The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1875-01-15
THE sNUFF-COLORED SUIT

8 O C1mDef must nave 1el1 u sVrucR IN
D on the head.
The first thing that I realized after
s was that I was straight and silly O.
s something hard, and when I triea t
r move myself and speak, I found it. i'm
4 possible to do SO. I concluded that
must be in some very tight dark pace
for I could not see in fact I bool
i learned that, tho perfectly conscious,
could do nothing but hear. A Zoo
! opened and footsteps approached i bu
I felt a cloth taken from my face, oad
voice which I recognized as that of Mr.
Jones, the father of my wife that w5as tt
be-said
"He hasn't changed much" ana hi!
companion, whose voice Iknew to bp the
village undertaken, Hopkins by nhme.
lightly:
"Better looking dead than s.Iive.
How does Jerusha feel about it? Take
on much? ?"
"Oh, no. she had her eye on anStheE
fellow anyhow, and a better MATCH too,
excepting the money part. Though ]
had nothing against Ben. only he ddn't
know much, and was about the homSliest
man I ever knew. Such a mouth : why
it really seemed as though he was Doing
to swallow knife, plate, and all, 5ghen
he opened it at dinner"
"Well," said the cheerful voise of
Hopkins" hel open his mouth
again !" and then he ~prooeededt to taeas-
ure me for my coffin, for it seemeds that
| was dead, or they thought IEwas,
which was all the same to the gseedy
pocket Of the undertaken. / had seard
of undertakers who always whistle2 joy
fully when they got a measure, but I
never believed it before. But thas man
actually Whistled a eubdned da4cing-
tune while he measured me-, ahd it
seemed to me that three or four &icles
were rolling down my back, to the music
of his whistle.
His duty done, they covered MT face
again and left me to my own reflections,
which were not particularly combating,
although { had often heard it remSrked,
that meditation was good for the soul,
and this was the best chance I haS ever
had to try it.
An hour must have passed whea the
door again opened, and two persons
came whispering along to where lay,
and the voice Of my promised wise fell
upon my ear.
81 dread to look at him. Bob; he
was SO mortal homely, alive. he Must be
frightful dead.n
/ ground my teeth in Imagination, as
remembered how often she had gone
into raptures, or pretended to, oyer my
noble brow, and expressive mouth and
how that she often declared thst il !
were taken away from her she would
surely pine away and die.
One OF them raised the cloth. and I
knew they were looking at ms Bob
was her second cousin, and I kew he
was that "other fellow" whom her
father had mentioned.
"seems to me jon don't feel very
bad about his dying, Russia, " remarked
Bob, meditatively.
"Weli, to tell the truth" said my
betrothed, 81 don't care verl much
about it. If he had lived I shouad have
married him, because he was riba, and
father wanted me to : but I waslgettlng
about sick Of my bargain, for knew
7 should always be ashamed Of him, lie
looked SO much like q baboon.
"But you loved him, remarked
Bob.
"No, I didn't Ny affsctiops we're
wasted long ago upon n WHIP never
returned my love = and my fasSs-fading
idol sighed heavily.
They had covered my faceiby this
time, and we're standing a few steps
from where / lay.
about how long ago, Fusha J"
asked Bob.
"a year, Or suoh . mattes," with
another deep Sigh, which end in q fit
of sneezing.
About the tins 7 went awby n in
terrogated tie cautious Bob, Coughing
a little.
well, yes, some're near, z assented
my dear afianced.
Nov, JeruHha, you don't gnean to
inainuate that II
81 don't mean TO inainuate asaythino
Bob Smith = and the angelic sweetness
Of her voice WIS somewhat sharpened.
Nov, SEQ here, Russia, I've loved
you ever since you were knee hfeh to q
gopher, but I thought when yDu came
home that you was sweet on tHat other
chap but | swan 7 believe you liked
me at the time r
"ob, Boil Z aaid my vas-tEbe, in j
gushing sort of way.
Nine own Jerueha r remafked Bob.
Then I heard / subdued russ. accom-
panied bg violent lib ezploIons.
tried 10 kick. or grase my teesth. 1 do
something 10 relieve my outraged feel
ing, bnt not 4 kick nor d CRATE couId Il
raiaa. # VS. a6 awful ire to 50 %. but
I had to stand II, or lar ii, SO giafd sfill
aud lot en- alone until they GIT tired of
and then they went out, a1l I was