Evening star., 1944-03-11
By the Associated Press

PADUCAH, KY, Mar. 11.-Las
December Irwin S. Cobb sent Edwin
j. Paxton, sr., editor and publisher
of the Paducah Sun-Democrat, anc
Fred G. Neuman, his biographer, 8
letter in sealed envelope marked
mot to be opened until my DEATH"
Learning of Mr.. Cobb's death ir
New York yesterday, Messrs. Pax
ton and Neuman opened the en-
velope. 1t contained letter saying
ITO whom it may concern:
I'm death I desire that no one
shall look upon my face and once
more I charge my family, as al
ready and repeatedly I have done
that they shall put on none of the
bogus habiliments of so-callec
mourning. Folds of black crepe
never ministered to the memory
Of the departed; they only mad.
the wearers unhappy and self
conscious.
Il ask that my body be wrapped
IN a plain sheet or cloth and placed
in a inexpensive container and i'm
mediately without any
special formality or ceremony. II
anybody tries to insert me into one
of those dismal numbers run up by
the undertaker's dressmaking de-
partment, I'll come back and ha-nt
'em. Nor do I crave to make my
mortal exit in tail coat with white
tie and artificial Stllds
I'll be done with after dinner
speaking forever, SO why dispatch
me hence in the regalia of the
craft? When a man died with his
sins, let the sins die with the man
That's what I say and it sums up
such speculations as I might ever
have had touching on the future
state, If any. For me a suitable
epitaph would be: Anyhow. He
left here But never mind that
1t might offend some of the pious
and I'd hate to go on giving offense
after I've quit living.
When convenience suits, I ask
- that the plain canister - nothing
fancy there, please-containing my
ashes shall be taken to Paducah
and that at the proper planting
season a hole shall be dug in our
family lot or elsewhere at Oak
Grove and dogwood tree planted
there and the ashes strewn in the
hole to fertilize the tree roots
Should the tree live that will be
monument enough for me.
But should my surviving rela-
tives desire to mark the spot further
make so bold as TO suggest that
they use either slab of plair
Kentucky limestone set fat in the
kindly earth, or a rugged natural
boulder of Southern granite bear
ing a small bronze plate with my
name on it and, If it seems peril
nent, the year of my birth and the
year Of my death, which appears
to be the custom, although I coulo
never understand why gravestone
should carry mention of the only
two events in the career Of the de-
ceased with which he had absolutely
nothing TO do-unless ne committed
suicide.
Lines From Stevenson.
Also on the bronze tablet o.
the stone slab, as the case may be
and provided it doesn't cost toC
much, I'd like to have inscribed
certain lines from the epitapl
which Robert Louis Stevenson
wrote for himself, to wit, as follows
These be the lines you 'grav'
for me;
Here lie where I long to be.
Home is the hunter, home from
the hill,
And the sailor home from the sea
I'm quoting from memory.
I'm wrong will somebody kindl,
correct me?
Or, If simpler single line bear
ing the same imprint seems fdeSir
able, I offer this one as suitable:
l have come back home.
And, thank you, no flowers. Doe
anybody feel moved to send flow
ers, I'd prefer that they give tn
money they'd spend there to som
local n-denominational charity
Cover the spot with lesves-Christ
mas berries from the flatlands an
cedar from the friendly low Nc
Cracken County ridges if it be win
ter, and leafy boughS from nativ
hickories or hackberries or crab
apples, if it be in other seasons.
Wants No Show of Grief.
above ALL want no long face
and no show Of grief at the buryin
ground. Kindly observe the fms
wishes OF the undersigned and vol
reading the so-called Christia