Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-05
THE DAILY RECORD UNION.
APRIL 5. 1850.
AN IRISH WAKE.

when evening came the storm lulled,
and left a gloomy chill in its stead. The
cofin arrived so expeditiously that some
cid If must have been made beforehand.
few country people who had met it on
it's way followed it with loud wailings,
in which they rehearsed the virtues of
those whom they had lost, and their grief
and desolation in having them no longer
with them. Often a coffin is thus escorted
from a neighboring village to the house of
mourning. 1t is then placed out of sight,
as the body is not laid in it until few
minutes before leaving its last earthly
abode turf was heaped upon the fire,
candles lighted, and a jug OF whisky, fill
ing the room with It's penetrating odor,
gave evidence of preparation for the ap-
preaching wake.
The villagers loitered about the doorway
gossiping until the arrival of weird old
woman, who knelt at the threshold, and
said, ''God bless all here. God rest the
soul of the dead" Then seating herself by
the side of the body, she stretched out her
lean and shrivelled hands, and burst forth
into the most piercing lamentations, In
which she recounted all the virtues of the
defunct and of her family other withered
creatures, who had been smoking and doz-
ing by the chimney, now aroused them
selves and joined in doleful chorus. The
intervals between the arrivals Of the guests
which were signals for new outbursts-
were filed by whisky-drinking smoking,
shutting and gossip. If any one who had
lost friend desired to do so, they could
embrace this opportunity of "crying" him.
AS the night advanced, the scene became
one of wild excitement the old people
grew confidential and communicative over
their cups, and the younger members
amused themselves with various games.
Upon the breast of the corpse, which lay
on the table in the center of the room, was
plate heaped with tobacco, from which
each newcomer filled pipe presented him
on entering, and after murmuring a brief
prayer, took his place either among the old
people by the fire, or the younger ones in
the farther extremity of the room. On the
arrival of the neighbOrs, two old women
who were "given up y" to be, as | was in
formed, the best criers in the parish, broke
into unearthly howlings, and these dismal
echoes died away amid the gossip of the
elder and the laughs and jokes of the
Younger portion of the assemblage. From
an obscure corner | watched unobserved
the strange scene, and saw how after each
"
marked the face of the old men and women
broke into a myriad traits of suble ex-
preston, and their gummy eyes glistened
and sparkled with a new found life, while
the young people were soon in the midst
of a kissing game. A circle was formed
round a youth, who was called upon to
choose the prettiest from the assembled
maidens. On being summoned she adj
olp bN
and in her turn chose q young man from
The group, and so the game proceeded un-
til all had been kissed hoped to their
satisfaction. Should any decline to meet
the demands exacted by the laws of the
game, they were beaten with knotted
apron, amid great hilarity and contention,
into compliance, When this was finished
the old people, who had been drying to-
bacco by the fire and powdering it into
snuff by rolling it between their fingers,
and partook of it in large quantities to
keep themselves awake, again begun the
death-song with wild vehemence. When
they had somewhat relieved their feelings
N this manner the whisky was once more
handed round, and the young people re-
sumed their games. The old men and
women retilled their pipes with the to-
bacco which lay on the dead women's
breast, and warming their thin blood by
the cheerful fire, listened to some cum
mer's tale.
One Of the young men on the other side
OF the room, clad in an old red petticoat,
ragged shawl and a ruffied cap, his face
begrimmed with SCOT, and short pipe
stuck in his mouth, personating an old
woman in the agonies of a fatal sickness,
attracted my attention. tall youth in
a white flannel jacket and trousers, whose
face was the picture of health and jollity,
endeavored to appear as wise-he was
perhaps III verity-as a doctor He felt
The pulse, and shook his head and pre-
scribed ''potheen," which, amid vociferous
applause, was partaken of by the whole as
5enblage. He who counterfeited the old
woman dropped his head, and was soon
stretched on the floor, in stimulation of
death. Mourners grouped about him, and
two of the leading spirits sat on either side
rs criers, the whole assemblage giving
themselves up to the fun in this mad
travesty.
Never in my life can l cry well on this
side of the corpse, said one of the mad
caps, rising, and with his heavy hob-nailed
shoes walked on as well as over the
counterfeited corpse.
Nor / either" cried the other, who
walked over the body with even less ten
derness than his companion.
# the object of this mock solicitude OBJ
iected to the rough treatment, he was
beaten into submission by the knotted
apron before mentioned
In the dry recital these scenes lose, per-
haps, a great deal of their mirth but
when l witnessed them | could not resist
the hilarity which they provoked, until
the little grandchild, who had been sleep
ing, amid all this uproar, on her mothers
lap, creeping to the table on which her
grandma lay, tugged at the sheet, and cry
ing g Mahmore, recalled me to the awful
presence Of the dead.
This touching incident did not seem to
affect the rest of the assemblage in the
same manner, for the sobbing child was
sent back to its corner, and the old women
broke into another verse of their death
cry, while the young people prepared for
another game.-[J. L. Cloud, in Harper's.