A woman having died suddenly at Waterford, the Coroner had, according to law, ordered an inquest. Here is the deposition of the police constable; I extract it from my newspaper (May 8th, 1887):
"When I entered the house last night, I found all the family in the room where the coffin was. They were all drunk. The deceased had been raised to a sitting posture in the coffin, and, by means of cords attached to her hands and feet, was being made to execute all kinds of marionette performances. It was like a Punch and Judy show, at which the corpse played the part of Punch. One of the sons was seated near the coffin playing a concertina. When they saw me enter, the young men quarrelled over the body, and danced around madly to the sound of the instrument. I had the greatest difficulty to get possession of the corpse for the inquest."
One would think one was reading a description of some scene of life in an out-of-the-way island of Oceania, instead of the sister-isle of civilised England.
One more anecdote to show that Donald views the approach of dissolution in his neighbour, without alarm.
An old Scotchman, feeling death at hand, had bidden all his family to his bedside.
"I have sent for you," he said to them, "in order to give you my last commands. I leave my house and all that belongs to it to my son Donald, as well as all my cattle."
"Puir old father, he keeps his faculties to the last," said Donald to his neighbour.
"As for my personal property, I desire that it may be divided equally between...."
Here the old man's voice failed. He made a last effort to speak. His children bent down to catch his words.