92 
THOMAS J. COMBER. 
Crudgington) suggested that the symptoms were all 
those of meningitis, the most fatal of brain fever. 
For a day we hoped against Harry's diagnosis, but the 
next day Tom fell in with his ideas. All day, Satur- 
day, she lay unconscious, Tom feeding her with beef- 
tea, eggs, and such things. All night Tom and Harry 
sat up with her. On Sunday she looked better, when 
I saw her at 6 A.M., but at 6.45, when Tom was alone 
with her, the breathing became slower, and, with a few 
sighs, her soul passed away to its rest. 
“ Sunday was a sad day to us ; Bentley was ill with 
bilious fever. Tom did not come out of his house all 
day ; but first prepared his dead wife for the grave, 
and then afterwards sat beside her, and you can 
imagine how deeply he grieved for her. I believe 
they loved each other most affectionately, and it is 
indeed a great and terrible bereavement to him, but 
he bears it bravely. 
Harry and I prepared the coffin, after Epea had 
made it out of some planks that only came up the day 
before. We lined it with white cloth, making a bed 
and pillow, and cut out a frill to put round it ; it 
looked very nice indeed. We also made a grass and 
evergreen wreath to lay on the top. We were obliged 
to put her in the coffin the same day ; but the funeral 
was not till the next morning. The grave was dug 
not far from the site of the house we are going to 
build. 
‘‘ The next morning the sad train left the house for 
the grave. The white coffin, covered with a white 
pall, and surmounted with green leaves, was carried by 
four of the Mission people. Mr. Crudgington led the 
way, then followed Tom and I as chief mourners, Mr. 
Bentley and a Mr. Aston, a Birmingham trader, then 
the Mission people, followed by a general crowd led 
by the King of Congo himself. At the grave, into 
which large plantain leaves were laid, we all took 
our places, the people keeping off at a respectful dis- 
tance. The service (one we had arranged among 
