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276

how idle to write.                

Friday Oct. 18. 1878. Dr. Chapin came up at Dr. Sawyers request to officiate at the funeral, which took place at noon yesterday. The day was warm and golden, even too warm, and with considerable wind. Dr. Chapin surpassed himself in the fervor and beauty of his remarks. He read two beautiful hymns selected by Mrs. Sawyer, one of them by Bryant, but no arrangement had been made for singing and there was none. We had no hearse and no alien hands to put her to rest. It was all done by our family. A large concourse of people came to pay her their last honors and they were dismissed after the service and Dr. Chapin announced that the burial would be attended to by the family. Cousin John McEntee, Maurice, Girard, Jno. Andrews, Calvert, Joseph Tomkins and Fred Norton carried her to the grave on a bier and Calvert staid and filled the grave and around it with evergreen and flowers. Most of the family walked over to the cemetery, but Lucy, Sara and I did not go. Poor dear old Mrs. Winter came up to the funeral not knowing when it would take place but coming as a venture. - Sara started for Boston this morning She needed rest and wanted to be with Alice. The skies are soft and grey today and it has rained a little. Alice asked me to place some white roses in Gertrudes hands and then to send them to her which I did with the following lines
 
Last roses of my happy summer time,    

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