The Topeka state journal., 1897-07-26
ON THE HILLSIDE.

The shadows are lengthening on the
hillside, where men have been at work on
a long and narrow strip of earth, and now
the soil shows dark where late the green
sod grew.
The men have done their task and are
waiting. Soon long, dark line shows
against the woods below as procession
wends its way across a broad field and up
the slope of the hill. They carry a burden
in front of the line, and the bearers toll in
the ascent, while a weird but melodious
chant floats upon the air as they draw near
the spot where the men still wait with un-
covered heads.
Though strong young arms carry the
burden, there are aged men there whose
dusky faces are furrowed, and whose forms
are bent with age. There are women,
too, no less venera BILE, with kerohiefs
the insignia of 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 are 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 greensward, the
starry flowers, the clear brook at the foot
of the hill, the ripe berries he used to
gather there, and he pined to rest his
failing eyes on the dear spot once more.
He lonRed for the sunny land and for the
little ca bin there, where on the threshold
he had sat in the twilight at his mothers
knee. "Can I go? Could I get there?''
he asked with eager eyes fixed on the face
of the 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 few 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.
sit do seem,'' she said, "like dey done
open sooner dis spring fer purpose SOS he
could see 'en. He did crave for 'em so.'
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 they should open
upon the brighter glories of the new Jeru-
salem.
Now the bearers 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'nl l'' said Aunt Dinah re-
provingly. "Br'er Dan1s gwine ter side
in pray'r.''
An aged man. whose hair was white and
whose face was furrowed, raised his trem-
bling hands, and every voice was hushed.
"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 OBJ
his sins an done 'fessed Lawd. We say he
done gone home, but eff der be ar'y br'er er
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 nones" TCries of "No, nol'1
"Den we ac' on de delusion dat he done
gone dar; darfo' let US pray
The words may be told, but the spirit
of the petition that followed may never be
made manifest.
can now, hear us, good Lawd, we
'seech an prayl He done trod de fiery fur
nish OBJ Fiction in dis coli worl 'longside
er Meeshack, Shedrack an Bendigo'-
Eyes, Lawd'' responded hearer.
"An de roarin lions couldn't 'vour him,
ner neither dc fiery flames couldn't scotch
him, an now he's done gone wild Lazerees
an Divess inter A Aberham's buzzum, whar
dey amt got nary drap er water ter cool
der burnin tongues wid''-
Mary drapl HalleluyerI" was respond
ed.
''But dis, our br'er, he done gone whar
de wicked ceast from troublin an de weary
is at res'"
Here his words were almost lost in the
confusion that followed-prayers, groans,
shouts, responses-and above all soft mo-
notonous chant was heard. The mass of
humanity, which pressed close to the
speaker, swayed to and fro, as if swept by
a mighty wind.
Suddenly the speakers voice resumed
its wonted tone, order was restored and
the prayer was brought to a close.
"An now bress we alls, our Father,
an when we is call'd may we go like we
trus' dis, thy servant, is done gone, out'n
desc bouns OBJ 'nic'erty and de gallds er
bitterness, inter dy gates OBJ real gole an
silver fer his sake, amen.'
In few minutes the crowd has dis
persed, seemingly forgetful of the late ex
citenent, and the things of everyday life
resume sway. AS they follow the narrow
path down the hill, Aunt Dinah, walking
beside her, tells Sis Chloe of late wonder
full achievements of her own "speckled
pullet" in the egg producing line. Her
hearer, barely suppressing a sniff of in
credulity, bestows sound cuff on the long
suffering ears of black Sam, the cowboy,
asking, as she encores the proceeding:
''See dat sun dar? How low down it done
gone, an whar dem COWS, does you 'spect?"
Even Uncle Dan'l, so recently officiating
at the solemn ceremony, and who held his
hearers by a spell, tells Br'er Johnsing
of the mysterious disappearance of a fat
porker from the pen at his house ''las'
night, eying his listener, meanwhile, if
perchance he may show signs of conscious
, ness, for, as one of 1.-THE mem bers'' once
remarked, "Br'er Johnsing have hen
weakness, dough he do pass 'roun de hat. -
They are all gone now; their voices are
dying in the distance and silence comes,
with the mantle of night to the new made
grave on the hillside.-Dorotby Mayo in
Louisville Courier journal.