The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-11-10
FUNERAL AT MORGAN'S
BY NJ. QUAD.

When L reached Morgan's, on the
Yadkin river, North Carolina, there
were several people about the door,
and three or four mules hitched to
the fence. 1t looked as if the family
were in trouble, and l was passing on
when Morgan himself came out and
stopped me and said
81 couldn't let you go by, nohow
Deed, but Pm glad you've come"
"You seem to be in trouble?"
can that's one reason why you
must stop. My Poll is dead. She was
hit by rattler early this morning on
yam hill Come in an chirk the ole
'oman bit"
1t was specimen mountain cabin,
and they were specimen mountaineers.
The mother sal rocking, with an apron
covering her whole head, and boy of
ten sat in corner wiping his eyes
and nose with utter impa-tiality on
the family towel. Such of the neigh
bors as had come in were awed to ST.
lence by the presence of the corpse on
the bed. Poll was girl of eighteen,
poor and scrawny, and her face having
that pinched look which the face of
every mountain female bears as some
thing natural 10 it. 1t appeared TO be
a great relief to all to have a stranger
arrive, and after a few minutes Mrs.
Morgan uncovered her head and ex-
planned:
"The Lord jist brung it about His
self. He said to Poll: You go up
yam hill an git some sassafrax root
for Coffee and she went. Then He
said to the snake: when Poll Gums
you bite her in the calf of the left leg ,
and he bit her. 1t was the Lord and
nobody else"
ayes, that's so, Jenny" said the
husband.
"I'm sartin it's So" chorused all the
others, while the boy added:
eyes, but whut did the Lord want
to hev Poll hit fur? Was He'un down
on she'un?"
"Cause He'un wanted Poll to be an
angel, and she couldn't be an angel till
she was dun gone dead" answered the
mother.
"Thet's jist it," sighed the father.
at Is hard for you to lose her, but
she is better off," said, to break the
long silence that followed. i
"Reckon she arr" replied the
mother. "Poll was good gal, an
she'd bin mar'd this fall, an the fell
Ter she was to hev mar'd has got a
mewl and three dogs and a gun, but
the Lord knows best. When He wants
anybody fur an angel they has got to
go somehow. Stranger, do you know
about heaven?"
al have read about it,"
"Do they hev rich buds and good
livin' up thar"
"The very best, Mrs. Morgan"
"Pm glad ont. Poll never had
nuthin' better'n cheap calico to war
an pone am bacon to eat, an hope
she'll now git as good as anybody.
Hev angels got to be eddecated2"
"No, ma'am, all are alike"
"That's powerful right. Poll never
went to skule but two days, an if the
Lord should ak her how fur it was to
Greensboro, or whar the Tennessee
begun, she'd hev bin up tree. Yes,
that's powerful right"
can gwine b'arfut an smokin' a
pipe or dippin' snuff wouldn't count
agin her, would it2" asked the father.
81 think not. There was nothing
evil In that"
"Not bit. Poll was a powerful
good gal. It's losin' teeth to lose
her.
The boy was evidently little jeal-
GUS, and he suddenly spoke up:
wish snake would bite me-"
"Hiram, don't you 60 fur to con-
slider to remember any sich wicked
thing !" sharply exclaimed the mother.
"When the Lord wants you He'll send
for you. Mebbe He'll hev You bit by
snake, an mebbe He'll hev We clawed
by wildcat, or pisened by Jim
weed"
father.
I wanted to 60 on that evening, but
Morgan said he'd take it AZ 9 great
favor II I'd stay over to the funeral
next day, and 90 ! couldn't well get
away. When the morrow came IL
brought with It the only preacher for
tam miles around, and he took me for
2 walk mp the road and acknowledged
that he was : mighty poor dispenser
q the gospel. He MD be wanted