The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-16
THE TOPEKA RAILWAY COMPANY
tossed three different times"

Il can't agree"
And I'm wondering if it shouldn' t
say how took the news. You know
how many times tainted away. don't
want the world to think I just gave u
yell and was all over it,
When no more obituaries came in
from the villagers the widow went
afield for them. Sic wrote to ministers
and others to tie number of 100 and
made sort of contest of it, without
any prize, however. She received seven
or eight answers, and after the follow
ing she gave up thinking that all the
world was grieving with her. She was
probably mistaken in thinking that a
Boston clergyman of high standing was
the author:
Here lies him dead Alonzo Smith,
A big red bull did gore him;
Twere better thus for we've no doubt
His wife did greatly bore him.
His wife she tainted dead away
Some nineteen times or twenty;
And we must wonder why she did
For there are Smiths a-pIenty.
Of course, the tombstone makers were
not given the go-oy. When the local
supply was exhausted the outsiders
We're taken IN. Marble shops from so
miles around sent on their agents. Some
We're very solemn and serious men, and
some were inclined to frivolity and do
business the same as if buying or SELL
ing pork, but no specimen of tomb
stone that had ever headed grave was
quite good enough for the late Alonzo
Her first words to any agent were:
Il want a tombstone with something
on top of it,
''Oh, you mean a lamb?'
No, don't. Alonzo was no lamb"
Then an angel?''
mo, he was no angel"
Then what's your idea? ?"
MY dear husband was killed by a
bull
So you have said.''
L have been thinking of having a bull
on the stone instead f a lamb or an
angel, but haven't fully made up my
mind yet. I will consult my minister
and let you know
And then she would call on the mar
son and put the case up to him and
oreak down and begin to sob as he re-
piled:
Il should have a plain tombstone.
sister,"
Yes, 1 guess 1 will"
Py the next day she would get the idea
OF nd na I,,l1 weeping woman on the stone.
Gu putuns on her hat in a hurry she
would burst in on the parson with the
But don't see the object" he would
reply. N "oNi0
Hadn't ought to let the world know
lHdl weep
The world will take it for granted"
Two years went by and there was no
tombstone yet. In fact, the obituary was
not yet selected. Everybody but the par
son had refused to have anything more
to do with the case He had to keep
1t IN mind because the widow wouldn't
give him time to forget. An idea came
TO the good man one day as he saw Mr.
thornton, the owner of the bull, on the
street. Mr.. Thornton had been a widower
for a year. He asked to call at the
parsonage some day, and when he did
so he was told that now was the time
to make reparation. He had never paid
the widow any damages. Why not square
things by marrying her?
oh, no, the parson didn't put it is plain
as that, but under his beautiful Ian
guage about brotherly love his caller dug
out the point and acted on it. And what
resulted? Why the widow wanted a
to show that while she should
always mourn, she had married the man
that owned the bull that gored number
one to death. The good parson stood it
a slong he could and then asked for a
transfer.
And the tombstone? After a year or so
Mr.. Thornton bought secondhand one, !
had the obituary Clipped off and it stands |
at number ones grave today with the
simple record:
'Alonzo Smith. For further particulars |
inquire at the postoffice-"