She soon was and I watched her pull up a chair at his open casket, and take his cold, lifeless hand in hers.  She was calm, and talked and talked to her beloved Elmer.  She talked to him as if they were just talking at the kitchen table in the morning.  She told him about the cards and letters from friends, about how she missed him, how I was staying with her, how we had had his favorite breakfast several days ago.  He didn’t answer her, but she just kept talking anyway.

     Elmer was dressed handsomely.  The suit looked just right for him.  I watched Emmy talk to him and knew this was her way of coping with her sudden and unexpected tragedy.

     As I made my way to the back of the room to get a copy of the funeral prog...

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