Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-02-18
He Wanted a Cradle, Not a Coffin.

He came into the office of West
End undertaken yesterday, with look
of great care on his honest face. His
eyes We're heavy and slightly blood
shot, telling of nightly vigils and loss
of sleep. His hair was unkempt and
shaggy. The soft-hearted man of cof-
fins looked upon his visitor with gaze
full of pity and thankfulness-pity for
the customers loss and thankfulness
for his patronage. He was so young to
be burdened with the loss of dear one
by death. ....-.s..5.a Is
The manufacturer of burial cases
nodded u silent assent and cOndoling
recognition; the young man from the
country said, "Howd'ye?p Then en-
sued a painful silence, broken at length
by the man of grave business: "
"Can l do anything for you to-day,
sir?,' ~
"Wall reckon 50, stranger.u
Another silence. Once more the un-
dertaker began by suggesting, "Your
sister?u .........,..7 .d
Young man stared a moment; then,
as a tight gradually broke upon his
perpleXed mind, he smiled smile
more suggestive of sorrow than happi-
ness, and replied:
"No-my wife,
s'Sudden?'
"No-expected su'thun of the kind
for several months.u
"When did it happen?'
"'Bout O'clock this morning.
CLOCKS natural?" Hs
Rather" Spoken carefully, and
expressive of some doub). pa
"About what do you want the cost
of 1t to be?"
"Don't care for expense; get it up
kinder nice. I'll treat her handsum
because she is the first one / ever
had.u a.ft M
Every well, my friend; you will
have it lined with white satin, sup
pose?n .essl
''.Jest as you say, stranger
"Silver-headed screws, too, / sup
pose?n y. a
aY-a-a-s, s'pose SO. An, stranger,
jest put a bully to't.p i9
"Oh, of course; and you'll want a
glass in it, also, l suppose?' q
"Y-a-a-s = oh, certainly = you bet.
Get her up sniptious, you know, old
fellow. None of your drafted one-hoss
fiXins for me. No sir'ee.v di
"Just so; silver handles, of course?n
'.Eh? What's thet you say, stranger
silver handles? Oh, durn it, now;
won't. thet be pilin' iton too hefty like?
| Ken stand silver screwsand sich, but
there's no use maxim the hull tarna-
tion trap of silver. The thing has to
be moved and must have handles, but
/ amt so stuck as thet nOw--nOt quite,
stranger s.ef5-o eG4
Every well,v aequiesced the man of
obsequies, "Pll put ordinary handles,
to it, then.n 3, ar H4adtC5 Gu mrG
"Eggs-actly = them's 'em, mister;
now yer talkin'. Urinary handles Il
do. But, / say, stranger (refectively),
make the wheels glisten like thun-
der. ..a.---,ss4sss.
"Wh-wh-wh-eels!n
eyes, wheels. What's ther matter
with you, anyhow" -.
"But who ever heard of wheels to- a
coffin?" oa
| "CoffinW shrieked the. detected
looking young man. "Cofln! Now,
who the dickens said anything about
| coffins?u
"Why, don'tyon want a coffin?"
"No-o! | want a eradle-a trap to
rock my new baby in" M
"And isn't your wife dead?"
''Not by a jugful. Don't you make
cradles for sale?n a
mo, my friend; J am an under
take.n aa
"Undertaker of what?n
81 make cotfins."
ooh, Lord, let me ketch the feller
that sent me heren'
And the grief-stricken youth cram
med his hat over his eyes, ran his
hands deep down in the pockets of his
trousers, and pouncedput on the streets
| 4, s.,.r