The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-01-19
The Snuff.CoIored Suit.

The Snuff-C0lored Suit.
| scarcely know how it happened, but
timber must have fallen and struck me
on the head.
The first thing that realized after 1t
was that l was straight and still on
something hard, and when / tried to
move myself and speak, i found 1t impos-
| sibe to do so. l concluded that / must
be in some very tight, dark place, for l
could not see; in fact 1 soon learned that,
though perfectly conscious, l could do
nothing but hear. A door opened and
taken from my face, and voice which l
recognized as that of Mr.. Jones-the ia
ther of my wife that was to be-said:
"He hasn't changed much;" and his
| companion, whose voice l knew to be
the village undertaken, Hopkins by name,
remarked lightly:
"Better-looking dead than alive. How
does Jerusha feel about it? Take on
muchW
ooh, no, she had her eye on another
fellow anyhow, and better match, too,
excepting the money part. Though
had nothing against Ben, only he didn't
know much, and was about the homeli-
est man l ever knew. Such mouth !;
why it really seemed as though he was
going to swallow knife, plate, and all,
when he opened it at dinner"
| "Well," said the cheerful voice of Hop
kins, "he'll never open his mouth again !"
and then he proceeded to measure me
for my coffin, for it seemed that l was
dead. l had heard of undertakers who
always whistled joytully when they got
a measure, but l never believed it be-
fore. But that man actually whistled a
subdued dancing-tune while he meas
ured me, and it seemed to me that three
or four icicles were rolling down my
back, to the music OF his whistle.
His duty done, they covered my face
again and left me to my own reflections,
which were not particularly comforting,
although hadloften heard itiremarked,
that meditation was good for the soul,
and this was the best chance had ever
had oftrying it.
| An hour mnst have passed when the
door again opened, and two persons came
whispering along to where lay, and the
voice OF my promised wife fell upon my
ear.
~ dread to look at him, Bob; he was
so mortal homely, alive, he must be
frightful, dead"
II ground my teeth in imagination, as
| l remembered how often she had gone
into raptures, or pretended to, over nv
noble brow, and expressive mouth; ard
how she had often declared that if were
taken away from her she would surely
pine away and die.
One of them raised the cloth, and
knew that they were looking at me. Bob
was her second cousin, and knew that
he was that "other fellow" whom her
father had mentioned.
"SeemS to me you don't feel very bad
hnrr hip 1xyIn n Cllp mo, .,rIy.,I 4.
meditatively.
"W ell, to tell the TRUTH" said my dear
betrothed, 81 don't care very much about
it. If he had lived / should have mar
ried him, because he was rich, and father
wanted me to; but was getting sick of
my bargain, tor knew l should always
be ashamed Of him, he looked so like a
baboon."
"But you loved him." remarked Bob.
"No, l didn't. My affections were
wasted long ago upon one who never re-
turned my love-" andm fast fading idol
sighed heavily.
sThey had covered my face by this
time, and were standing few skeps from
where lay.
"About how long ago, 'Rusha3" asked
Bob.
s"A year, or such a matter" with an
other deep sigh, which ended in tit of
sneezing.
"About the time went away" inter-
rogated the cautious Bob, coughing q
little.
"Well, yes, some'res near" assented
my dear affianced.
Now, Jerusha, you don't mean to in-
sinuate that I"--
81 don't mean to insinuate anything,
Bob Smith," and the angelic sweetness
of her voice was somewhat sharpened.
"Now, see here, 'Rusha, Pve loved you
ever since you were knee nigh to go
pher, but i thought when you came home
that you was sweet on that other chap;
but swan l believe you liked me all the
time.
"Oh, Bob," said my was-to-be, in a
gushing sort of way.
"Mine own Jerushaw remarked Bob.M
Then l heard a subdued rush, accom-
panied by violent lip explosions. l tried
to kick, or crate my teeth, or do some-
thing to relieve my outraged feeling, but
not kick nor CRATE could raise. 1t
was an awful fire to be in, but l had to
stand it, or rather lay it, SO / lay still
and let 'em alone until they got tired of
it, and then they went out, and / was
again left to my own pleasant reflec-
tions.
Night came, and so did lot of young
fell0WS Win tnelr girls, to Sit up with
me-, and they had a jolly time of it, al
though it was against my principles to
enjoy it on SO solemn an occasion.
1t seemed an age until morning, but it
came at last and they went away. l
heard them say that l was to be buried
that day at 2 O'Clock, and l was begin
ming to feel decidedly shaky, when Jeru.
sha and her mother came into the room
and began arranging for the funeral.
"Rusha," said her mother, ''here Is
that snuff.colored suit of poor Ben's; of
course he wilrnever have any more use
for clothes, just put them away. among
your carpet-rags; they'll make splendid
stripe."
Now that particular suit of Clothes
was just the neatest one l ever owned,
arm-noles, collars, Wristbands, buttons,
all just the thing, and my blood boiled to
hear them talk SO coolly of using them
for stripes in a rag-carpet. They kept
on talking as they swept, busted and
cleaned up the room.
'sBob says he will take the Martin farm
to work this year," said Jerusha, cheer
| fully Sand rs soon as we are married we
shall 60 to housekeeping in that little
cottage close TO the road. Now l must
get my carpet done, just as soon as pos.