Year: 1870

Remiuiscencr of the Back se,,ie me .ts


"Now that corpse said the undertaken pat
ting the folded hands OF deceased approvinglyl


was a brick-every way you took him he was
a brick.-He was so real accommodating, and
so modest-llke and simple in his last mo-
nothing else would do. I couldn't get it
There warn't going to be timA-anybody
could see that. Corpse said never mind, shake
him up some kind of box he could stretch
out in comfortable, he warnt particular bout
the general style OF it. Said he went more on
room than style, any way, in last final con-
taner. Friends wanted silver dc T-plate on
the coffin, signityipg who he was, and where
he Was from. Now you know fellow could
not roust out such eaily thing as that in
little country town like this. What did corpse
say? Corpse said, whitewash his old canoe,
and dob his address and general destination
onto it with backing brush and stencil
plate. long with verse from some likely hymn
or other, and pint him for the tomb, and mark
him q. o. d., and just let him skip along
He warn't distressed any more than you be
on The contrary just as earn and collected as
hearse-horse; said he judged that whe,' he
was going to, body would find it consdera-
bic better to attract attention by a pictures
que moral character than a natty burial case
with swell dOOr-plaie on it. Splendid man,
he was. Id Gruther do for a corpse like
that'n any Pve tackled in seven year. There's
some satisfaction in buryin' a man like that


You feel that what you're doing is apprecia-
ted Lord bless you, so he's cot planted be-
fore he spilled, he was satisfied: said his
relations mean well, perfectly well, but all
them preparations was bound to delay the
thing more or less, and he didn't wish to be
kept layin' around. You never see such
clear head as what he had-and so earn aud
so cool. Just hunk OF brains-that IS what
he was. Perfectly awful, 1t was a ripping
distance from one end OF that mans head to
tOther. Often and over again he's had brain


fever a-raging in one place, and the rest oil the
pile didn't know anything about it-didnt al
feet it any more than an Iniun insurrection
in Arizona affects the Atlantic States. Well,
the relations they wanted a big funeral, but
corpse said he was down on fummery-diln't


want any processlon-fil the hearse tuil of
mourners, and get out stern line and tow
him behind. He ,oGs the most down on style
OF any remains / ever struck. A beautiful,
supplemented creature was what be


was, you can depend on that. He was just on


having things the way he wanted them, and


he took solid comfort in laying his little


plans. He had me measure HIM and take a


whole raft Of directions; then he had the


minister stand up behind a long box with a


table-cloth over it ald read his funeral SER


mon, saying 'Angcore, angcorep at the good


places, and making him scratch out every bit


of brao about him, and all the hifalutn and


then be made them tiot out the choir SOS he
could help them pick out the tunes for the oc-


casiOn, and he col them to sing Pop goes the


Weasel because he'd always liked that tune


when he was down-hearted, and solemn mu-
sic made him sad; and when they sung that


with tears in their eyes because they all lov


ed him), and his relations grevins around,


he just laid there as happy as bug, and t,y-


ing to beat time and showing all over how


much he enjoyed it; and presently he GOT


worked up and excited, and tried to join 10,


for mind you he was pretty proud of his abi
tiles in the singing line; but the first time he
opened his mouth and was just going to
spread himself, his breath took a walk. l
never see man snuffed out so sudden. All
it was great lOss-lt was a powerful loss to
this poor little one horse town. Well, well.
well, hain't got time to be paavering along
here-got to nail on the lid and mosev
along with him !; and If you'll just give me a
lift Wen skeet him into the hearse and mean
der along. Relations bound to have it So
pon't pay no attention to dying injunctions,


mint corpses gone; but If bad my wa,
if didn't respect his last wishes and tow
him behind the hearse, Ill be cuss'd. l con-
slider that whatever corpse wants done for


his aomfort is little enough matter, and a
| man hasn't flot no right to deceive him or
take an advantage OF him-and whatever a


corpse trusts ne TO do Pm going to do, you
know, even tits to stuff him and paint him
vol llnpo md hirsnf f.Nra Eo.p h 1ao,
M. -


He cracked his whip and went numbering


away with his ancient ruin of a hearse, and l
continued my walk with valuable lesson
learned that healthy and wholesome
cheerlulness is not necessarily impossible to
any occupation. The lesson is likely to be


lasting, to- it will take many months to oblt-
crate the memory OF the remarks and crcum-
stances that impressed it.-Eark T,vain.