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will teach you my townspeoplehow to perform a funeral--for you have it over a troopof artists--unless one should scour the world--you have the ground sense necessary. See! the hearse leads.I begin with a design for a hearse.For Christ’s sake not black--nor white either-- and not polished!Let it be weathered-- like a farm wagon--with gilt wheels (this could beapplied fresh at small expense)or no wheels at all:a rough dray to drag over the ground. Knock the glass out!My God--glass, my townspeople!For what purpose? Is it for the deadto look out or for us to seehow well he is housed or to seethe flowers or the lack of them--or what?To keep the rain and snow from him?He will have a heavier rain soon:pebbles and dirt and what not.Let there be no glass--and no upholstery phew!and no little brass rollersand small easy wheels on the bottom--my townspeople what are you thinking of? A rough plain hearse thenwith gilt wheels and no top at all.On this the coffin liesby its own weight. No wreathes please--especially no hot house flowers.Some common memento is better,something he prized and is known by:his old clothes-- a few books perhaps--God knows what! You realizehow we are about these thingsmy townspeople--something will be found-- anythingeven flowers if he had come to that.
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