…I must tell you a nice dream I had in the night after the funeral.2 I was in some public place and read a notice there:

You are asked to close the eyes.

I recognized the place at once as the barber's to which I go every day. On the day of the funeral I was kept waiting there and therefore reached the house of mourning rather late. At that time my family were displeased with me because I had arranged for the funeral to be quiet and simple, which they later agreed was quite right. They also took my being late in somewhat bad part. The sentence on the notice-board has a double sense, and means in both of them: ‘one should do one's duty to the dead.’ (An apology, as though I had not done it and my conduct needed overlooking, and the duty taken literally.) Thus the dream is an outlet for the inclination to self-reproach3 which is regularly present among the survivors.