even
on Tildenst which boased little of the conventional
tiles. In his momcntary contusion-ior Winters was
4 thank IN
acquaintance with the great world outside OF Iildenst
the voice OF Mrs Watkins came to him over the heads