The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-01-08

could be heard in every part of the
house.
He didn't read the last hymn. but
handin' the book to the leader, pointed
to these words
How blest the righteous when ne dies!
When sinks a weary soul TO rest"'
As they rose n struck the grand
hymn, he sank back into the chair, an
again leaned on the desk.
We all sung that could sing, but
some couldn't, n tears was in the
voices of them as did. I heard Blake
we'll start in all right, but after the
first line or two didn't hear him any
more. Deacon Coleman did the best
he could, but that wasn't much. An
the Spencer girls, though their voices
was thought little shrill, sang through
their tears as smooth 5 the rest of the
girls.
Well, when the singin' was over. we
waited for the dismissal but DIR. Holl-
man didn't dismiss us that day. When
we got to him, we feared first, that the
pure spirit had fled. But he hadn't
left US yet, an carefully s we could
we carried him to the nearest house and
waited there for the end.
We'd given up all hopes of ever
hearin' him speak again, when just
afore twelve, that night, he opened his
eyes, n called us each by name.
few moments later the lips moved, an
we distinctly heard
''Be not afraid; be not afraid. "
After that we heard no more, an
quarter to twelve, that very night, the
good man brcathed his last.
l tell We, children, twas a terrible
blow to us; n the day we laid him
among the trees, Mrs. Coleman and
Manda most give up.
Well, after that twas lonesome
enough. The women folks felt terri
bly,. n all the old homesick feelin'
/ came back wus n ever. l remember
twas bout week after the funeral,
| I'd been over to the mill n got back
late, when just as 1 was takin' the
oxen off n the tongue, spied the dea-
cons horse hitched to the well-sweep.
The folks in the house heard me
/ drive up, n out they all came. What
was up, l couldn't tell, but they could,
nd what d you s'pOse twas?
Well, I'll tell We. The deacon's
| folks had got so hOmesick n lonesome
! that they couldn't stan it. an haG
come over to our place to see if
/ 'twouldn't make EN- feel better.
OF course they got to talkin' bout
| down East, N how they'd like ter go
| back, till they began to hope t they
| could 90; n fin'ly, just afore I'd come,
they d actu'ly laid their plans to 60.
| An there they was, half dead to hear
what l thought about it.
eye see, Ephraim, said Manda. n
| there wus such a hopeful look in her
| eyes! Eye see, we can go if the dea-
cons folks can, nd they say they can
/ if we cam
Now we'd planned-the deacon an
/ Ito build a frame house for each OF
us, another summer, nd the money we,
/ had on hand would about do that. +
1t would Just about take us back
! East in good shape, if we didn't build,
too. md 1 really didn't know what was
for the best, twas so sudden like; but
when | come to see the anxious look in
! the women's faces, why, of course I
couldn't say but one thing, n when
said it, yer Oughter seen EN-!
! l needn't say they were Willin' to
make the old houses do for a spell
| longer. In leSs n a week we'd left
things in care of the Liscom boys, an
| were off for the land of brOwn-bread
| N baked beans, Injun puddin's nd
fire-places.
ia like ter tell We bout that trip, for
twas one to be remembered, butt can't
| tonight, for | must tell bout our git
! tim back.
Twas late Saturday night when the
team that brought MS over from the vii
/ lage came into the clearin' an what d
We think we saw
/ Why, the shanty was lit up from one
| end to t'Other, nd the whole neighbor
hood was there with a big supper on
the table a-waitin' for us. We was as
/ tonished, for certain, for they was all
on the best of terms m Blackwell
| was among EN-. if anything happier n
the rest.
Wen, they KEEP it a-goin' till late
| an we talked about everything, most
! but the meetin' house. Not a word
was said about that, till, just as they
started, Blackwell asked us to be sure
n come to the meetin' next day, as
they had young minister, nd they
thought we'd like him.
Well, we promised to go, an 5 the
deacon's folks stayed with us that
night, early the next mornin' we all
started off together to hear the new
! minister.
We had plenty of time, SO we took
the road leadin by the schoOl-hOuse
| an as we walked along the old paths,
we talked of other days, an other
meetin' times.
We KEEP on towards the old house,
till we'd got most there, when the dea-
con. who wus a little ahead sud'nly
stopped n pullin' off his hat began
peerin through the trees. Then we ali
looked, too, an what d We s'pOse We
saw
Why, standin' there, painted n
pooty as pictur' was the new meetin'
house
Sakes alive didn't we stare. though
But there it finished completely,
from steps to steeple-jnst where we
wanted it.
Twas all the work of the younger
members, they said, too-done right
after we left-an' though it cost 'em
nearly fifty dollars in all, Blackwell
paid half of IL himself
Wen, It's long time since then but
the effects of that last sermon are Twin
still, an can be seen in this neigh
borhood to-day Greeley, IN
YOUTHS Companion.
Grows Can Count Four.
Leroy. though he expresses the opin.