New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-11-15
WHAT JEDD PALLFRY FOUND IN
TIE COFFIN.
GY :. =. ALDRICIi.

Old .jedd Pallfry eErned down the gas
little, glanced nervOusly at a sOmbre row OF
new collins on each side OF him, locked the
chop door and stood ia the street.
1t was Christmas eve, and the snowfakes
like tinny white birds from Paradise, were
lighting on the chimney tops and in the
long streets Of the city
Every night at that came hour, eigh.
o'clock. for ten years, the undertaken had
turned down the gas locked the door, and
placed the same key under the same mat
and stood in the same position for a mo-
ment by the window before turning into a
narrow zig-zag street which, to him, ended
At his supper table.
But this time he was not going home.
The antique Mr.. Hans Spuyten Duyvel.
whose death his amiable r. latives had been
iNpatiently awaiting for the last quarter of
century, had died that day, and old Jedd
had been sent Tor to put the habiliments of
She grave on MIR. Spuyten Duyvels body,
and two bright half dollars on his eyes, the
which small change was atterward trans
ferred to the pocket Of the ancient under
faker.
Now old Pallfry had made collins ever
since his youth. and Tor thirty years really
had more intimacy with the dead than
dealings with the living. There was moth.
ing IN the whole world SO beautiful to him
rs a corfin-unless it was an order for one.
He had worked at his trade at all hours of
the night: he had made little collins, and
fat ones, and slim ones; and by the CHASTITY
chickering's of a lamp at midnight, he had
laid the cold, white dead in the vanished
boxes without feeling one throb of SYM
patty in that old ilOn-bound heart of his.
But that Christmas eve he shuddered as
no turned down the gas. and the long
wooden tenemenIs, with their covers of.
seemed like many satin-ined gateways
leading to perdtion He felt as if thou
sand strong currents OF air were blowing
him towards them He could hardly keep
from stepping into one and it required all
his strength to reach the door and lock 1t.
.Jedd drew a long breath.
lite always so-every Christmas eve; she
does il ~
As old Jedd Pallfry muttered this be-
tween his thin. bloodless lips, he fiattened
and whitened his nose en- the window glass;
and looked into the gloomy shop Suspicious
~. He saw nothing at first but the accus
,omed number of collins, and the velvet
pail folded on the counter. and those two
slim, black stools which we have all seen
in our homes, God pity us. But, as he
looked. his dim. almond shaped eyes grew
suddenly 10 orbs. A strip OF the flooring
had commenced swelling, and bullying, a nd
Wrapping! Little by little it grew into the
shape of mound: tiny emerald spears of
grass shot out OF i in every directions; then
il was dotted al! over with yellOw-eyed
daisies, and rose bush. with single
white bud. sprung up from the centre
,Jedd Pallfry's sight became so acute that
he could see the perfume of the rose floating
M in beautiful. soft folds like tho fumes
from a censor!
,Jedl rubbed his eyes. "a we'll he might.
When he looked again he saw the shadow,
then the skeleton OF q tree: then this took
miraculous form, and willow tralled ats
green lengths over the mound. And he saw
the NOTED sunshine falling upon the place.
and heard che yObns sinsing-singing IN his
shop
Jeda looked and looked: but when the
pras. and ;he daisies grew .remulous as in
q sudden wind. and the grave began TO
open, .,edd could look no longer: and he
shut ont the strange sight by placing two
Aank, tony hands over his eyes.
merry Christmas. siy..' said hesitating
voice az hi. side.
Jedd started.
MERRY Christmas. si.:' repeated the
voice, d,lefully. =,
And then .y.id turned his eyes on the
speaker. 1t was very shabbily dressed
lad. He had on felt hat of no color what.
ever. a roustabout Jacket and pair OF
white duck trousers, much too we'll VENT.
Jared for the season. His physique was as
delicate as girls: ard if it had not been so
dark, Jedd could have seen a face in which
there was strange mixture of the Madonna
and the deviI-the expression OF boyhood
and sad experience written
all over it.
But the snow was falling heavily. and he
only saw very little fellow surmounted by
a very shocking hat.
"If you please, sir,'' said the boy plead
inglv.
"Humph!' ..
And Jedd was about to bid him 90 his