The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-01-26
WHY THE ANGELS LAUGHED
Old Ike Enlis htens the Boy n Regard 10 Matters ,ha, arc HIddcn
 and Dark

Thank yer. honey. thank yer. sad African Ike when young Mulki,tie en. tered the cabin and gave the old man an oyster can fall of parched coffee. i" Al. honey. il argys mighty well fur 4 chlle when he daan fufs.. ole age. an he wuf 'cluded in de special invitation O tie Saviors when he said. Suffer li,,le chil. lun ter come anter me YAs. He meant dc kin '-helr.ed chile whu, recollecks de ole men n-de ole nigeef men. honey. Wy. chile, doan yer know dat when yer fetehes me coffee de angel, ilushs l1at da do an ei yer .su< ter fan back A,. ga, de ole nan cup Q sugar de angels would he tiekied n gh;y nigh ter death Oats t. z, on m ford 'mnsemcn, fst de ange.s. honey. ard as the bey Tan away the aid mar con;inued iiAt,vt splain de soriplers ter ehlllun Many 4 man woulder et da, chile stay n de dark on dat pm, but l'se allus willin' ter fling de hsh, . my sperienee on de tanglemen,s o holy wrltin
 The bey soon returned with l eap ef sugar, an3 the oid nan remarked as he placed Il in the " cubbod, Angel, laugh mighty loud II dat, honey. but ci yer hadnter f5tch IL honey. d4f sou!dnter been assh so mash jos mons de winged crec,efs above.
 50 you ,hink l.li go ,o heaven when 1 die, don, you tnele lke?" assed the boy.
 Go dar sho'. la, is. lessen yer does someihin mighty bAi. De La~4 has mighty hkin' arter ole nissers, case da hab prayed mo pra'rs den uddef folks In dis woif de I.awd hab gin d~ whi,e folks money an horses. an nab sIn de ngger hongry s,onick an iros '-bn feet, bu, in de worl ter come honey he will ,in de ole nisger gol' crown an d par O wings.
 Some time ago, Unfle Ike. you told me abou, an elephant tha, could talk
 "Yas. honey, an I, wuz Jes lack ,ole yer. Da, elehn blonsed ter my daddy. an neber MI forglt hln eben ef hbs fer be hunnerd years oie Aldoush lie i had some m yhiy mean pIn's bout ksm. yet wid all he wuz kine hearted. ea rite he4h le, de ole an ,'elam iai samme' de bes' ole men wha, ae hab ebef sEoed would sometimes show a side Q daf na,ur' d.t want in keepin NIL ae ieea what dc g.enerail,y O fasSs had iot'aeG in resatds ter 'en. No man is pafteek. an de passon ~hut yef's go, de mos conferdence in, will sometimes do suthin da, yer hain', hecn CT lookln' f.f. i'se had a mighty hecp Q dealln W,d men, an dough some 0 dem ~uz de pictur O hones'ness. ye; dar aooli ai times be su,hin' 'bou. em da, would show me dat darselves ~uz dc man iiggers in de transaction Life IS filled up wid sich pints. honey. an fore yer si,s ter be a man, yer nill know da, de smile o dis earth ain D no means de olossum 0 gqssness. Stead O habin @RHtcFdEAhc il4 I4+ct iyhfSs hft} Et ID yerset far ar;eF awhile yer riil fne ou, d4; de nan ~ha, h4b disbe'ieabed udders an blebed Aisse't IS de man wha, puts de bes eio'aes on his @.fe @n' ehllun. 4 mar may sske up yer ehiie an kiss t, bat recoi.eck dat he's got d chile al home wha, hc thinks de mos about; RecoIleek desc pan,s, heney. far da may sarve yer arter awhile
 :. Bu; wha, about the talsin elephant. Uncle Ike .''
 Oh, yas. 1 wuz bout ter furgi, dat monstrous eree,ur. As l tole yer. de e!- ehn oour talk lack a gubner, an 90 he could One day me, him in de lot an he says, says re: Ike, doan yer wan,er go long wid me" tole him yas ef he pleased an he tuck me up wid h.s snoa, an sot me on his back. Wall, we went an are vent. 'Gasionally would ax him whar we was g~ine, bu; he would xhissle ar sing an pay TO 'ten,ion ter me. Finally we come ter mighty thick woods. Den he said, 'gi, down, son I go, down an stood side big tree, case didn' ksow ~hut wgz gwine happen. Putty soon my elehn he bio~en his ho T Aa den up come q iot CT eienss. Gan 1emen.' says my eiefn, heah IS boy wha, hab fotch vid me. wsuldn ter