The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-06-30
Aftermath Of
An Irish Funeral
A Dialogue Which Contains Some
Good Advice to the Wise
And Learned.

Someone-neyer mind who-has
said that the Irish are incapable of
philosophising and this on account
of their innate love of turning every
thing into ridicule or at least always
seeing the cheerful and comical side
of the most serious affairs. TO prove
the fallacy Of this sstatementt the writer
recalls the substance of conversa-
tion which took place between W o
typical Mikes named Corporal j i m
Mahoney and Patrick Foley to which
he listened with much amusement.
The occasion which led up to the
following dialogue was the burial of
a policeman, who had been killed
during one of the riots which, during
the days of Parnell were of such
frequent occurrence. T o maintain
order the Blank Regiment had been
present at,the funeral and afterwards
many friends Of the deceased had
gathered in the George Hotel to drown
their sorrows.
That was tn foine fun'ral Casey
tn polisman had and he desarved it, :"
said Mahoney. Just think what he
did"
He was was entitled to frstclass
fun'ral,'' y replied Foley, but | wud-
dnt RESTRICT firstclass fun'rals 0
heroes. No, jim, anyone who goes
IN livin', considhren what ivvry-
body knows about life is entitled o
all tn honors as well as him h O
dies before tonne. In fact I'd go a
little further and ct people have
their fun'rals while they were well
an sthrong an cud inj'ye them. AS
it is now the one who dies is tn on y
person in tn procession that gets no
inj j'yment out iv it. Sure, it's money
in tn pocket of tn undertaken d
hack driver and a long ride in tn
country for tn mourners and this
brings little excitement between tn
first pain an tn long SORROW
And look,' said Mahoney, what
consolation tn widow gets from tn
length iv the procession not to speak
of tn chilthdren. Whin | was boy
II chose fun'rals as the greatest OF
me adventures and | don't remember
inny relative who made himself un.
popular with me by dyin'. Did moi
then get something diff'rent to eat
from what / got at home?"
That'sso, said Foley, but youfor
get the excitement it also stirred VI
in the nayborhood. Then there was
something to talk about. Ivvrybody
asked, did he leave anything" A.
if the poor man had been a burglar
or fire.
True" replied Mahoney, but die
ye ivver think what excitement WI
should cause if We died. It's wortl
dyin' just to see l can just picture
my own windup and see tn thousandl
iv people who'd be prosthrated By
me demise and not att'nd tn jootie'
.. in loife FIR year or more. 1t looks
just grand to me when | picture il
me dreams the universal melanchol!
over me DEATH"
Yes" interrupted Fo ey, it il
only in your dreams you will ivvel
see yourself dead, but don't let thi
discourage you as i may soon have
, tn pleasure of attending your obse
quies. just now | recall how Case.
tn day before he died asked me tn
loan of few shillings, which didn
Il have and / can take consolation from
tn thought that Id!dnt refuse b n
as also that we can now spend thos
same shillings to drink his b al Il
wherever he may be-so drink p
> JIM"
d Their glasses having been refille'
a short silence followed and the
: Mahoney said, in spirit of moral
izing: Tis queer thing about loif
e anyway. If ye knew ye were goin
s to be evicted firm ye're home tomor
rah an weren't sure where We Wer