Another story of drunkenness. This one takes place at the memorial service of a prominent man whose gambling and drinking irked his wife. She makes a point of banning alcohol and playing cards in her house. The guests however, have smuggled in some vodka and spend a great deal of time tippling in the coatroom.
As the men grow inebriated, they become emotional; the widow, not knowing that it’s the alcohol that’s doing the blubbering, is gratified that her late husband is remembered so fondly–and that a teetotaling gathering can be every bit as successful as a drunken one.
There’s not much more to it than that – although this one at least has a slightly humorous, ironic edge.
READ THIS? READ THAT!
Another humorous (for its day) story set at a memorial service is “The Orator,” in which a young man known for his silver tongue is drafted to give the eulogy for a man who he didn’t know very well.
A Chekhov Circus 