Evening star., 1915-01-19
Picturesque Capital Character
Wrote Laugh and the World
Laughs With You"
FUNERAL TOMORROW;
BURIAL AT OAK HILL
Tombstone, Bust and Epitaph Pre-.
pared in Advance by Philosopher.
Two Children Survive.

j
Weep and you weep alone
Col. John A. Joyce, poet of Wash
ington" and author of the above lines
which have become famous the world
over. died yesterday at Providence
Hospital.
Funeral services are to be held at
o'clock Thursday afternoon in Hines
chapel, 1715 14th street northwest, and
interment will be in Oak Hill ceme-
terry, where Col Joyce had his tomb
stone erected a number of years ago.
About six months ago he had bust
of himself placed on the tombstone,
the pedestal of which bears the follow
ing inscription. chiseled in the stone at
Col Joyce's instruction:
JOHN A JOYCE,
Poet, Soldier, Philosopher.
Born July 4, 1912. Died --.
Laugh and the world laughs with you;
Weep and you weep alone
Col. Joyce recently exhibited at sew
eral places in the city a photograph of
himself standing beside his tomb.
Alongside of it he hung the following
quatrain of his own composition:
Spread golden flowers on my life,
And do so very often,
I'll need them in my daily strife,
But not upon my coffin"
A Picturesque Person.
Col Joyce, who was seventy-two
years old, was one of the best known
personages in Washington. His long
white hair, broad-brim felt hat, dark
blue frock coat and red bow tie were
ofn Fsverv
one recognized in Col. Joyce former
soldier, for he carried himself erect
despite his advanced years.
For half a century he had made
Washington his home, and during that
time published a dozen or more books,
mostly of poems and biographies. his
best known verses, called Love ana
Laughter" are introduced by the fol-
lowing lines, now known throughout
the English-speaking world:
Laugh and the world laughs with you,
Weep and you weep alone"
The authorship of these lines was
at one time disputed by another writer
When Col Joyce learned of this he IN
vited litigation to decide the question
of priority, but the matter was not
carried that far.
Some of His Books.
Among the books he has published
are "Checkered Life Jewels of Mem
ory." Peculiar POEMS" Zig Tag"
complete POEMS" "Brickbats and
Bouquets" "oliver Goldsmith" Edgar
Allan Poe," Beautiful Washington"
peare," Truth" and Robert Burns
He left many unpublished manuscripts.
from which it is believed collections
will be made for publication.
A poem entitled "Oak Hill" written
a few days ago in Providence Hospital,
is said to have been the last of Col.
Joyces works. Oak Hill is the name
of the cemetery in which he had made
arrangements for his burial. and the
poem was written with prophetic Wis
ion of his approaching death, for Col.
Joyce had been in poor health for many
months.
Published After Death.
On April II last Col. Joyce wrote
the following poem, which he called
Rest" and upon its completion made
the request that it be published after
his death:
Be still. my signing soul and throbbing heart:
You know full we'll that you have done your part
In all the battles of this checkered life.
Where truth and manhood led in every strife,
And there In darkest night garish day
You never yet could lie, once betray
trusting friend or noble. daring foe,
But stood the shot in every form of woe.
Your sunset hour of life is drawing near
And as you lived to love and laugh and cheer,
The true and faithful friends you leave behind
Will ever bear your image in their mind
And quote your verses when you pass away
And sing your songs to all the bright and gay,
And thus with hope to reign among the blest
Approach thy glorious grave and go to rest!
John A. Joyce.
Born in Ireland.
John Alexander Joyce was born at
Shraugh, Ireland, July 4, 1872, son of
Michael and Catherine Joyce. He came
to America at an early age and was
reared in Kentucky. He graduated
from the Highland Literary Institute
at Mount Sterling, KY, in 1859, after
which he took up the study of law.
At the outbreak of the civil war he
was the only member of his family to
fight with the northern forces, all of
his male relatives joining the army of
the Confederacy. He joined the gath
II I,f, nd l,,r riy,or fbo