Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1888-11-17
POLL $ DEAD.
A Touching Scene Among the
Southern Mountaineers.
NJ. Quad in the Guise of Comforter to the
Bereaved-He Assists as Best He Can in
the Funeral Services Doubts of
the Mother Removed. .'r


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:
II couldn't let you go by, nohow.
Deed, but I'm glad you've come"
"You seem to be in troublo?"
"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 a bit"
1t was specimen mountain cabin,
and they were specimen mountainous.
The mother sat rocking, with an apron
covering her whole head, and a 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 a 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 a stranger
arrive, and after 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
6 8n eSoeeq S eq' and Id sig sp adn fReen r?ot
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"
"Yes, that's so, Jenny" said the
husband.
I'm sartin it's so," chorused all the
others, while the boy added
"Yes, but what did the Lord want
to hev Poll bit 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.
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 a good gal, an she'd a
bin mar'd this fall, and the feller she
was to hev mar'd has got mewl and
three hogs an u gun, but the Lord
knows best. When He wants any
body fur an angel they has got to go
somehow. Stranger, do you know
about Heaven?n ...
81 have read about it,"
"Do they hev rich duds and good
llvin' up thar?"
"The very best, Mrs. Morgan"
I'm glad ont. Poll never had nuth-
ing better'n cheap calico to war and
pone an bacon to eat, an hope she'll
now git as good as any body. Hev
angels got to be eddecated?'
mo, 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 il was to
Greensboro, or whar the Tennessee
begun she'd hev been up tree. Yes,
that's powerful right"
"An' gwine barfut, an smokin' a
pipe or dippin' snuff wouldn't count
agin her, would itP" asked the father.
81 think not. There was nothing
evil in that"
Not bit. Poll was a powerful
good gal. It's like losin' teeth to lose
her.
The boy was evidently little jeal-
Gus, and he suddenly spoke up:
wish snake would bite meP"
."Hiram, don't you go fur to consider
to remember any sich wicked thingr'
sharply exclaimed the mother. when
the Lord wants you He'll send for you.
Mcb be He'll hcv you bit by snake,
an meb be He'll hcv ye clawcd by a
wildcat, or pizened by jim-weed."
"Yes, Hiram, you shet" sighed the
father.
wanted to 90 on that evening, but
Morgan said he'd take 1t as a great
favor If I'd stay over to the funeral
next day, and so couldn't well get
away. When the morrow came il
brought with it the only preacher for
ten miles around, and he took me for
a walk up the road and acknowledged
that he was mighty poor dispenser
of the gospel. He said he wanted
some hints, and l gave him the best
advice l had TO offer, never having
been in such situation before. The
deceased was dressed in her Sunday
calico, placed in a rude coffin which
one OF the men had spent the night ir
making, and the grave was dug on q
knoll about forty rods away. About
twenty-five people were in attendance,
and every one was genuine sympa-
thizer. Each man as he shook hands
with Morgan said:
I'm powerfully sorry, Dan, but /,
had to be-"
And each woman sought to comfor,
Mrs. Morgan.
She's better OF. poor thing--s