The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-23
ON THE HILLSIDE.

sod grew.
The men have done their task and are
waiting. Soon long, dark line shows
against the woods below az PROCESSION
wends its way across a broad field and up
the slope OF the hill. They carry burden
In front of the line. and the bearers toll II,
the ascent. while weiry but melodious
chant floats upon tho air as they draw near
the spot whore the men still walt with un.
covered hoads.
Though strong young arms carry the
burden, there are aged men there whose
dusky faces aro furrowed, and whose forma
are bent with nge There ara women,
too, no less venerable, with kcrchiefs,
the insignia 0f their order, pinned In
| snowy folds across their bosoms. They
knew his mother In the dear old days that
| they love to remember when they were
| children and played ON the hillside to-
| gether
He, whom they arc carrying home, "
| had played there, too, and when far away
he knew that his sickness was "unto
death" Tnere came to him In fevered
dreams visions of the soft groensward, the
starry flowers, tho clear brook mt the foot
of the hill, the ripe berries he used to
gather there, and no pined to rest his
failing eyes on tho dear spot once more.
He longed for tho sunny land and for the
little cabin there, where on the threshold
he had sat in the twilight at his mother 8
knee. "Can go? Could i get there?'
he asked with eager eyes fixed on the face
Of tho kind physician who had been his
employer and his friend, and who did not
fail him now.
The longings Of the homesick soul had
been filled, for the wanderer died by his
mothers cabin door with the fow simple
flowers that her hand had planted bloom
ing near by. Aunt Dinah nursed him
carefully, and she had theory of her own
about the flowers.
"It do seem," she said, "like dey done
open sooner dis spring fer purpose SOS he
could see 'em. He did crave for 'em so. Z"
He died at sunset, with the soft, fading
light on the cabin door, and Aunt Dinah
believed that the last rays fingered there
that the dying eyes might behold their
glory little longer ere they should open
upon the brighter glories of the new Jeru-
salem.
Now the beavers pause and set their
burden down on the cool green grass
among the flowers that he loved. The
solemn silence is broken by the careless
whispering OF several boys and girls, Ia
borers who, from An adjoining field, had
followed the procession.
"Hush, child !" said Aunt Dinah re-
provingly. "Br'er :Danl's gwine tsr side
In pray'r."
An aged man, whose hair was white and
whose face was furrUwed, raised his trem-
bling hands, and every voice was hushcd.
"We is called on, my fren's, an likewise
my bred'ren, an my sisters in de Lawd,
ter form desc last offenses fer dis, our
'seased br'er befo' US as he done 'pent oh
his sins an done 'fessedl Iawd We say he
done gone home, but ef der be ar'y br'cr or
likewise ar'y sister in dis congregation dat
knows Br'er Tom An erson amt gone ter
glory let him-er likewise her-speak now
at dis presn time er hol his tongue after
ward an fereber mo-.
Der amt nonef" Cries of "No, noi"]
"Den we ac' ON do delusion dat he dome
gone dar; darfo' let us pray"
The words may be told, but the spirit
of the petition that followed may never be
made manifest.
"An now, hear us, good Lawd, we
'seech an pray! He done trud de fiery fuY
nish oh 'iliction in dis col worl 'longside
er Meeshack, Shedrack an Bendigo''-
Eyes, Lawd!" responded hearer.
"An do roarin lions couldn't vour him,
ner neither do fiery flames couldn't scotch
him. an now he's done gone wild Lazerees
an Divess inter Aberham's IS buzzum, whar
dey amt got nary drap er water ter cool
der burnin tongues wid''-
Mary drapl Halleluyer 20 was respond.
ed.
"But dis, our br'er, he done gone wbaa
dc wicked ceast from troublin an de weary
Is at res'."
Here his words were almost lost in the
confusion that Acknowledgements, groans,
shouts, responses-and above all soft mo-
not@nous chant was heard. The mass OF
humanity, which pressed close to this
speaker, swayed to and fro, as II swept by
a mighty wind
Suddenly the speakers voice resumed
Its wonted tone, order was restored and
tho prayer was brought to u close.
IAN now bress we alls, our Father,
aDswheh we is oall'd may we go like we
trns' dis, thy servant, Is dome gone, out'n
desc bouns oh 'Dic'erty and de gallds si
bitterness, intor dy gates OBJ real gole IN
silver, fer his sake, amen"
In "a few minutes the crowd has dis
prscd, seemingly forgetful of the late ex.
cttement, and the things Of everyday lae
resume sway. AS they follow the narrow
Path down the hill, Aunt Dinah, walking
beside her, tells Sis Chloe of late wonder.
ful achievements of her own "speckled
pullet" in the egg producing line Hen
hearer, barely suppressingr sniff Of In
orcdulity, bestows sound cuff on the long
suffering ears of black Sam, the cowboy,
asking, as she encores the proceeding:
"See dat sun darP How low down IL done
gone, an whar dem cows, does you spects"
Even Uncle Dan1 so rcoently officiating
at the solemn ceremony, and who held his
hearers as by SPELL tells Br'er JohDsine
Of the mysterious disappearance of fat
porker from the pen at his house "las'
night" eying his listener, meanwhile, II
perchance he may show signs of conscious
ness for, as one Of "tbe members" once
remarked, "Br'er Johnsing have hen
weakness, dough nc do pass 'roun de- hat"
They cfo all gone now; their voices art
dying In the distance and silence comes,
with the mantle Of night to the new made
grave on tho hillside. dorothy Mayo In
Louisville Courier journal.