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STAGE MANAGER: There's Joe Stoddard, our undertaker, supervising a new-made grave. And here comes a Grover's Corners boy, that left town to go out West.
Good afternoon, Joe Stoddard.
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JOE STODDARD: Good afternoon, good afternoon. Let me see now: do I know you?
I'm Sam Craig.
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JOE STODDARD: Gracious sakes' alive! Of all people! I should'a knowed you'd be back for the funeral. You've been away a long time, Sam.
Yes, I've been away over twelve years. I'm in business out in Buffalo now, Joe. But I was in the East when I got news of my cousin's death, so I thought I'd combine things a little and come and see the old home. You look well.
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JOE STODDARD: Yes, yes, can't complain. Very sad, our journey today, Samuel.
Yes.
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JOE STODDARD: Yes, yes. I always say I hate to supervise when a young person is taken.
[turn, glancing at gravestones, cross to Farmer McCarly.]
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JOE STODDARD: They'll be here in a few minutes now. I had to come here early today - my son's supervisin' at the home.
[reading] Old Farmer McCarty, I used to do chores for him - after school. He had the lumbago.
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JOE STODDARD: Yes, we brought Farmer McCarty here a number of years ago now.
[Staring at Mrs. Gibbs' knees] Why, this is my Aunt Julia... I'd forgotten that she'd... of course, of course.
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SIMON STIMSON: I'm always uncomfortable when they're around.
MRS. GIBBS: Simon.
Do they choose their own verses much, Joe?
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JOE STODDARD: No... not usual. Mostly the bereaved pick a verse.
Doesn't sound like Aunt Julia. There aren't many of those Hersey sisters left now. Let me see: where are... I wanted to look at my father's and mother's... [eyes fall on Stimson's stone]
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JOE STODDARD: Over there with the Craigs... Avenue F.
[Reading Simon Stimson's epitaph] He was organist at church, wasn't he? - Hm, drank a lot, we used to say.
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JOE STODDARD: Nobody was supposed to know about it. He'd seen a peck of trouble. ( Behind his hand.) Took his own life, y' know?
Oh, did he?
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JOE STODDARD: Hung himself in the attic. They tried to hush it up, but of course it got around. He chose his own epy-taph. You can see it there. It ain't a verse exactly.
SAM CRAIG: Why, it's just some notes of music - what is it?
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JOE STODDARD: Oh, I wouldn't know. It was wrote up in the Boston papers at the time.
Joe, what did she die of?
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SAM CRAIG: Joe, what did she die of?
JOE STODDARD: Who?
My cousin.
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JOE STODDARD: Oh, didn't you know? Had trouble bringing a baby into the world. 'Twas her second, though. There's a little boy 'bout four years old.
(Opening his umbrella) The grave's going to be over there?
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