Ill 



the body was laid out, to have watchers through the nights which inter- 

 vened between the death and burial. These were always two of the 

 nearest neighbours, who sat in an adjoining room, and went at stated 

 intervals to snuff the candles, which were kept burning near the corpse, 

 and to see that all was right. 



The afternoon before the funeral, all the married women in the 

 " Laatin" were invited to go to what was termed the winding, which 

 meant the placing of the body in the coffin ; but as this might be done 

 in a few minutes, by two or three persons, the gathering was in reality a 

 tea party, where, solemn though the occasion might be, a good deal of 

 gossip was sure to be retailed. To the funeral itself, two were invited 

 from every house in the " Laatin," which included a much larger circuit 

 than the "Laatin" to the winding, and these, with the friends from a 

 distance, usually made a pretty large gathering. A substantial dinner 

 was provided for all comers, as well as a supply of ale and spirits, and 

 tobacco for those who chose to smoke. At the time appointed for 

 starting to church, which was often about three o'clock, the coffin being 

 brought outside the door and placed upon the bier, the mourners standing 

 near, four verses of the sixteenth Psalm were sung. The way in which 

 this was done rendered it a somewhat slow and monotonous proceeding. 

 A line at once was given out, in a peculiar sing-song tone, by the clerk, 

 or sexton, and then sung by a few of those present, then another line, 

 and so on through the four verses. The next step was termed lifting the 

 corpse, when four men lifted the bier, shoulder height, and walked 

 solemnly away towards the church, followed, first by the mourners, and 

 then by other friends and neighbours. As the distance was often two or 

 three miles, or even more, the bearers were relieved by fresh relays of 

 men, at certain places on the route. 



In the quaint old times of which we are speaking, they were very 

 particular at funerals, about going the right way to church. From every 

 hamlet or homestead, to the parish church, was a particular road, or 

 path, called a corpse road, and so exact were they on these occasions, 

 to keep upon that path, that in time of flood, a funeral party has been 

 known to wade knee deep through the water, rather than deviate a few 



