Smyrna times., 1878-02-06

I iNNAthS bllStb one more o
the DID, loving servants, bound by th,
strong ties of lifetime, had passed away
and knowing that such vacancies could
never be filled again.
The funeral was very simple. A few
prayers, the clod of earth thrown by the
hand OF every friend, from the old mistress
TO the smallest ragged urchin who could
sqeeze himself near the grave, and poor old
Aunt Betsey was left in peace; not, as with
US, until the Great Awakening, but until
the funeral sermon.
Any one would,know by the looks of the
highway that something wonderful was
going TO take place to-day. There is an
unbroken cloud Of dust, which, as it is
raised by pedestrians and tumbled.down
old buggies, seems to have settled over the
land like groundfog. Gentlemen of
color, in shining black suits and an occa.
sional rusty beaver, are escorting long
trains of gayly-dressed bellies, in beautifully
blended costumes Of the past ten years. and
all are vending their way to the little
village church, to hear Aunt Betsev's
funeral sermon. 1t is many months since
the Old woman's death but little time is
needed to determine the exact situation of
the departed soul, and strict etiquette
usually demands that year shall pass be-
lore ITS irrevocable doom can be officially
announced. The prayers are over: the
hymns are sung; and a venerable colored
clergyman comes forward to the reading
desk. "We will open dose solemn services
by reading dis paper, which certifes de
membership to dis congregation of Sister
Betsey Henderson, our deceased sister
who's deceased and gone. I'm not gwine
TO weary your patience myself, cause
wants to glib desc odder breddren. who
come from afar, chance to speak. But
VIII take text from Revelation. WHARF
God says: Don't write down all saws; !;
but take down for de comfort of de people.
Blessed is de dead what dies in de Lord
Now, breddren, l wants to tell YOU about
Sister Betsey Henderson's latter end. She
seed Death a-coming, and she said: Death
is coming widout his terrors.' And she
said: Come on, Death! I'se all ready for
you I'm a-gwine home to glory
But Death, he didn't come right on
lie come fust on one side, and den on de
odder. lie tuck a step forward, and den
he tuck step back. lie went fust a#s de
right, and den he went to de left. Was
Sister Betsey Henderson afeared to die?
No! She know'd she was out O. gun.shot
OF de Devil She's gone up to argue wild
de Farder, chatter wild de Son. and tall,
about de old world she's Just come from.
Now, friends, tell you what Use got TO do.
Use got to 60 up to IIebben and cit Sister
Betsey Henderson and fetch her down to
feast wild us awhile, and .jine desc services.
and den, when it's over, Use got to take
her up agin afore de roll.call: and den Use
got to get down agin; and it's a mighty
hard ting to do, breddring. Oh! bred
dring, / seed Sister Betsey Henderson a
lying on her death.bed, and she sent r,r
her breddring and her sisters; and she said
when dey come a-crowdn' round: Good.
bye, breddringl Goodbye, sisters Use
gwine to glory And the fust thing ESQ
gwine to do is to jump right on Jesus's
shoulders J She looked right through de
telescope into glory. Wasn't you sorry
when Sister Betsey Henderson left Won
Am you glad she's gone to glory? Don't |
you want to 60 too? And seed the chariot
a'comin', and she says: 'Dpre's de chariot
a-comin' fur me- But she didn't die
MOI Christians don't die. They lust slide |
off! And l seed her a.gettin' into de |
chariot. And Elijy, he start it off. and |
dey come to de gates o. ole He'll And she |
says: go on, Eljyl Goodbye, ole Hellr'
And she says: Il got through ticketr
And dey come to the river dat is called de
Jordan stream; and her feet did ring like
charming bells. And l seed her wild n
golden key in her hand, and dat is de kew
that unlocks de Son, and de Son ualocks
te Farder, and de Farder unlocks do
Kingdom o. Glory And it's de kew o.
FAITH and she has it in her hand, and she's
Ell one behind fur you. And when she
'ees de Jordan, she says: HALL CAPTAIN
I'm a'comin'.' And she got to the gates oh
Hebben, and she pulled out her ticket. and
howed it to dem. And de gates was wide
'pin, and she says What is dis placeP'
And dey says: 1t is Hebbon.' And she
ays: Mary, play de harp" And Mary.
he tuned de harp. And Sister Betsey, she
ays: No. dat ain't de right tunc.' And
he says to anuddes agin: Play de harp.'
Ind Mary tuned de harp agin. And Aunt
3etsey, she says: Dat amt de right tune.
leider.' And she says: wants harp
Ind dey put harp in her mouth, and she
'layed and sang Halleluah Halleluiah y
sand seed her a.sittin' on little cloud
nd de cloud went a-bobbin' up and down.
Ind she's got little gold crown on her
Iead; and she's got two little wings a.
appin' behind. And she come from de
asst and from de west. And she saws
Husband, don't weep fur me. Use whar
lie Abram is, and / sees Isaac, and sees
acob, and all de patriarchs in de King.