The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-07-21
ApLANTATIoN FUNERAL.
brother Hicks Is Consigned to the Grave
with afieoting Ceremonies.

with Affecting Ceremonies
No work was accomplished in the
house that day. saws 4 writer in the
New York SEn, describing the funeral
of a eolored coachman in slavery times.
Every one of the servants was devoting
his energies to .'layin' ont Brer Hicks. :
Late in the afternoon the family was in
vited ont to see him; On the bed in the
great dinoy cabin lay the old dead negro
aFrsyed ali 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 a tin plate
fall of salt, and 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 theyalways did il. Some
relic of African superstition whose sig
nificance has been lost
All the next day until afternoon the
house was deserted and closed but at 5
o'clock a great assembly of negroes
again convened for the burial. The
coffin was nailed up and placed in a
little mule-cart driven BY lame old
darky. who was regarded as a perfect
daredevil to undertake such a task. as
il 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 iolted i'm the fierce glare OF an
August sun. followed bv q great. miscel-
laneous throng of friends and relatives
in every conceivable absurditv of eos
tune. The poignancy of grief and the
scale of relationship was expressed i'm
the varying dimensions of the pocket
handkerchief. Those of his daughters
were fully the size of a towel.
Then the whole procession swep,
solemnly into the grayeyard-a grove of
huge. mosS-grown live oaks on the
borders of the bayou. Here and there a
gray cross, rotting and lichen-covered.
showed amid the palmettos. \ space
had been cleared amid the weeds. where
the grave was dug. When the dead
mans relatives caught sight OF this they
burst into a long. wild cry. followed by
barbaric chant. to the words of one of
their hymns
The preacher took as his text the
translation of Elijah in the fiery char
lot
Yer ali done seen how Brer Hicks
been drivin Miss Fanny's carriage. an
how he been tendin' Marse Johns
horses. He do dat faithful. an now de
Lawd Almighty say; 'Brer Hicks. | want
yer ter drive my fiery cha lot. an Brer
Hicks done drive dem tie' y an er flamin'
horses straight up ter heaven; dus same
like he drive lib an Lemon-kase the
Lawd done put bit in deir mouths. an er
perfessen' member in good standin'. like
Brer Hicks. don fin no mo diff cultv en-
drivin' de Lawd's fie'y cha lot den any
desc here thick-headed niggers does ter
drive er cane waggin. An de Lawd :
gwine ter sen comfort ter desc here 20
afflicted members what done los er good
daddy. Dey hadn't orter grieve arter
him. kase he done gone straight to glory
on Ab'ham bosom; an right now he
got er crown an er harp. an no mo-
tears in his eyes. an settin' on white
satin stool eatin' bernanas
The preacher paused for breath. and.
picking up a handful Of earth. said
solemnly:
.'Derefo', / say. breth ren. earth ter
earth an dus' ter dus': all DO like
wise.
Every one dropped in earth, and while
the grave was being filed Brer Hicks
two daughters began 10 writhe and
scream and beat themselves. and were
only restrained by their friends from
getting into the grave.
"Oh. no mo- po' daddy! no mo- po'
daddy Oh. Lawd. lemme cit en- de
holei don't want To live no mo-. Oh.
Lawd Gawd Almighty. no mo- po'
daddy over and over until the grave
was filed and the preacher cried "Brer
Hicks done gone ter jine der angels. O
Gawd Ter res en- de bosom er b'ham.
O Lawdr' The crowd took up the SEN
timent and repeated its wall, with the
same slow rise and fall. until half the
women were carried ont 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 Nnd 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.