A DISTRESSING SCENE.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1121, 25 August 1882, Page 2

A DISTRESSING SCENE.

« The Sydney « Evening News ' states on July 25 an exceedingly painful and , discreditable scone was witnessed at the cemetery, Haslem's Creek, during the funeral of a woman, whose husband and six little children were amongst the spectators. The attendant clergyman who came to read the burial service over the corpse, ha /ing apparently partaken freely of stimulants before ' his arrival, seemed to be too indisposed to perform the ceremony. The coffin having been brought to the grave, the rev gentleman, with unsteady gaze, looked despairingly at' the asj sembled mourners, and appeared, to be at a loss how to proceed. Unable to find the proper place in the prayer book he held in his hand, he for some minutes turned over the leaves, wetting his thumb as he did so with his tongue. Presently he gave up the attempt, and failing to remember any portion of tho ritual, put the olosed book under his arm. A» the undertakers and assistants were about to lower the coffin into the grave, the rev gentleman, who had been looking on silently, suddenly startled everyone present by calling our in a loud voice, " Hold on hold on, don't put her in yet" As he rocked to and fro, seemingly unwell and. scarcely able stand on his feet, his hat tumbled off. Unable to replace it no on his head, he held it in his hand while he entered into conversation with one of the bystanders. "We shall all come to that," was his closing; remark, whereupon the husband of the deceased said he protested against such proceedings over the dead body of on© who was dear to him, and whom he and his children had come there to see recently and respectably interred. After this protest he left, and was soon followed by those who had looked on whilst this extraordinary scene took place.