The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1886-06-18
A PLANTATION FUNERAL.
Brother Hicks l. Consigned to the Grave.
with Affecting Ceremonies.

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No work was accomplished in the
house that day, says writer i'm the
New York Sun, describing the funeral
of colored coachman in slavery times.
Every one of the servants was devotnr
his energies to ''layin out Brer Hicks. :"
Late in the afternoon the family was in
vited out to see him; On the bed in the
great dingy cabin lay the old dead negro
arrayed all in black. A lamp burned
dimly in the half gloom. His face was
bound about with two napkins-one
around the brows the other binding up
the chin. On his breast lay tin plate
full OF salt, and n bowl of clean water
was on the table at his side. OF the
meaning of these two last no explana-
ton could be obtained; they did not
know why, but they always did it, Some
relic of African superstition whose sig
nificance has been lost.
All the next day until afternoon the
house was deserted and closed, but ut 8
o'clock great assembly of negroes
again convened for the burial The
coffin was nailed up and placed in II
little mule-cart driven by Il lame old
darby, who was regarded us perfect
daredevil to undertake such task, us
it is well known among the colored peo-
pie that one who goes before the dead
on his last journey will not be long in
following him.
Down the old plantation road they
silently jolted in the fierce glare of an
August sun, followed by great, miscel-
laneous throng of friends and relatives
in every conceivable absurdity of cos
tune. The poignancy of grief and the
scale of relationship was expressed in
the varying dimensions of the pocket
handkerchief. Those of his daughters
were fully the size of towel.
Then the whole procession swept
solemnly into the graveyard-a grove of
huge. moss-grown live oaks on the
borders of the bayou. Here and there
gray cross, rotting and lichen-covercd
showed amid the palmettos. A space
had been cleared amid the weeds, where
the grave was dug. When the dead
mans relatives caught sight of this they
burst into long, wild cry, followed by
a barbaric chant, to the words of one of
their hymns.
The preacher took rs his text the
translation of Elijah in the fiery char
lot.
Eyer all done seen how Brer Hicks
been drivin' Miss Fanny's carriage, an
how he been tcndin' Marse Johns
horses. He do dat faithful an now de
Lawd Almighty say: 'Brer Hicks, / want
yer ter drive my fiery cha'iot, an Brer
Hicks done drive dem fey an er famin'
horses straight up ter heaven; dus same
like he drive lib an Lemon-kase the
Lawd done put a bit in deir mouths. an er
perfessen' member in good standin', like
Brer Hicks. don fin no mo- dif'culty en-
drivin' de Lawd's fey cha'iot den any
desc here thick-headed niggers does ter
drive er cane Vaughn. An de Lawd's
gwine ter SEN comfort ter desc here POI
afflicted members what done los er good
daddy. Dey hadn't ortcr grieve arter
him, kase he done gone straight to glory
on Ab'hams bosom; an right now he
got er crown an er harp, an no mo-
tears in his eyes, an settin' on II white
satin stool eatin' bernanas"
The preacher paused for breath, and,
picking up handful of earth, said
solemnly:
'.Derefo', | say, brethren, earth ter
earth an dus' ter dus': all do like
wise"
Every one dropped in earth, and while
the grave was being filled Brer Hicks
two daughters began to writhe and
Scream and beat themselves, and were
only restrained by their friends from
getting into the grave.
ooh, no mo- po' daddy! no mo- po'
daddy! Oh, Lawd, femme git en- de
hole! don't want to live no mo-. Oh,
Lawd Gawd Almighty, no mo- po'
daddy!' over and over until the grave
was filled and the preacher cried: "Brer
Hicks done gone ter jne der angels, o
Gawd! Ter res en- de bosom CT Ab'ham.
o Lawd!' The crowd took up the SCH
timent and repeated its wall, with the
same slow rise and fall. until half tho
women were carried out in convul-
sions.
Suddenly their energy seemed to wane.
Tney left the graveyard hurriedly,
bundled, laughing and joking, into the
empty cart. The women came out of
their commissions and the crowd stream
ed cheerfully home to the quarters to
supper A little cool west wind came
out from under the sinking sun and
lightly clashed the swords of the pal
mettos and waved the long, hanging
moss over the grave where Mr.. Hicks
lay quiet and forgotten.