The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-05-26
DIE AND LET LIVE.

| ]. G. Bennett, of the Third ward of
Anthony, Kansas. ID years of age,
last week saw his coffin made, sup
erintended its manufacture and paid
for it 1t is made of hard pine and
fashioned very much like the old wal
nut burial cases of twenty years ago,
according to the Anthony Bulletin.
Mr.. Bennett had it made for econOmy's
sake. He is great barterer and he
knew that no one else could have
bought the same coffin for 81, which
it cost. Mr.. Bennett does not think
he will die for several years yet. He
will take the coffin home and set it up
in the pantry and wait.
This sounds all right. Maybe it is
all right. All of us would be better
if we We're on more familiar terms
with grim, shriveled death. We meet
with him so rarely that choking grief
SeizeS us when we do. If we knew
death better, could meet him every
day, toy with his whiskers and joke
him about his grim haliments, death
would lose much of his horros just as
he does to the doctor and the under
taker
But this thing Of taking a mans cof-
Tin home and putting it in the pantry
backing it up against the cupboard. or
resting it against the refrigerator is
little dubious. In time the hired girl
would fall easily into the habit of
storing the butter and wet pruneS and
eggs in the casket For a little While
the sight of the hired girl jabbing her
hand down into the coffin, and waiting
a large juicy beef-steak to the kitchen
stove and frying it, would be squeam-
lsh, but any we'll regulated family
would get over it. And it might be
that 4 family of ordinary sensitive
ness would weep on seeing the big IN
sympathetic tramp sit down on the
coffin and wipe out piece of pumpkin
pie. Still this sensitiveness would
pass away in time
But when the coffin had been kicked |
about for years. with its bottom caved
in, and broken eggs in one corner.
and wad of lard over in another. |
and some fine morning You wouldn't be /
on hand to hear the cocks shrill |
clarion and cuSS the cock and your I
heart had miscued; and your body was
in the front parlor with the blinds
down, then the rub would come.
Think of creating a condition where
your wife or your daughter with a
throbing heart and broken voice and
tear-stained eyes would be compelled
TO hunt up the hired man and tell him
10 get the coffin out and scrub it up
1 little. And think, while sympathetic
friends poured in To sustain and COM
.oTt the bereaved. of the hired man
with your coffin out in the
'ront yard. setting it up against a tree
Ind poking the nozzle around in its
inside and charging on it with a mon.
And later when the services had begun
md the minister had for moment
ested his hand on the coffin-lid and
poke in the highest praise of you. and
hen raised his hand high in warn
ne to the living, of that minister there
md then feeling a cold. slimey SUBJ
stance on his fingers, and looking up
o discover a mixture OF lard, butter, |
heese and prunes which the hired
nan had not removed
Think of an odor of onions and ran ,
id oleomargarine pervading a highly I
espectable aud decorous funeral. 1t
II
Iollar collins are all right. But live !
nd let live-rather die and give the !
a chance.