Evening star., 1896-07-04
ANDREW TUTTlRS COFFIN


'"There" said Andrew Tuttle. "take 'em
and put 'ep awayI That's six pairs Of 'em;
enough for. my own funeral"
Andrew Tuttle had taken on a pair Of
black silk gloves and he smoothed them
carefully before handing them to Mr..
Tuttle.
"Laws!' cried Mrs. Tuttle; at amt
cheerful putin away things like these; 1t
pears to me they ought 70 be burned"
"oh, yes, father: please let mother burn
en-" whispered little Anastasia Tuttle.
Put 'em, away; put em away" ordered
Mr.. Tuttle.0 He was standing before the
sitting room stove warming the hands that
had come. put of the gloves. "Of all the
fuss and furry and the tarnal expense" he
muttered. "It don't seem half fair, nohow
Joshua Mudd was a sensible man; he
wouldn't have had no such nonsense about
him If he'd had his say
Il s'pose it was a real stylish funeral"
said Mrs. Tuttle. in a tone of interest.
stylish; yes" roared Tuttle. Flowers
from her folks in town, crepe for to smoth-
er the hats and the streamer on the door a
sight to see Stylish, I should say SO; they
even sent gray mare around to the
black colt that went kickin' and spreein'
to the funeral like twas a weddin'."
How was the coffin?" inquired Mrs. Tut
tie.
Don't speak of the coffin,'' said Tuttle.
in an awed voice. What do you think
they give for 1t? Seventy-tive dollars, as
l M a sinner. 1t was covered with cloth and
had silver handles, and the widows in
debt. She could no more afford seventy-five
dollars for Joshua's coffin than she could
afford to send that daughter of hers to
boardin' school. One thing is certain. when
I'm dead and gone, mother, don't want
any style in the manner Of putin me
away. BY Jimmy! I'll insure plain
coffin.'
Andrew Tuttle turned about from the
stove; he was in a glow over the sudden in
spiration ''l'll keep the expenses down
there. toC," he said. I've never been cheat
ed yet Seventyfive dollars for a coffin;
my! my!'
AS Andrew Tuttle left the sitting room by
the back door two little boys entered it
from the hail. wide-awaxe little boys, who
had evidently been listening.
whats the matter with father, mot,ler?'
asked Johnny Tuttle.
What is he telIin he's gunno do?" de-
manded little Andrew.
Laws; he just fiurried over Joshua
Mudd's grand funeral" explained Mrs. Tut
tie; IT'S fathers way to go on a Bit
The boys glanced nervously at the corner
Y,
with her head swathed in her gingham
apron.
What's the matter with Stasy?" asked
little Andrew.
Father is going to buy his cotfin," walled
What is he going to do it for, mother:''
| asked John.
"Oh. mother, don't let him." sobbed 1t
| tla Andrew
"Laws:" cried Mrs. Tuttle, cheerfully,
tain no use cryin' about 1t; mebbe he's
only talkin'; but if he's made up HIS mind
| how"
"Mebhe tonight he'll forget about it,"
said little Andrew. hopefully. but Stasy
kept on crying.
| Indeed. the idea of buying his own coffin
! had instantly tax IN definite shape in the
| brain Of, Andrew Tuttle, pleasing him
nightly. .Pl lain pine, that is what the ma
, terials To ha.,,' he explained to Mrs. Tut
! lie. mono of your cloth covered collins for
| me- Plain pine with no trimmin's," he
| said to the undertaken the ext time he
went to town.
Andrew Tuttle brought his coffin home in
| triumph one night, shouldered it and car
| ried it into the sitting loom. IT'S a pretty
good size,s het sal to Mrs. Tuttle. Il didn't
| know l was thlt long man: we'll have to
save save, up .tWo more pairs of gloves. In,
you've done scared the children" cried
Mrs Tuttle. settin the ugly thing here
amongst iemS'
| We've all got to die, boys and little
! girl sail AF Tuttle, in, tone of quie;
satisfaction, t'and many a feller who's
| never been cheated in his life has been
cheated in HIS coffin. John and Andrew
you're bath good at business; you don,
want your father to be cheated when he
| can't defend himself. do you?'
! No" sobbed the boys. They came close
| to him and hung about his knees
| But We don't want you to bIy your owr
! coffin neither" scbbe1 little An lrew.
| Mr.. futile laid a caressing hard on the
i head of each of his sons and looked across
! at his daughter. ''Stasy." he said "yol
| don't want your mother to be worried by
+, the neighbors into buyin' a coffin for me
that she can't afford, and that amt worth
| the money? Even a little girl oughtn't tc
| want things that way
| Stasy wept very violently.
Laws father" cried Mrs. Tuttle. "meb
| be I'll die first
Not in the natural course" said Mr.
| Tuttle. well. I'll hist it to the garre
oLt of sight If the family amt goin' t.
| look at it,
'stasy amt seen 1t at ALL" whispered lit
| tie Andrew.
\! Somehow, Andrew Tuttle felt pleased
! with his two little boys and his girl for no
; taking an interest in the plain pine coffin
! which he cheerfully carried on up to tn,
| garret.
| tie household who felt in no way concerned
! about the purchase of the coffin. True
| Mrs. Tuttle said very little on the subject
but she thought a great DEAL Bury An
| drew TUttle in such a looking thing a.
! that-catch her!
| To Stasy and John and little Andrew