New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-03
DOWN SOUTH.
A FUNERAL AS AN ENTERTAINMENT.

gazing talking In low voices, their sauoW, Douy iacos
showing duh, persistent interest They rode on
looking steeds, or II they could not ride they
walked Distance could not keep them away; they
were bound to come. fingered for some moments
beside two women who woro sun bonnets ana mems
coats. heard say to the other:
@Ef Ole Pink had err ben hyar she'd or sont word
as he war or dyin. She knows what's right In SICK
times hearn nobuddy knew or death war expected.
IT'S err gret loss to weuns not KNOWN Ihur
amt many died thin twenty mile or Busbee mat
amt seen die; no, not in moren fifteen year. fas,
Ole plnkd er let we-uns know, she would. But that
yaler oman an them Yanks from Ayers-yer carn't
expect nawthin' or them When yer amt missed er
death thin moron fifteen year. it's urpsettn ter yer
feelIns ter miss one IS nigh Is this Is ben."
Tho other woman said whningy that she could
feel for tho speaker Though her own health hadn't
been so that she could foler urp thur Deaths as
her friend had done, still she had follered um urp'
all the Lord had been willing for her to do she
reckoned thur Lords hand In hit err keepin or
poor oman bed sickness, so g folks died an
was buried an she not able to stir from her bed.
She hoped she believed It was er dlspensatlon es the
preacher said. But dispensstions sometimes
mighty hard to bear, an she'd had or heap or dis
pensations In her llfe."
Both women wagged their sun bonnets good deai
as they talked
learned that there was a general sense among
the people of having been defrauded in that they had
not been notified that deatf likely to occur IN
that miserable hut in the valley. Had they known,
they would have Hocked thither and waited, with
| chastity eagerness and interest impossible
TO understand. Sally knew their customs
and had purposely been very retcent She
said she want err gwine ter have no crowdin' oh
pore whites roun dat cabin; so she KEEP things
close'tn
But they all came to the funeral, even to Mrs.
Case on Yaller-ta, having one child before her on
nh xii enttl1 hQ
present at such an entertainment They all stray
glcd along behind the body as 1t was borne to IT'S
Ayynd-swept, lonely resting place. From that grave
could be those purple tints on Pisgah; but he
who lay there could not sec them
Mrs. Aver had decided that the twins could not
co. but when they were told Of this decision they
burst ioto such heartrendlng cries OF despair that
Mrs. Aver relentod. They writhed as they sobbed
out that they had never ben to YanRs funerals
they appeared TO think that Yanks funeral would
contain clements Of interest beyond anything they
had ever enjoyed. -
They were washed and combed and put into red
q tires, and white sun bonnets. When thus arrsyed
Tho occurrences and the responsibility OF their APP
pearance wero great that almost felt as II my
own manner must show an unbecoming levity. Their
eyee were more round and unwinking than ever and
their little forms appeared TO sfen the moment they
we're In their red tires.
The intention had been that all the dogs should be
| imprisoned in the kitchen during the time OF the
funeral. but when the moment came for their In
generation only Little Bull and Petite were found
TO be present Calling for the others did not bring
| them. / have yet to know the dog who VIII be
| found when he has made up hls mind otherwise.
When we came within sight Of our destination We
saw among the crowd, Tip and Buster standing with
pralsewOrthy decorousless close TO Ristus, who was
near that figure which lay in the simple coffin ON tho
rude trestes. Tho two dogs did not leave the boys
side. Sometimes he would stroke their sleek heads
There could not be any "mourners' in the CON
ventonal sense OF the term. Some excitabe negroes
hung about during the brief ceremonies and sobbed
and groaned Theirs were the only tears she'd
At first wo watched Ristus with deep interest.
We saw him with that childlike serenity upon him
which was peculiarly his own. He was very sober
and greatly impressed, but why should he feel any
especial griefl II he had been :" under SPELL Us
sally had declared that spell was broken. sti there
was something different in his aspect; he looked older
| The yellow woman had undertaken tie care OF inc
| baby aud there were only the dogs near Ristus
thus far It has been without the least success
that Mr. Aver has made inquiries in Asheviie concern
/ INC Mr sartain MS was simply one OF the many
| strangers who came" there. He had stayed at the
! swanannoa Hotel, and registered as from New-for&
Plainly he can be DO famous artist aithough AMONG
bis few effects the pencil and water color SKETCHES
are OF great merit and possess In an uncommon degree
what IS called feelings
! II IL the strong desire Of the women here that
Riss shall come into immediate possession OF all that
was the strangers-we say IL IS justice that the BOY
should have the clothes the pictures, the ring. tho
| watch, aud the $500 In money.
Mr. Aver says that woman's idea OF justice, IL
carried ont, would ruin country IN twelve months
| He Is going 10 make still moro investigation. Tic
asls by what right we should give Mr. sarains effects
| TO Rlstus. II is astonishing how cruel men can be-
| Mr. Aver furthermore expresses HIS BELIEF that the
notion that Rlstus is Mr.. Sartains son Is all oosh
No doubt the man had not been all he ought 10 nave
been no doubt Risus had eyes that reminded sartaln
In his last delirum when his brain was logged with
| ,o,es % the oves OF some woman. Almost any man
might remember some woman's eyes In that way-here
an exclamation from Mrs Ayer-but as for such fan
ces being proof of anything, he had never heard OF
| anything moro absurd
And tho resemblance that we were all making SO
much of He did not the slightest resemblance.
| III were writing a romance now should ordain
hat Rlshis be Immediately proved, by convenient
| noners found in sartalns luggage, and By equally
convenient brthmarls upon the lad, the legitimate
son NJ tho artist Moreover, the artist should have
| been fabuIously wealthy at the time Of his death.
| Then behold Ristis launched upon tide OF golden
prosperity In truth, however, must write that Rstus
appears to be as far from golden prosperity as ever
But he Is touchingy happy with his pencils and colors
I, II. not with pencils and coors that
no win find his greatest happinessl If
! no only does not take an unfortunate
| fancy In the future to some pretty, but souiless
maintain girl We women talk over such possibility
and sb,dder at IT, IT was yesterday that we were dis
cus.,ng this. and Amabel, after long silence,
pounoed that she had almost resolved to take Ristns
North With her when we return She looked at mo
| as she said
He can do 'chorcs IN our old farm house; he can 30
n school and we shall not be cruel to him. lis will
have a chance to grow mentally as we'll as bodily
Then She laughed, and added that the worst OF that
! would be IN his beautiful long hair would have TO
| ho eIipned close and how would the boy look with
his hair fled" for instance. He would have only hts
| eyes left
Having spoken thus AmsBel again fell into silence,
and did not apparently hear Mrs Aver say that the
worst Of that was not the boys hair, but Ole Pnks
baby.