There is a bankruptcy (death) in a house. The owner's creditors (neighbors) become mourners. A minister sells the house to a milliner who will open a fashion house. The owner is a doctor whose patients died in the mattress that no creditors want to have.
There's been a Death, in the Opposite House, 1
As lately as Today－
I know it, by the numb look
Such Houses have－alway－
The Neighbors rustle in and out－5
The Doctor－drives away－
A Window opens like a Pod－
Abrupt－mechanically－
Somebody flings a Mattress out－9
The Children hurry by－
They wonder if it died－on that－
I used to－when a Boy－
The Minister－goes stiffly in－13
As if the House were His－
And He owned all the Mourners－now－
And little Boys－besides－
And then the Milliner－and the Man 17
Of the Appalling Trade－
To take the measure of the House－
There'll be that Dark Parade－
Of Tassels－and of Coaches－soon－21
It's easy as a Sign－
The Intuition of the News－
In just a Country Town－
As lately as Today－
I know it, by the numb look
Such Houses have－alway－
The Neighbors rustle in and out－5
The Doctor－drives away－
A Window opens like a Pod－
Abrupt－mechanically－
Somebody flings a Mattress out－9
The Children hurry by－
They wonder if it died－on that－
I used to－when a Boy－
The Minister－goes stiffly in－13
As if the House were His－
And He owned all the Mourners－now－
And little Boys－besides－
And then the Milliner－and the Man 17
Of the Appalling Trade－
To take the measure of the House－
There'll be that Dark Parade－
Of Tassels－and of Coaches－soon－21
It's easy as a Sign－
The Intuition of the News－
In just a Country Town－
(F.547/J.389)
[1] Death, House:: bankruptcy of the house owner.
[3] numb look:: the house (a clinic) with little patients; hinted in line 6, Doctor.
[5] Neighbors:: creditors of the house owner.
[5] rustle in and out:: creditors were busying to take whatever to cover their losses.
[6] Doctor, away:: the house owner left.
[9] Mattress:: a clinical mattress that no one desired to have.
[11] it died on that:: the clinic failed on the practising furnishing or apparatus.
[13-14] Minister, House were His:: the officer handling the bankruptcy.
[15] Mourners:: the creditors who mourned for their losses.
[17] Milliner:: a person who makes up articles of female apparel, esp. bonnets and other headgear (OED 2).
[17] the Man:: the Minister.
[18] Appalling Trade:: the Milliner bought the house for his or her fashion house.
[19] take the measure of the House:: to estimate the house's price.
[20-21] Dark Parade, Tassels, Coaches:: a mysterious parade of coaches showing hats and apparel with tassels.
[22-24] Sign, News, Country Town:: a fashion house in a country town can be a news.
The fashion house from which we have received these two elegant styles of ladies' costume, is one of the largest and most reliable in the country. ─ Arthur's Illustrated Home Magazine (1855)
