The New York herald., 1922-08-27

tneFe was Il lOOk Ol eager lAtSiSSt oiiN
expectations.
At length the doors were thrown
open and the wheeled chairs rolled
into the chapel. Miss Gray and Miss
Thackeray, urged forward by those in
the rear, had to back pedal, so to speak,
to save themselves from crashing into
the altar rail- There was a sound of
thunder caused by the wheels on the
stone floor but it lasted a minute only.
In that brief space Of time the chapel
filled UP except for a middle aisle
where the solitary mourner sat beside
the coffin. Space was kept clear for
a bench which had been placed be-
tween the side door and the, altar
Then the doors We're closed again and
ne wheel chairs that had failed in the
race could revolve futilely outside.
a. A diminutive edifice, in truth, is the
chapel, and rendered more so by the
heavy arches over the columns which
the architect evidently Employed to
create Religious Gothic feeling. These
were heaviest behind the chancel rail
and in consequence the little chaplain
In his worn surplice and with look of
goodness on every feature of his face
moved about in a semi- darkness. Light
from a central window fell full on the
coffin and on the head of the single
mourner in his wheel chair beside 1t,
He leaned forward, frail, pathetic fig
ure, with one arm resting TN the ma
hogany surface.
In the pause that followed the
rumbling of the chairs something Hike
a commotion was heard outside the
lateral door and few words uttered
in a decided tone could be distin-
guished A look of understanding ac-
companied by smile passed from face
to face and some one muttered:
That's Kate. There amt any keep
ing her outl"
Sure enough, when the door was
opened and flock of elderly women
In sober black came in and took their
places on the bench reserved for them
Kate, wheeling Charley boy, strodel
-manfully in their wake. 1t was diff
cult for Kate and it would have been
impossible for anybody else to find
mooring place for the chair, hut she
twisted and turned and bumped and
showed until she landed it Immediately
at the rail and directly under the pull
pit. There she stood like a grenadier
on guard throughout the services.
All the functions of these were as
sumed by the chaplain himself;a he
fitted from pulpit to chancel rail and
thence to the organ, reading the
prayers for the dead and the collect
for the day, and when there were to be
responses giving them also. Then at
the appointed moment he sat at the
organ and played and sang the hymns.
Without any wish TO be disrespectful
to the CLOTH it may be said that the
chaplain resembled nothing so much
as little fat Ariel scant of breath
and overworked. Fl
When the formal program was con-
cluded tho chaplain addressed his
audience directly and in homely
way, reminding them that their physi-
cal disabilities by no means excused
lack of attention to their spiritual
needs, and should. in fact, have the
effect of taking their minds wholly
from the affairs of this world. The
incurables listened attentiv6y to this
advice and many of them assented to
it by nodding their heads.
Then the little chaplain turned his
eyes to the mourner. who had never
lifted his gaze from the floor and re-
fferred to the great bond OF love which
had existed between a mother and her
son, so deep. in truth, that it had
broken every other tie which attached
the dead woman to the world in order
that she might remain by his side and
minister to his daily needs.
'In this place, which has of neces-
sity laws and customs of its own, the
great natural law survives. The parent
precedes the child to the grave as in
general is true. How many years may
have to elapse before this mourner
rejoins his loved mother. ;"
But at this point the agitation of the
mourner which he had hitherto re-
pressed broke it's bonds in the utter
ance of wild and painful cry. Hear
ing it the preacher hurriedly brought
his remarks to a close and said.
"The middle aisle has been kept open
in order that those who wish TO look
for the last time upon the face of their
proceed up the right side and down on
the left. nor pause longer than an in
stant, Only those who are able to
wheel themselves have this permis-
sion.'
This seemed to be the point In the
proceedings that had been eagerly
waited for. With quite wonderful
order, everything being considered. the
audience ranged itself in the central
aisle and the procession began. 1t
proceeded unbrokenly and without
other noise than that made by the
wheels on the floor. Lastly, coming
down In the same unbroken rank, 1t
filed through the doorway into the sun
parlor.
All this time Kate had stood Inn
movable. But when space opened for
her she, left Charley boy in his chair
against the chancel rail and went by
herself TO gaze at the dead face. Lean
ing both elbows on the lid she stood
and stared.
The undertaker's men came forward
and waited for her to make way. Kate
paid them no attention.
The chaplain grew nervous. "Now.
Kate. now Katel" said he Kate didn't
appear to hear.
"You must move along" he urged.
Don't you see you're delaying
things?-
Then Kate spoke up:
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