The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-19
A FUNERAL.
st. Louis Globe-Democrat.

st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Our village is reckond helthy place
and very few people dies. Not as we hain't
got an undertaken, but he has to piece it
out wi tailorin; he's about five parts tailor
and one part undertaken. It's rather
curious to see picter of an 'erse a. one
side of his store, and on the tother a big
fashion cromo of some doods going to a
weddin party, with bokays a. their hands
But, laws! it's natral.
What meks me speak o. this is as there
was funeral yesterday. 1t was the flu
neral of old Joe Higgins. Poor old Joe!
Nobody thort he'd ever die, though he was
| oldish He was praps the best knowed
man a these parts. Everybody knowed
Joe for miles around. 1t was ''Hallo, Joe''
as the farmers drove by in their wagons,
and seed him dom up his little garding
patch. What Swaddy and Noakes'H say
when they hears on it beats me to think
on. 1t seems curious to think o. Swaddy
Noakes and Jones bein' away somewheres
| hundreds o miles off, and not KNOWN Joe's
dead. By George, it seems curious to me
as knows he's dead. [ carn't believe it,
| If was to see Joe comm down the vii
lage limpin' along, for he'd been lame for
years, it 'ud seem as natral as natral This
very day I've cort myself stannin' like a
stoopid with me hand o. me diggin' fork
just thinkin' on him. Poor old Joe! That's
about all can say.
Everybody liked Joe. You could say any.
tnln' to him. Though his body was hold
| his mind was clear.
you was in a tearing rage you could
| go an swear to him, an If you'd got
sood crop O sumrnat and prices was good
ana you was in good sperrits like, you
could go an nave your joke an tell him
as the. goose banked high, and Their was
| I've knowed feliers as was disappointed in
| love go an tell him all about it, Why
when Tim Hafferty's wife run away from
MIN Joe was the only as knowed the
| perticlers for years arter.
he daint put on no stile Joe daint. I've
stood IAN larfed sometimes at the way the
batch all by himself, an daint trubbei the
tailor much. | believe the only thing the
tailor ever done for him was to mex his
shrowd him bein' in the undertaken line
too as said afore. Joe 'ud ha' made a
Joke on that If he'd been alive.
the village. He was allus tall1in' about
| goin somewheres. He'd say he'd like to go
an see his brother in Ohiah. He'd said
| station an get time table o. the trips at
| cheap fairs, an mex believe he was goin
to- pack up, up an go: He'd got fine heep on
thirty on a little shelf a. the side O. the
stove. He'd look 'em over now an then
! LUZ AiC never WENT Every ySGT we q say
we supposed he was gon' to see his broth
| er in Ohiah, an he'd say yes, he thort he
would, if he could get his things in. and
his taters a, the cellar an his bit O corn
| stocked. The trips lasted all September.
one 'ud go by an another. an he'd say
ud be in bit nervous state ali that time
An then, when the trip had gone-he allus
went down to the station to see it go
say it 'ud ha' to be next yeer now But
| he's gone the longest journey of all now.
Poor ole. Joe! Therell be, nobody to look
over that heep o time tables now.
We made sure he was going TO go this
yeer. He showed me his trunk, all packed
ready. He KEEP putin things in it he
thort he would want, till he'd filed it that
| full had to set on the lid while he fixed
the lock and locked it. Then day or two
set on it again. for he'd opened it and there
was a two-tnree more things he wanted to
nut in. When we rally thort he was goin'
we began to specl<erlate how we'd get on
wi'out Joe. It had got to be kind o. COM
| fortabul to know he was in the village. He
anybody without seemin' to advise 'em.
| He saw the rights an wrongs of everythin'
| like a shot If you'd make a fool of your
throw it up to you afterwards. He got
more larfture out O. life than anybody l
ever knoWed As for jo Sa,d NIL, meyer yo,I
nearly split yer sides with the dry things
he'd say. I can't think O. Joe bein' any
different to that now. There's no doubts
he's gone to heaven. But one o. them an
gels with wings he's not. That 1 know.
He was too good to everybody to go to
! anywhere else but heaven. Praps there's
q. kinder place for such as Joe-nayther
heaven exactly nor the tother place. When
is no matter what kind O. place it is.
What's good enough for Joes good enough
for me.
Yesterday. Joe's dead and berried. Dead
/ an berred. I have to keep sayin' 1t to
myself or 1 shouldn't believe 1t. Poor ola
/ I've ernfr a a
| a. their sides to-day. Even the school chill
dren's gethered in punches a the play
ground. know what they're talkin about
He was found dead in his bed. We
hadn't see him about as usual an arter
opened the door. it was on the latch. We
seed him a. the inner room lookin. very
natral. "Hailo. joe says. Joe! B ut
was dead. / felt his hand. an it was like
a stone. looked at sammy, an sammy any
l tsa 2dna at me FELT them ersef ie'
We ali follered at the funeral. I suppose
there was two hundred, children, an all.
The regular ministers happened TO be away.
The reeve was there. He'd sent to the
| city for a big wreath o MOWERS, an TINS
was put on the coffin. He arsked me 10
hardish Job for me, as me specks got as
| couldn't see through EN- more nor once.
Then the reeve sqld' tSeT VAS iew Silence
YOU could have heerd a pin drop, and felt
/ / had to say sumniat | just said summat
| like this: Friends and nayburs, ! says;
| I'VE EN- met to-day at the grave OF a good
man. He was good to everybody; he was
| good and kind to sll on us. When we was
/ in trouble he was with u.s. an when we
/ was in j'y he was with US. He warn't
/ rich man in one way but he was IN an
/ other. He was kind hearted, an there
no doubts he's gone to heaven The best
/ thing we can do Is to try and foller In his
/ WAYS IT warn't much to say, hut there
was a good many as had their nandKeF-
| chefs to their eyes. There was scarce q
| child but what throwed a howe into poor
| old Joes grave.
hundred clustered diamonds -
| are no more dazzling than piece Xxx.