Part 32 (1/2)

Whose part in all the pomp that fills, The circuit of the sureen

And deeply would their hearts rejoice, To hear again his living voice

BRYANT

The funeral, with the usual celerity hich such things are done in our country, was to take place on the next day Too often the haste appears indecent, and it may be that in some instances the body has been buried before life deserted it It would seem that the family felt constrained by the presence of the corpse, and compelled to exercise an irksoround, as if it would be less likely there to kno soon it was forgotten

But in the present case there was no reason why the body should be longer kept There could be no doubt that life was extinct It had lain too long in the water to admit a ray of hope to the contrary

The sooner it was placed in its final earthly horief would the sooner be hts fro for the living Until the burial the syhbors took upon themselves to perfor the necessary food, &c, and one or another ca was neglected for their comfort, and to console the lone wo It was better it should not, but that things should, as quickly as possible, resume their usual and natural course

When the hour for the ceree to convey thefamily in the melancholy procession, while he and Faith, as the distance was short, proceeded on foot to the house It was situated on a sandy beach, near the Wootuppocut, and a considerable coether before their arrival

Poor Josiah's generosity and good-nature had eneral favorite, and his acquaintances had pretty generally turned out to render to him the last testimony of affection it would ever be in their power to pay The house was too small to hold all present, so that besides the relations, very few except females were adh courteously invited in, and in consequence of his connection with the accident that caused the death, considered in some wise a mourner, preferred to re the preparations in the house, groups without were scattered round, engaged, in low voices, in various conversation

In some, expressions of condolence and pity were let fall for the condition of theand her faood qualities of the deceased; others debated on what , and wondered what he would give theThey were all acquainted with his generosity, and doubted not of his desire to repair, so far as he was able, the norant would insist upon connecting him as in some sort, a cause

For this reason, solances, fro not to be observed, as if they expected to read therein his purposes But Arround, and absorbed in his own reflections, was unconscious of the attention he attracted So lost was he, indeed, in his own thoughts, as not to observe s directed to hi, were heard issuing froathered round the open door, to listen to the prayer of the ranted that on such occasions the prayer must occupy some considerable time, whether because a short one would be irreverent to the Being to who friends, or because the mind cannot sooner be impressed with due solemnity Hence it follows that as these prayers are extempore, and the abilities and taste of those who offer therees, they are of various shades of ood taste are not violated, and soht to weep The reverend gentleman who conducted the services, was not insensible to as expected from him, and determined ”to i After alluding to the gratitude his hearers ought to feel at not being thus hurried, like poor Sill, without timent, who, however, he hoped, was prepared, and in order to heighten the feeling of thankfulness, contrasting the light and liberty of life with the darkness of the grave (as if the spirit were confined there), he ran through the usual co with an assured conviction, as if the country beyond the grave were as familiar to him as the streets of the town With a tedious particularity he then entreated the divine blessing upon the inning with the , to whom succeeded the children, two boys, one of four, and the other of two years of age, followed by fathers, and mothers, and brothers, and sisters to an indefinite extent, until the compliment was duly paid to all ere supposed to have any claian, with a reference to the suddenness of the death, which was treated as a warning sent for their benefit, and a hope that it ht be laid to heart, and induce sinners to fly fro now consumed, the minister who had labored hard, and not without sundry hesitations and coughings to accoht it to a conclusion, and announced an appropriate hy in the ho in low and suppressed tones, as if they were afraid of disturbing the slumbers of the dead

Upon the conclusion of the hymn, the person who acted asthose gathered round, said that all who desired ht now have an opportunity to see the corpse Several accepted the invitation, and a

The coffin was placed upon a table in the centre of the rooes, so as to leave the face exposed The for place and succeeding to one another, cahtly on tip-toe solemnized and subdued by the awful mystery of death As they cah an open door in an adjoining roo, with her little boys on either side, and the relations seated round in chairs

All having gazed upon the corpse ished, preparations now co down the lid of the coffin The sobs and sounds of grief which had proceeded from the room where the mourners were collected, and which had been, as by an effort, suppressed during the prayer and hymn, now broke forth afresh

”O, do not hinder me,” poor Mrs Sill was heard to say; ”it's the only chance I shall have in this world”

”I guess you'd better not,” said a voice, trying to dissuade her

”It's no use; and, then, before all the fro hand that strove to detain her ”Who has a better right to take the last look than me?”

With these words, her crape veil thrown in disorder back upon her shoulders, her eyes red and swollen with crying, and tears strea down her cheeks, she advanced towards the body, all respectfullyroom for her as she approached

We are not a very deht, froe, the lesson of self-control They do not wear in their bosoms s into which any eyes may look It is considered un, and perhaps the sentiment has an influence even on the softer sex The conduct of Mrs Sill was unusual, and excited surprise; but it is difficult to ste passion and it had its way

She moved quickly up to the table, and threw her ar her cheek on that of her husband, while the hot tears ran in large drops down its ht to interfere, whispered in her ear, and took hold of an arm to draw her away, but she turned fiercely upon him

”Who are you,” she said, ”to separateas I please”

The person, seeing her determination, desisted; and all looked on in mournful silence