The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-01-19
THE OLD METAPHYSIcIAN.
African Ike Tells a Narrowing Story of
 an Awful Experience.


 During a symposium of the soul, pre- pared by several preachers and sanc,i- fled old woman, with blue blister on her lip. young Mulkittle stole away from home and went over to African Ike's cabin. He heard the old man groaning, and when he showed open the door and entered without ceremony, he found Ike sitting in his rude armchair, with one leg lying on the top of cracker box.
 What's the matter, Uncle Ike?
 Rheumatiz agin, honey, down aid de rackin' desease Look out. doan tetch da, laig, "cringing in that fear man always feels when some one makes motion toward an afflicted part ot the body. :" prowlin' roun' in de rain was de cause. honey. Doan see why man ain got sense huff ter come in outen de rain. but he ain't."
 The house is full of preachers. and come over to get you to tell me story"
 Kain' do il ter night, chile. Better go back an lissen ter de gospel. Ef dis rain hadenter come up, ur-
 You mean if it hadn't come down. don't you, Uncle lke?"
 Dat does, honey. Bless de chile, he's CT smart CT CT briar. Vas. ef dis rain hadenter come down, l'der been in mighty fine trim now. but e i, is, fse powerful porely. knowd it was gwine rain long fore de clouds come up"
 "How did you know it?"
 "Caus dat ole man whut libed ober on de udder street wuz buried yestedy."
 How did that make il rainr'
 wy, doan yer know dat it allus rains when a ole man is buried: Oh, yas an when chile is buried de sun shines, an when scoldin' ole oman IS buried dars gwine ter be snow
 |" If she dies m the summer time there won't bs snow, will there?'
 "but she ain, gwine die den. How sumeber, yer mus'n be so 'quizltive. Yer mus le, natur' hab her couse. an not question de plans, nur fling doubts an questions in de face O de sarcum- stances. las. Ies' az sho' az yer's bon, it allus rains immegi,ly arter a ole man IS buried, an anuder pint bout dis mighty high time One time when wuz mucher O man den is now, had a awful 'sperience in dis line, an da,'s whut burns de lacks inter my recollec- ton wid sich hot iron. A ole man had thes been buried in de neigborhood, an : at night, while was gwine ter con shuckin', de rain cotch me. l, got SO powerful dark dat couldn't see my han atore me, an l wodlder turned back ef I'der knowd whicher way ter turn Bimeby, while l wuz s,umblin' roun', | seed light movin' long. Somebody wid a lanturn gwine ter dc shuckin',' sr, an fcelin' much sbleeged ter him fur his kineness, 'cluded ter foller de gener- man. 1 walked fas' an almos' co,ch up wid de light, but when axed de gena- man ter hole on, he wouldn' pay no ten ton ter me. Putty soon run inter a brar patch, an arter gittin' outer dis 'tanglemen;, fell ober log an wuz den grabbed by tho'n bush. tugged an pulled, bu, couldn't get CT loose. Bimeby, thought O whu, my ole gran daddy larned me, an takin' of my hat, sung in low voice:
 :Oh, Mister Tho'n. tnes turn me loose An Il gin yer a turkey ar gin yer a goose owns up heah dat I'se ia yer possr,
 Yer could hole me by de mint yer could hole
 me by de hour,
 An now, sah, please take yer hooks oa,-u me An hope yer Il grow ter a mighty big tree. :
 < Den de bush turned me loose. All dis time de light waited fur me. an pushed on tHin ter kesch up wid it. I elm de fence an went ober inter de woods. De light stopped, weat up an down few times, an dea |, 'peared ter set down on low stump. It kep' CT rainin', 4n' CT rAinin', an wuz mon- stross wet. bu, wanted ter know why da. light acted so cuis. wen, on up, an foun' mysef at de grabe O de ole man vhut had thes been buried. De light, cuis thing it wuz, too, sot on de top O de grabe, an at each eend sot a