File:Thomas Butler Gunn Diaries- Volume 8, page 146, January 31-February 1, 1857.jpg

Transcription:

Returning to [132] Bleecker Street found a letter from Alf Waud with some information. Wrote an answer

February.

1. Sunday. Ellen Levison’s funeral. By noon upwards of fifty persons — of whom the majority were women — had assembled in the large front parlor. The coffin lay in the hall, the upper part of it being uncovered. So that — though rather willing to recollect the child as she had been running about the house, a month ago than lying stark and cold in her coffin — I caught a glimpse of her face. It seemed more matured than during life: one might have imagined her eighteen or twenty. There was a horrid smear of blood on the lips, and a wreath on the coffin lid. In the parlor many of the women had clustered round the colored photograph of the dead child and her mother [Mary Levison]. (I recollect her bringing it to me on the night of the new year, when I was in [William] Levison’s room.) All the company being assembled, poor Levison came in, with his wife; both in deep mourning costume, and she crying bitterly. Then [E.H.] Chapin who had officiated as master of the ceremonies, advanced to the centre, turned his back to the fire place and commenced. First he read appropriate passages from the bible, and then addressed the