The Southern herald., 1888-12-22
POLL s DEAD.
q Touching Scene Among the
Southern Mountaineers.
n. Quad In the GuIse OF Comforter to the
Bereaved-He Assists as Best He Can in
the Funeral SerViees-Doubts OF
the Mother Removed.

When / 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 | was passing on when
Morgan himself came out and stopped
me and said:
Il couldn't let you go by, nohow.
Deed, but I'm glad you've come"
"You seem to be in troublel"
'An' that's one reason why you
must stop. My Poll is dead. She
was bit by rattler early this morn
ing on yon hill. Come in an chirk
the ole woman bit"
It was specimen mountain cabin,
and they were specimen mountaineers.
The mother satrocking, with an apron
covering her whole head, and boy OF
ten sat in corner wiping his eyes and
nose with utter impartiality on the
family towel. Such Of the neighbors
as had come in were awed to silence
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 something
natural to it. 1t appeared to be a
great relief to all to have stranger
arrive, and after few minutes Mrs.
Morgan uncovered her head and ex-
plained.
"The Lord jist brung it about His
self dAe said to Poll: You go up
,yon hill and git some sasssfrax 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. y
"Yes. that's SO, Jenny" said the
husband.
I'm sartin it's so," chorused all the
others, while the boy added:
'sYes. but what did the Lord want
to hev Poll bit fur? Was He'un down
on she'unp"
"'Cause He'un wanted Poll to be an
angel, and she couldn't be an angel It'll
she was dun gone dead" answered the
mother.
"Thet's iist it, sighed the father.
ut is hard for you to lose her, but
she is better off" / said, to break the
long silence that followed.
Reckon she ar" replied the moth
er. Poll was good gal, an she'd {
bin mar'd this fall, and the feller sh'
was to hev mar'd has got mewl ant
three hogs an gun, but the Lore
knows best When He wants an,
body fur an angel they has got to g
somehow. Stranger, do you know
about HeavenPn
II have read about it."
"Do they hev rich duds and goo,
livin' up tharp"
'.The very best, Mrs. Morgan"
"rm glad ont. Poll never had nuth
ing better'n cheap calico to war an,
pOne an bacon to eat, an ] hope shell
now git as good as any body. He
angels got to be eddecatedp"
.'No, ma'am. All are alike"
''That's powerful right. Poll neve
went to slkule but two days. an if tn
Lord should ak her how fur it was T.
Greensboro, or whar the Tennessee
begun she'd hev been up tree. Yes
that's powerful right"
SAN gwine b'arfut, an smolzin'
pipe or dippin' snuff wouldn't coun
agin her, would itpn asked the father
II think not. There was nothin
evil in that
mot a bit. Poll was a powerfu
good gal. It's like losin' teeth to los
her.
The boy was evidently little iea'
Gus, and he suddenly spoke up:
wish O snake would bite meP"
Hiram, don't you 60 fur to conside
to remember any sich wicked thing!
sharply exclaimed the mother. "Whe
the Lord wants you He'll send for yor
Meb be He'll hev you bit by snak,
an meb be He'll hev ye clawed by
wildcat, or pizened by jim-weed."
Yes, Hiram, you shet!" sighed th
father.
! wanted to go on that evening, bu
Morgan said he'd take it as a gres
favor II I'd stay over to the funert
next day, and SO. ] couldn't well gt
away. When the morrow came
brought with it the only preacher fo
ten miles around, and he took me fC
walk up the road and acknowledge
that he was a mighty poor dispense
OF the gospel. lie said he wante
some hints, and l gave him the be.
advice had to offer. never havin
been Ii such situation before III
deceased was dressed In her Sunda
calico, placed IN q rude coffin whic
one OF the men had spent the night
making. and the grave was dug on
knoll about forty rods away. AboI
twenty-five people we're in attendance
and every ono was a genuine sympi
thizer. Each man as he shook hand
with Morgan said:
elm powerfully sor.y, Dan, but
Aad to be"