The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-02-28
JIM DOWLER's RESURRECTION.
a sketch from Lilo in the paehwood..
E=ey Hay in The Southern World.

III, IN Ben Nickoll's mill pond"
SO spake rustic equestrian as he tiet
his mule to a hickory sapling before Tho
carpenter'sdoor at Johnson's Cross Roads
and drew from his pocket q slip of greasy
paper on which were inscribed the di.
mensions of rude wooden coffin.
"What-how-drownded I" exclaimed
chorus Of nasal voices, as the inmates
OF the tavern, the store and the black.
smith shop turned out en- mdsse TO hear
the news. Even the carpenter forgot the
prospect Of a job and stood in his door Ia
listen.
"Wall, yer see," continued the messen,
ger after little pause, by way of assert.
ing his importance as first bearer of the
:idings, "him and Bob Simpson, ,hey
went in washin', cause las night, y'ail
knows, was powerful hot one, an Bob
says, he did, that Jim lowed less he could
git cooled off bit fore breakfast time,
he'd fritter up like keg O. soap grease
on Z fire, an lowed he was q swea,in'
hissef like q hoss, 80 they jist stepped
over to Ben Nickoll's pond, an it mourht
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, Pm took with the cramps
an Bob says, says he: Better swim out
then, as quick as yer kim an he say
fore Z words was well outer his mouth.
Jim had done Topped over like dead
duck an gone to q bottom fore he could
so much MS reach hand to him, ar he
nlver seed him no more tell he was fished
up, hour afterwards, as dead as door
nail. Tom Brinson an Sam wilkins,
they holp fur tor fish him out, an Dr.
McJunkiD, he went down thar d'reckly
arter breakfast, an they all kin tell yer
moro bout it N l kim"
Bob and Sam, and Tom and the doc.
tor Immediately became the heroes of
the hour. The ore.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 hastened away, each
to give his own.
The news spread from mouth to mouth
with q rapidity that would battle the tele-
graph, and long before 8 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
10 assist at the ceremony.
The women were as anxious to zee how
Mrs. powler 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 tmoralist,
and the fact that Jim Dowler was the
richest man in the settlement, and dea.
con of Hepzibah church, gave greater
JUNCTION to the sage reflections that his
death called forth. Mrs. Briuson grave.
ly declared that the ways of providence
was nnacconasable. 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 had went with him. wosh
had went with him |" and the atten.
tion of the company was diverted for
awhile till they had calmed her with q
big mop and d double supply of "Mac.
caboy."
"We must all die some day." resumed
Mrs. Tatom, by way ef consolation, and
the women all sighed and nodded assent
to this original proposition.
But he was took 30 suddent," moaned
the widow, and relieved her feelings by
discharging a volley Of snuff upon the
hearth.
at was all along O. that mill pond"
put in Mrs. Pringle, giving fresh turn
to her mop. ut was a tempting Provi.
dence fur him an Bob Simpson to 20 in
there an they knowin' Sally Cranes IT,
lie beg gSs droHndei thar year ago,
the Friday before the next iust Sunday
but one." 2Yuj
II don's see no good of all this washin'
OF hissef, no way" whispered cd Mrs.
Perkins to Miss Kitty Darden,
"hirs oil nothin' but pride, an the Scrip.
ture says. pride goeth asore fall an q
drownin's the same thing, fur hits fall
in the water. I hain't gin myself a
washin' these twenty year an more, an
don't see but I'm jis' rs good an them
that hhs. Tit 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 Perkin's remarks were cut ahost
by the announcement that brother Duck.
or, the minister, had arrived, and was
ready to conduct the services. After
giving out hymn and spelling his way
laboriously through the xivth chapter Of
Job, brother Ducker announced that the
funeral sermon Of their diseased" brother
would be preached at Hepzibah the next
"frst Sunday" at the August meetin,'
and then proceeded to close the exercises
Win an extemPoraneous prayer:
"Oh, Lord, how strange air thy ways
and auful air the dealings of thy Provi.
dence. Thar hes. =sea as.sa so take
away our good brother Dowler from
among us; Thou hast cut him down like
the grass when he was green-no, Lord,
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, snG no good to himself nor any.
body else, and never give dollar to the
church In his life, he's left; yes, he's
ieft-s, and brother Dowler gone-a."
HeTe tho women Mi blew their noses
violently, while Billy Taylor himself was
30 overcome by the preachers eloquence
that he stuffed both fists in his eyes to
restrain his tears. Brother Ducker gave
q little snort that was meant for sob
and then went on with his prayer.
"And, oh, Lord, there air the widder
and the fathegless children. Sister Dow.
ier's always been a good woman--good