C.
Don't mention the Universalists--there's be'n two in the fam'ly; nor
insanity--there's be'n one o' them. The girl in the corner is the
one that the remains has be'n keeping comp'ny with. If you can make
some genteel allusions to her, it'll be much appreciated by his
folks."
As to the long prayer, she knew that the Rev. Mr. Ford could be
relied on to pray until Aunt Becky Burnham should twitch him by the
coat-tails. She had done it more than once. She had also, on one
occasion, got up and straightened his ministerial neckerchief, which
he had gradually "prayed" around his saintly neck until it had lodged
behind the right ear.
These plans proved so fascinating to Aunt Hitty that she walked quite
half a mile beyond Croft's, and was obliged to retrace her steps.
Meantime, she conceived bands of black alpaca for the sleeves and
hats of the pall-bearers, and a festoon of the same over the front
gate, if there should be any left over. She planned the singing by
the choir. There had been no real choir-singing at any funeral in
Edgewood since the Rev. Joshua Beckwith had died. She would ask them
to open with -
Rebel mourner, cease your weepin'.
You too must die.
This was a favourite funeral hymn. The only difficulty would be in
keeping Aunt Becky Burnham from pitching it in a key where nobody but
a soprano skylark, accustomed to warble at a great height, could
possibly sing it. It was generally given at the grave, when Elder
Weeks officiated; but it never satisfied Aunt Hitty, because the good
elder always looked so unpicturesque when he threw a red bandanna
handkerchief over his head before beginning the twenty-seven verses.
Pages:
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40