“Laugh and the world laughs with you;
Weep and you weep alone.
Col. John A. Joyce, poet of Washington
and author of the above lines which have become famous the world over, died yesterday at Providence
Hospital. Funeral services are to be held at 2 o'clock Thursday afternoon in Hines' chapel, 1715 14th street northwest, and interment will be in Oak Hill cemetery, where Col. Joyce had his tombstone erected a number of years ago. About six months ago he had a bust of himself placed on the tombstone, the pedestal of which bears the following inscription, chiseled in the stone at Col. Joyce's instruction:
JOHN A. JOYCE,
Poet, Soldier, Philosopher.
Born July 4, 1842. Died ━━━━
Laugh and the world laughs with you;
Weep and you weep alone.
–Joyce.
Col. Joyce recently exhibited at several places in the city a photograph of himself standing beside his tomb. Alongside of it he hung the following quatrain of his own composition:
Spread golden flowers on my life,
And do so very often;
I'll need them in my daily strife,
But not upon my coffin.
Picturesque Person
Col. Joyce, who was seventy-two years old, was one of the best known personages in Washington. His long white hair, broad-brim felt hat, dark blue frock coat and red bow tie were known to thousands of people. Every one recognized in Col. Joyce a former soldier, for he carried himself erect despite his advanced years.
For half a century he had made Washington his home, and during that time published a dozen or more books, mostly of poems and biographies. His best known verses, called Love and Laughter,
are introduced by the following lines, now known throughout the English-speaking world:
“Laugh and the world laughs with you,
Weep and you weep alone.
The authorship of these lines was at one time disputed by another writer. When Col. Joyce learned of this he invited litigation to decide the question of priority, but the matter was not carried that far.
Col. John A. Joyce.
(a recent photograph)
Some of His Books
Among the books he has published are Checkered Life,
Jewels of Memory,
Peculiar Poems,
Zig Zag,
Complete Poems,
Brickbats and Bouquets,
Oliver Goldsmith,
Edgar Allan Poe,
Beautiful Washington,
Personal Recollections of Shakespeare,
Truth
and Robert Burns.
He left many unpublished manuscripts, from which it is believed collections will be made for publication.
A poem entitled Oak Hill,
written a few days ago in Providence Hospital, is said to have been the last of Col. Joyce's works. Oak Hill is the name of the cemetery in which he had made arrangements for his burial, and the poem was written with prophetic vision of his approaching death, for Col. Joyce had been in poor health for many months.
Published After Death
On April 11 last Col. Joyce wrote the following poem, which he called Rest,
and upon its completion made the request that it be published after his death:
Rest!
Be still, my sighing soul and throbbing heart;
You know full well that you have done your part
In all the battles of this checkered life.
Where truth and manhood led in every strife,
And there in darkest night or garish day
You never yet could lie, or once betray
A trusting friend or noble, daring foe,
But stood the shot in every form of woe.
Your sunset hour of life is drawing near,
And as you lived to love and laugh and cheer,
The true and faithful friends you leave behind
Will ever bear your image in their mind
And quote your verses when you pass away
And sing your songs to all the bright and gay,
And thus with hope to reign among the blest,
Approach thy glorious grave and go to rest!
–John A. Joyce.
Born in Ireland.
John Alexander Joyce was born at Shraugh, Ireland, July 4, 1842, son of Michael and Catherine Joyce. He came to America at an early age and was reared in Kentucky. He graduated from the Highland Literary Institute at Mount Sterling, Ky., in 1859, after which he took up the study of law. At the outbreak of the civil war he was the only member of his family to fight with the northern forces, all of his male relatives joining the army of the Confederacy. He joined the 24th Kentucky Infantry, and rose during the war to the rank of first lieutenant, serving as adjutant.
He was discharged in 1864 on account of wounds received in battle.
After the war he came to Washington, where he was offered a commission in the regular army. This he declined. Later he entered the internal revenue service and was stationed at St. Louis. After a number of years he removed to Washington, where he had since made his home.
During the last two years Col. Joyce had been employed in the Treasury Department, and was still on the rolls at the time of his death.
Joyce Was a Mason.
Col. Joyce was a thirty-second degree Mason. He was a member of Columbia Lodge, No. 3, F. A. A. M., which will have charge of the funeral services. Col. Joyce was made a Master Mason in Columbia Lodge, August 6, 1868; a Royal Arch Mason, in Mount Vernon Royal Arch Chapter, September 23, 1872, but he withdrew February 12, 1883, and he was knighted in Columbia Commandery, No. 2, Knights Templar, December 7, 1872. He was on both the blue lodge and commandery rolls as a member when he died. Among the other organizations of which he was a member were Kit Carson Post, G. A. R.; the Loyal Legion, Society of the Army of the Ohio, Association of Oldest Inhabitants of the District of Columbia, all of which will be represented at the funeral.
Col. Joyce is survived by two daughters, Mrs. William Dunkerley of California. and Miss Libby Joyce of this city.
Controller Williams' Tribute.
The controller of the currency, John Skelton Williams, expressed his regret for the death of Col. Joyce. He said:
“The death of Col. John A. Joyce, familiarly known as the poet of the Treasury, takes from us a picturesque, interesting and lovable character. The colonel combined, in delightful proportions, the soldier and the poet and man of letters.
“He is the author of many books and poems, but probably the best known of all of his poems is that lyric familiar to us all, ‘Laugh and the World Laughs With You.’
This was written by Col. Joyce in January, 1863.
Col. Joyce presented Controller Williams with an autograph copy of these verses. They have been preserved by the controller of the currency.
Left Will in Verse.
Col. Joyce left a will written in verse, according to an announcement made today by James L. Lampton, executor of his estate. The will is to be offered for probate in a few days, Mr. Lampton said.