the last farewell was affecting in the extreme. from the belfries far and near the funereal deathbell tolled unceasingly while all around the gloomy precincts rolled the ominous warning of a hundred muffled drums punctuated by the hollow booming of pieces of ordnance. the deafening claps of thunder and the dazzling flashes of lightning which lit up the ghastly scene testified that the artillery of heaven had lent its supernatural pomp to the already gruesome spectacle. a torrential rain poured down from the floodgates of the angry heavens upon the bared heads of the assembled multitude which numbered at the lowest computation five hundred thousand persons. a posse of dublin metropolitan police superintended by the chief commissioner in person maintained order in the vast throng for whom the york street brass and reed band whiled away the intervening time by admirably rendering on their black draped instruments the matchless melody endeared to us from the cradle by speranza's plaintive muse. special quick excursion trains and upholstered charabancs had been provided for the comfort of our country cousins of whom there were large contingents. considerable amusement was caused by the favourite dublin streetsingers l-n-h-n and m-ll-g-n who sang the night before larry was stretched in their usual mirth-provoking fashion. our two inimitable drolls did a roaring trade with their broadsheets among lovers of the comedy element and nobody who has a corner in his heart for real irish fun without vulgarity will grudge them their hardearned pennies.
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