Wait* with impatient* for the dying breath. "
Now, upholders were dealers in
second hand furniture, old clothes,
and the lise, ard perhaps were so
called because they were so often
resorted to as the last resource of
failing credit. As these persons were
able from their stock of cneaply pur
chased material to supply what was
needed at funerals at less expese
than tbe regular merchant or haber
dasher. they came to ae thus employ
ed, and also to furnish houses.
In time the more ambitious of this
class confined their business to tbe
furnishing of houses only, and dealt
in goods both new and old, and to
avoid tbe confounding of their busi
ness with that of the funeral managers
styled themselves upholdstcrs, a name
changed later to upholsterers.
Subsequently tne more pretentious
members of the clax of upholsterers
assumed the name of undertakers,
deriving their cognomen logically
enough from the signification of its
parts in the Saxon torgue. An
undertaker, one who takes in hand a
business or task, or renders himself
responsible for its performance. Or
perhaps the idea of tae word was taken
from the French name of the same
effieer, entrepreneur, though the
primary idea of the French word is
rather that of one who bids for a
particular task.
A married couple were out prome
nading in tbe suburbs of Austin one
day. Presently tbe wife said:
“Think, Albert, if the brigands should
come and take me from you.” “Im
possible. my dear.” “Bat suppose
they did come and carry me away:
what would you sayt” “I should
say,” answered the husband, “that
the brigands were new at the buai
ness. That’s all"—Texas Siftings..
