The Detroit times., 1916-02-28
THE FUNERAL
ev DR.. FRANK ckANG
Copyright. 1916. b. Frank Crans>

with which custom has loaded them, the
pagan gloom that has obscured the en-
trance upon "the beautiful adventure"
But have hesitated It is a matter up
on which people are sensitive.
However, the following letter from a
friend who has just lost his mother con-
tains the whole gist of the matter, and
| submit it to my readers without COM
ment. My friend has given me per-
mission to print it, changing names so
that his identity may not be known.
Dear Friend: My mother is dead.
don't need to tell you that it was a mer-
ciful Providence that took her out of the
pain she has been suffering. | don't
know whether need to tell you, either,
that my sister didn't let the flag lie long
in the dust before she was the new
captain of our lost cause. But don't
think anybody could have guessed-Tm
sure l didn't-that my sister kept this
house full of sunshine in the blackest of
days, and made my mothers passing on
seem as glorious and sweet as my moth
er's life.
81 came home with my blood freezing,
as | thought of the crepe on the door.
a coffin in the front room, the hushed
voices and black dresses, the funeral SER
mon and final narrowing scene at the
grave.
That was because | didn't know how
far ahead Of that age of barbarism my
mother and Nora had planned. They
decided that there should be no memo
ries of my mother in this house but the
bright ones.
"The evening that my mother died
her body was taken TO chapel. There
was no crepe on the door. There was
no weeping, no black dresses; and, ex-
cept for an occasional catch in the voice,
now and then, my sister and my aunts
and uncles went right on with life in
such a way that a stranger sitting at our
table with us or on the front porch could
never have guessed.
Captain Nora held them all steady.
! The company of the lost cause went
right on forward with never waver in
the line. reckon it will never sur
render. 1t will just be wiped out and
end like that famous Texan in the Ala
mo. They took him dead, with his back
against a wall, and thirty-seven dead
Mexicans strewed around him.
did they whip him?
IF they did, it was a hell Of victory
and Mexico probably passes over the
story without going into details.
Some sob sisters of the old school
closed in on Captain Nora from the rear.
AS our unces and aunts began to arrive
the Captain needed help and she swiftly
drafted the blocks best cooks and COM
lmandeered two motor cars. She had To
call on a sympathetic lady next door.
When Captain Nora got to her front
door she heard the good soul sobbing up
stairs: L just can't meet her, the poor,
dear girl! just can't meet her!
"'Mrs. B called our captain.
Come to the door, please!
"Mrs. B came on quick trot.
"Ill need tapioca for ten at $780,
says the captain. Please don't fail me-
Pretty soon the block got the idea
Into it's head that an old-fashioned cham
Der of horrors show wasn't on the bill.
Some of them protested, at first and got
the swift lash of discipline; but before
lit was over they all took off their hats
to her and let civilization have the right
of way.
"Even the funeral had not touch of
horror in it. At the chapel woman
lin white read chapter from the Bible
and something from Mrs. Eddy; then
lied in the Lords prayer. At the grave
she read psalm. That was all the cere-
mony, and it was all poetry, not all hor-
ror.
81 went back to the house and looked
around in it, and it was all still bright
with my mothers spirit as it was before.
Then We all went to work again"
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