St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-12-22

DECEMBER ~, 1894.
difference with me what you and Bill
Smith thini, about it. ] NAV be be sev.
cral different sorts of fool. but I'll be
daablaned If / ever viii be a clothes
fool"
'yn the Solemcholy Daya"
Even down to his last dyin day Jor-
dan Biggers took his odd ways and his
pecurious notions along with him.
Oncst upon another time went over
there to pass few preliminary re-
marks with the old man, but there want
livin soul anywheres around the
house. Every door and window was
standin wide open and lowed to my.
self that old man Jordan must be some
where's around in that neighborhood.
So after wanderin around promiscus,
finally at last found him down in the
apple orchard. He had toted his old
chair down there and was reared back
agin big apple tree. He was wavin
his hands and gesterin and talkin with
himself and goin on at such high rate
till thought in my soul he must be
drunk or either crazy. What was more,
he had on high plug hat and red
plush vest, and was maxim his motions
with a gold-headed walkin stick.
Hello Unclue Jordan. how are they
comm by this time" says l.
''Mornin Rufe," says he. pull up and
take sea. and set down. am mighty
porely this mornin-sOTter pilferi9
around in the low grounds of sorrow,
as it were. The sperit is willin, Rufe,
but the flesh is too durn weak. What
is that the book tells us about the
soiemcholy days are here and Christ
mas comes but oncst a year? Well now
that hits me. Rufe-hits me square in
the face. Thirty years ago this mornin,
Rufe, my good old father was gathered
up, as the preacher says, and on his
dyin bed he give me this bee-gum hat,
this gold-headed walkin stick and this
here red plush vest, and he lowed he
wanted me to keep 'em and wear 'em as
he had wore 'em on the evenin of the
last day. So got 'em out this mornin
and put 'em on and slipped of down
here to keep the word l give to him
thirty years ago. didn't promise the
old man that l would stay at the house
when put the things on and l am
monstrous glad l didn't. Somebody
NOHAC NAOuk 0hN SCO A4Cs AA0
burned if l would be caught at the
house with these here higgins on for
ten dollars. But the solemcholy days
are here, Rufe, and Christmas will new.
er come for Jordan Biggers any more.
My time will soon be up, Rufe, and the
evenin of the last day is now clost 10
hand. Thirty years ago the old man
laid down his hand. quit the game, and
today his kind and lovin words come
rushin down to me through the dim
and distant past, ringin in my ears like
a thousand evenin bells. His bones lie
buried in the graveyard over there at
old Cool Springs Church, which the
same he was one of the mainest pillars
thereof. And here am in the sad and
solemcholy days, settin out here in the
cool and pleasant autumn winds Sweo.
tened as it were with the perspirin
breath of the last rose of summer, or
words to that extent. And what is
more besides, Rufe, have got the drap-
sy, and l have got it durn bad. Look
at them feet. Rufe. Do you reckon both
of 'em will go in one coffin? If they
won't yoa must tell the boys to put one
away in a separate box"
BY this time the old man had got such
a far away look in his eyes till felt
kinder restless about him.
IF the evenin Of the last day is that
clost to hand. Uncle Jordan says L,
lit mought be a good notion for You to
kneel in prayer"
1T would never do, Rufe,-it would
never do in creation" SAYS he. ~ aint
fitten to approach the throne of grace.
Look at them feet, Rufe. Wouldn't I
cut u nice figger with this bee-gum hat
u lnl
this red plush vest ON and my feet look
me, Rufe,-not now. / am bound to
keep the promise made to my good old
father on his dyin bed thirty years ago,
but by gollys l aint fitten to approach
the throne of grace with these higgins
ON and my feet swelled up as big as the
barn door,"
"Too Late to GIT Fittsn."
Hence forwards from that time on il
seems like old man Jordan got worse
and more rapid and constant. He would
stop now and then and talk with me a
little, and presently he would light in
and talk with himself a whole passle.
At last late along in the evenin got
him in q notion to hobble back to the
house, and when he went to bed he told
me how he believed he wouldn't git up
any more. He hung that bee gum hat
on the bed post where he could look at
it every mint and then laid down with
the red plush vest on ard the gold
headed walkin stick by his side. He
was right there the next mornin, but
by that time he was goin down hill
mighty fast and it was plum plain to
me that he would beat the sun down
that day. 1t leaked out amonst the
neighbors somehow that old man Jor-
dan Biggers was on his death bed. and
some of them wanted to come and see
him, Deacon Joiner along with the
rest.
Keep 'em out, Rufe.-keep 'em out
till the fight is over," says he. There
is plenty of niggers around here to help
you tend to me. and the settlement in
general amt got nothin to do with the
case. know what Deacon Joiner is up
to. He thinks mought want him to
come in and hold q prayer meetin for
me. but the Deacon is dead wrong,
Rufe. / amt fitten to approach the
throne of grace myself. but l am not
goin to throw off on Deacon Joiner.
Besides that, Rufe. you know as well as
! do that the Deacon will lie like q
tombstone, and for all we know he
mought go and tell the good Lord q
whole pack of lies on me. Keep 'em
out, Rufe. till the fight is over. I'm
derstand me. Rufe, amt got nothin to
say agin prayer meetins in general, and
in my case it mought be durn good
idea if we could have one. / ruther
think it would. But bein as / aint fitten
to approach the throne Of grace myself
it wouldn't dot wouldn't begin to
do"
You are plum right with regards to
one thing, Uncle Jordan says |. Tho
evening of the last day is here"
Il knowed that, Rufe,-knowed il
good and and WELL" says he.
Where do you want to be buried
Uncle Jordan, over to old Cool Springs
church ?" says 1.
Never, Rufe,-never in creation"
says he. "You know burned well,
Rufe, that I amt fitten to be buried up
there along with my good old father
md mother and amongst all them good
Christian people. 1 amt ftten and it 10
most too late now reckon. to git fitten.
| didn't 60 to Cool Springs church when
was well and strong and healthy in
the flesh. and by the sun, moon and
stars don't want to go pokin up there
feet foremost after / am dead. Il
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