, 1859-10-06
i9res& Tt;ih1ttte,
OUR FoREIGy LETTERS,



S.n-..1s la fri.n as Tr<.hrssf. @'e'-
tcosss,2orte;cc tf he Pres, and Tdsune7
| Mcc1oss 1rsl.ad. s,pt- p lsaa.
I Last evening, alter returning from delight
iui saI on Tie Lakes OF Killarney, met near
toe ianoing an lr1sh funeral procession. IL "aa
moi IN motion me heasse YES surrounded ~ a
group OF men and women, but chiefly women,
dressed more tldi1y than usual, many OF them
has'ng ahoes on their feet, and with very de-
cent WOODEN cloaks drawn over their heads.
The older women wore 1nce caps, and the young
er were bare headed. They were talking loudly
when VIC passed, and had more the appearances
Of mob than funeral The hearse stood in
the middle, crowned With stiff, brownish black
pluuaes, the cofiu raised into full view. It con.
t,;rrd Tho ren.;n. of , rrr,r , .o,d;er in
wv ,, - ' 1.. 80
Tue army VINO oaa fingered win consumption
for seven weeks, and had just died. lie had
~. .nns...a.e ~ =, ~na,, - ~ :. ~
sas 1'peA 'a.' ~ 1'4 "no'44 "e "a" 40 .A'
throng. we should have rs soon thought it
wedding rs 4 funeral, No grief or sadness was
IN arr f,ce Tia onts;da ,onta of the crosxd ,xcre
' - |v. @ -
1o'5 1aosnihs ano taiking' "nle' rs sa1o' snefe
was some dispute among those nearest the
hearse. We walked on to the Abbey. ta1vinc
f,u ,nar.a,. .t .bo hot,, A--;r;,o - ,he
&c" .a'uAsa'a ~ tns lole' aiming 7s soe
old min, We saw that the funeral procession
was already there, As nc entered the rrayes
which .ur,o,rd thc mi, N. .o,,n3 NJ xa;t;rc
~ ,,s.s :. IT. .-,.;-t'
"as p'a'a'5 nea'o' ~ Was no' un.tee 'nsl WIG"
you, reader, hare heard at m Irish wake: On
turning the corner Of the Abbey, a. strange a
,;,+,,-a ~ ,;so ,nJ 1oa,1, a.-1 ar.,.
'~ s.1 ~'e' ''e'' ~
counsefed' ny eye The colin was on the
grouud, half = dozen womemwere bending over
49, S....:.sI = - 49, ~ 'oss
pass'ouute c1e.aaa''oas @ VI stei' onee II
While wall went up which would almost pierce
the skies, Close by, directly under the walls of
I'm Ahber ,,t s;1 f.at f-on,. - 49,. 49,.
oneninr craye, Tbey ta'ted iond'v md esrns "e,e
es,j, af7ouf thc;r worI nI1nnt th.;- ,a;nhhnra
Sittinr on liz graves ali oroHnd rs ond
;nIae1 IN avor ~ +hs r.r,, -. ".H
the two ~ non ,,ba ,,are i;n5;, .s'. ~
,rcr,a..;, .,,o;. ..,on,a.. u,"sts Sss'
,nr ,nar;nT smo1 ;olcs ~ srn.+t em aa.sa .susu
vii, twn NJ ;hraa ,LnnoI,,fi f,nas n,,N an,s.;
them. The wife sat on fe "round d s3 nt liz heos
nf the co;n a,d .a,,1a rs h =. sae ucaa
fine ;mnass;ra .nd ut; ga ~ .ten n rn1.id a.
;nto .o, n,'d ~a;l;nt, ,nd AZ ioa ua moaaG naeax
orise Gonot;,ra. r." -ra .ra.!TJ H., ~ y.
f. thosn 1hn go que ,ss "u1'u ns aGsonpanso
nfona rr"4r w., w.. % ;n e. ,,,Hana. Iuns
in most s1atteruly way, and the Young men.
some Of whom were half intoxicated, would
would lausk in wild fszh;on md III, ~ .ha a1e
viii, Ib"t xbsr 4,r1,,a ,rIs;sh aI'. sH " iu:l'
wo,,an co',1d r. % XII - "ea wy t'.ea
most hanpily nut into lanpuaoe 1sha nromn1
under our fset was backed witb % crare. W. beeanse
the spot Ind been haljowed for mnnv centur;e.
The very grave which they opened lad two
coffins in it. These were ali bruised to pieces
md their contents were tossed out with the
earth upon the bank, while The people sat by
unleeding it ALL I suw q skull roll down to
the very side of woman who was merry about
some little Joke, and she needed il no more than
if it had been stonc. The whole was conduct
ed without priest, or any religious service
whatever, and there WAS none at the house. as I
was told, before the procession LEFT. cannot
convey 10 you NV feelings. as stnod with a
friend little war OF. leaninr on an old rrare-
stone. and watched it ali. the facca nj some
covered with smiles, while their ewes were vel
red with weeping: The group Of listlcss. laugh
ing ones, who SUI ut the refy side OF The zen
who were opening the crave: the bones and
cotliu-boards thrown careless]r out: the two
grave d,ceers. as indifferent 10 their solemn
work as lhe two in Hamlet: the lpuatic woman.
who had bedcckcd her person with flowers. like
Ophelia: the wife, On tbe ground. in her mas
sionatc xorrow. the quaint tu]k Of the old
women about their clothes aud trill;ng tbin,rs.
while lie sun was throwing his iast beams m
the strange spectacle, Soon The rraye WA
onened ia cofI;n nu;ettr iii J., III ~" ..,.ss
aud bones and cotlin. .boards thnown hndf IN
promiscuous confusion. the younc decsaxed
soldier iay 10 The yerT rraye where his f,ther
mud brothers 1ie-his own bones ti1ua to ba cast
out when some other ono Of lis family follows
him; and I'll this because that specis1 snot Is
hallowed by tue sl.udow Of a crumblinr Abbey,
With sad hearts. nv friend aud turned nway
md spent quiet, thoughtful halfhour in tie
cloistered secclusion Of thc ruins. This Irish
funeral las been one Of the spcctacles which /
nl,.n ~.& fa...4