Each one had brought in his hand a green bough or a bunch of rock-ferns, something of green beauty from the woods their teacher had taught them to love.

They sat huddled together, with an expression of piteous grief on every face, which was enough to touch the stoniest heart.

Now and then sobs would burst from the women, and some old figure would be seen rocking to and fro in uncontrollable sorrow.
The coffin stood on a table in front of the pulpit.

It seemed to be resting on an altar of cedar and ferns.

Mercy had brought from her old haunts in the woods masses of the glossy evergreen fern, and interwoven them with the boughs of cedar.