She was
borne by her brothers and those nearest to her up to the silent spot
where her body was left.
The day was still and soft, and the veiled sun was declining as the
solemn procession, bearing flowers, followed to the sacred place. At a
respectful distance above stood a wide ring of interested observers,
but only those who knew her and loved her best drew near. After all
was done, and the body was at rest upon the fragrant bed prepared for
it, the young flower-bearers brought their burdens to cover her. The
bright, tear-stained faces of those who held up their arms full of
flowers to be heaped upon the spot until it became a mound of
blossoms, allied the scene, in beauty and simplicity, to the solemn
rites of antiquity.
It was indeed a poet's burial, but it was far more than that: it was
the celebration of the passing of a large and beneficent soul.
WHITTIER. NOTES OF HIS LIFE AND HIS FRIENDSHIPS
BORN DECEMBER 17, 1807; DIED SEPTEMBER 7, 1892
The figure of the Quaker poet, as he stood before the world, was
unlike that of any other prominent figure which has walked across the
stage of life. This may be said, of course, of every individual; yet
the likenesses between men of a given era, or between modern men of
strong character and those of the ancient world, cause us sometimes to
exclaim with wonder at the evident repetitions in development. One can
hardly walk through the galleries of antique statues, nor read the
passages of Plutarch or Thucydides, without finding this idea thrust
upon the mind.
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