The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-02-28
JIM DOWLER'S RESURRECTION.
a Sketch from Life i'll tho Backwoods.
Elzey Hay in The Southern World.

Elzey Hay in The Southern World.
"Jim Dowler was drowned this morn.
in in Zen Nickoll's mill pond"
So srake rustic equestrian as he tied
his mule to a hickory sapling before the
carpenters door at Johnson's Cross Roads
and drew from his pocket slip of greasy
paper on which were inscribed the di.
mensions of a rude wooden coffin.
"What-how-drownded H exclaimed
q chorus of nasal voices, as the inmates
of the tavern, the store and the black
smith shop turned out en- masse to hear
the news. Even the carpenter forgot the
prospect Of job and stood in his door to
listen.
"Wall, yer see," continued the messen.
ger after little pause, by way of assert.
Ing his importance as first bearer of the
tidings, chin and Bob Simpson, they
went in washin', cause las night, y'all
knows, was a powerful hot one, an Bob
says, he did, that Jim lowed less he could
git cooled off a bit fore breakfast time,
he'd fritter up like keg O. soap grease
on T. fire, an lowed he was sweatin'
hissef like hoss, so they jist stepped
over to Ben Niekoll's pond, an it mought
be about four o'clock in t. mornin', an
he say, he did, they hadn't been in t.
water more'n ten minnits when Jim says,
says he, Bob, I'm took with the cramps
an Bob says, says he: Better swim out
then, as quick as yer KIM an he say
fore t words was we'll outer his mouth,
Jim had done Topped over like dead
duck an gone to t. bottom fore he could
so much as reach hand to him, an he
niver seed him no more tell he was fshed
up, hour afterwards, as dead as door
nail. Tom Brinson an Sam Wilkins,
they holp fur ter fish him out, an DR..
McJunkin, he went down thar d'reckly
arter breakfast, an they all kin tell yer
more bout it n kim"
Bob and Sam, and Tom and the doc.
tor Immediately became the heroes of
the hour. The store-keeper, the tavern
keeper and the blacksmith all shut up
shop and went to hear each Of the eye
witnesses in turn give an account of the
tragedy, and then fastened away, each
to give his own.
The news spread from mouth to mouth
with rapidity that would battle the tele.
graph, and long before 3 o'clock in the
afternoon, the hour appointed for the
funeral, it had reached the remotest cor
ner of the Bears Foot district, and peo-
pie were hurrying from every direction
to assist at the ceremony.
The women were as anxious to see how
Mrs. Dowler would "take it" as the men
were to hear particulars of the drowning.
A crowd of them had pervaded the house
ever since the first news of the disaster
got abroad attracted by the morbid Gu
riosity of the vulgar concerning whatever
is horrible and bloodcurdling, by the lugu-
brious pleasure that old women always
take in funerals, and little, let us hope,
by the kindly sympathy forthe distressed
that lives in every female heart, no mat
ter how humble the garb that covers it.
A sudden or violent death is always q
tempting theme to the rustic 'moralist,
and the fact that Jim Dowler was the
richest man in the settlement, aud dea.
con of Hepzibah church, gave greater
JUNCTION to the sage reflections that his
death called forth. Mrs. Brinson grave
ly declared that the ways of providence
was unaccountable. Miss Kitty Darden
took fresh dip of snuff and said that
she couldn't see why he was took-no
she couldn't! Here the widow broke in
with
II wosh I had went with him. I wosh
I had went with him !" and the atten-
ton of the company was diverted for
awhile till they had calmed her with a
big mop and a double supply of "Mac-
caboy."
"We must all die some day." resumed
Mrs. Tatom, by way of consolation, and
the women all sighed and nodded assent
TO this original proposition.
"But he was took so suddent," moaned
the widow, and relieved her feelings by
discharging volley of snuff upon the
hearth.
ut was all along O. that mill pond" I"
put in Mrs. Pringle, giving fresh turn
to her mop. ''It was tempting Provl-
dence fur him an Bob Simpson to 60 in
there an they KNOWN Sally Cranes lit.
tie boy was drownded thar year ago,
the Friday before the next fust Sunday
but one"
II don't see no good of all this washin'
of hissef, no way" whispered old Mrs.
Perkins to Miss Kitty Darden,
"hit's all nothin' but pride, an the Scrip.
ture says, pride goeth afore fall, an a
drownin's the same thing, fur hits q fall
in the water. 1 hain't gin myself a
washin' these twenty year an more, an
I don't see but I'm jis' as good as them
that has. Hit was pride, sister Darden,
depend upon it, an Providence tux him
ter put down his pride fur trying ter be
cleaner'n other folks"
Mrs. Perkins remarks were cut short
by the announcement that brother Duck
er, the minister, had arrived, and was
ready to conduct the services. After
giving out hymn and spelling his way
Iaboriously through the xivth chapter of
Job, brother Ducker announced that the
funeral sermon of their diseased" brother
would be preached at Hepzibah the next
"Grst Sunday" at the August meetin,
and then proceeded to close the exercises
with en- extemporaneous prayer:
ooh, Lord, how strange air thy ways
and auful air the dealings of thy Provi.
deuce. Thou hast seen ftten to take
away our good brother Dowler from
among US; Thou hast cut him down like
the grass when he was green-no, Lord,
| didn't mean cut him down, but drown
ded him like blind puppy. Thou hast
tooken him away-a good man. a useful
man, deacon in the church, and the
best prayin' member we had, while ole
Billy Taylor over yonder, that's always
drunk, and no good to himself nor any
body else, and never gi7e dollar to the
church in his life, he's left; yes, he's
left-a, and brother Dowler gone-a."
Here the women all blew their noses
violently, while Billy Taylor himself was
so overcome by the preachers eloquence
that he stuffed both fists in his eyes to
restrain his tears. Brother Ducker gave
q little snort th at wac meant fnr q sob