The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-05-29

dust had collected; to find out how
many pies had been made. and to judge
pretty accurately whether they were
made rs they ought to be? l over
1 heard one decrepit old woman, who re-
manned behind in the house of mourning.
say to another. as the two tottered
along the narrow entry through which
the coffin had just been borne:
II call it odd that Miss Ewell should
q had them two gals as walters; my
gals would a been glad to come. What
do they know?" jerking her head back
in our direct on.
Oh, how hot it was! 1t was fervent
as day in Massachusetts, will some
times be in the summer, the heavens
being overspread by thin. coppery
haze. and without breath of air. It
was The third day of such heat, and
every one foretold that the ..spell
would break before night" Mean
| while it had not broken, and we were
in the kitchen brewing coffee and tea.
| We put two tables end to end in the
s.settin' room" and hsstened to spread
them with crockery. cake and pie,
stacks of bread and of cold-boiled
corned beef.
| The cemetery was not far, and we
were barely ready, when carriage after
carriage drove back from the grave,
and their occupants poured into the
house. Where do the men get those
curiously shaped sack coats which bag
SO in the back and sleeves? But that
the days of peripatetic female tailors
are over. we should say that these gar
ments were their work. These men
SLOUGH in and out of doors, talking in
mumbling voices, while their women
in prim dresses pat their hair before
the little looking glass in the bedroom,
then come out one by one. and peer
over the table at US. They talk. too.
and discuss how well. or how i'll the
minister did. One thinks he did not
improve the occasion correctly, an
other that he was not sufficiently
..feelin' in his prayer for the widder."
"Widders is Cushioned to bein' prayed
fur more particular. said Nancy Hol.
land. who spoke. I suppose from expe-
rience. she having been widow twice
before she married her Robert
Though they all talk. they are evil
IDENTIFY impatient for the feast No less
than ten carriage loads have come.
We learn from the remark of one thin,
pale-faced woman that it is q distinc-
ton to have good many come back
from the grave and partake of the fes-
tival.
when Miss Martin was buried they
only had six carriages to supper" she
says, in q congratulatory way to the
bereaved woman. as If in Mrs. Ewell's
case sorrow had its compensatons.
sWarTen. he had good many
friends. " replied the widow, glimmer
of complacency on her face, which is
careworn and sallow.
In few minutes we have the first
tables full, including the minister, who
is in hurry. having another funeral
to attend At three clock. He drinks.
thirstily, three cups Of tea, and is hus-
tied Oh after . handshake and gentle
murmur of coincidence to the widow.
For the next hour my sister and /
might have been walters in q crowded
restaurant. We find the feasters very
particular about their coffee and tea,
and very copious in their consumption
Of those beverages. We have cut tho
third stack OF cOrned beef, Of bread and
Of cake. We have cmptied one pickle
jar, and l am going down cellar after
second; for one cadaverous woman,
in blue and green gingham dress,
seems to subsist on pickles, and is worry
arbitrary In her remarks to me con-
corning those relishes. She appears to
think that, in some mysterious way, /
am responsible for the fact that there
g = whifish mould on some OF these
preserved cucumbers. When / hand
her the dish the third time she says in
husky whisper:
There ought to = been baked
beams. Why didn't ye see to itf Hand
mo them cakes. Amt there no beans
n the house anyhow
Il SAW . bushel Of raw beans in the
shed. = I can not help saying. She
tossed her head: pointed to her cup.
hurried Oh cravenly to obey hsr.
We washed dishes furiously between
whites. 50 that the supply might not
TAIL. After tho first tableful had been
fed, l ran down the cellar for more
pies / fell against the woman in
checked gingham. who was leisurely
looking about Probably she was
convincing herself that really there
was no beans.
s.It's good suller,n she said, calm
II. "a alters did want ter see Ms
Ewell's suller. She SAYS it don't
freeze; but d'n know bout thet.
How much pork hcv they got pu'
doWnl I did not answer her; NAV
have laughed IN her face She seemed
thoroughly contemptible.
Mounting the stairs with three tiers
of pies IN each hand. whom should I
meet but tie noW-made widow. She
caaeht hold Of my sleeve. and asked,
excitedly:
sWhsx'S that Mis- Skflesa I knew
ahe wns = pryin'! Jes' get her out o.
there!'' left Mn Euell hurriedly de-
eooading To stair. How the encounter
ended I neyerkneW.
The afternoon Woro away In melting
hest and increasing work. At last
tho aloW-notioned men brought rouno
their horses and covered wagons, those
big carriages that Ii childhood. Va
used - call s.bed-Fooms." Dcliberl
ofoly tie women m0Dnt06 intn fheno