in, above which deals,
supported on trestles, and covered by white sheets, bore candles, plates
of cut tobacco, pipes, and whiskey. Although but little of the night
remained after the coroner had performed his duties, yet so quickly did
the news of the accident spread that hundreds of the neighbors came in
before morning 'to the wake of poor Matthew! God rest his sowl.'

"The following evening, an unusually large procession followed the
remains to their last resting-place. Nothing could have been more
heart-broken than the bearing of the widow. Tears, sobs, and cries
proclaimed her anguish incessantly, notwithstanding the attempts of
friends to assuage her sorrow.

"As they drew near the graveyard, one Lanty Casey, an old flame of
Katty's, tried to comfort her in his rough way.

"'Katty, _avourneen_, don't cry so, _avillish_. There's may be happiness
for you yet, and there's them left that will love ye as well as him
that's gone--if they'd be let.'

"Lanty was a noted lad at fair and pattern, but he got a box on the ear
that made his head ring until the body was safely deposited in the
grave.

"'Who are ye that talks love to a broken-hearted woman at the very
grave? O, Matthew, Matthew, that I should live to see this day! _Ochone,
ochone!_ are you dead? are you dead?'

"On her way home to her solitary hearth, Katty saw ahead of her the
hapless Lanty, and hastened to overtake him.

"'Lanty, _avick_," said she, sweetly, 'what were you saying there
beyant, a while agone?'

"'What I'm not likely to say again. I'm not fond of such ansthers as ye
gev me; an' if ye don't know when you're well off--'

"'There, there, Lanty, dear; I'm sorry for that same, but what wud the
people say, an' my husband not berrid? But I mustn't be seen talkin'
more wid you. I'll be alone to-night when the _gossoon_ is asleep, and
ye can dhrap in, and tell me what ye like, av ye plaze.'

"At about ten o'clock that night, the Rev. Patrick Mulcahy, while
talking over the funeral, and the sad events which had led to it, was
asked for by the young lad, Katty's brother.

"'Well, Andy, lad, what's wanting now? Is your sister feeling better,
_avick_?'

"'Yes, sir; and she sint me, your riverence, to see wud ye come down and
marry her to Lanty Casey the night.'

"'Are your wits gone _ashaughran_, ye _gomeral_? Or is Katty run mad
altogether?'

"'It's just as I say, your riverence; and she says she'll pay you a
pound English for that same.'