The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-05-18
EIRs. GALLUp'S TRIBULATION
She Receives Warning That She Is not
Long For this World.

Gallup had been tearing up an old
skirt and sewing carpet rags, when she
looked up and said
Samuel, l want TO talk to you a
mint. Do you know that I've bin
warned Of my death?"
81 hadn't heard of it,, he replied.
"But hcv, and my time in this
cold world is brief. BY this time next
week you may be widowcr.
wall, l took them chances when l
married you. | s'pose it won't kill me
to be widowcr.'
"I'll bet you are jest wishin you
was one this very night T she ex
claimed. as she crossed her hands in
her lap to look him straight in the
face. "Mrs. Tompkins was tellin' me
Yesterday that you was steppin' around
as lively as colt, bowin to all the
wimmin you met, and that you d git
married agin in a month after l was
dead
II should wait at least three he
said, as he clasped his hands behind
his head and looked steadily at the
clock.
"Wall, I amt goin' to worry over
what you'd do. I've had nuthin' but
worry all my life, and now when I've
got chance to be an angel in week
or two I amt goin to fret and stew
about what l leave behind me. Do
you believe in warnin' S, Samuel?"
cts accordin' to whar they hit
me, he replied.
"Don't make fun Of solemn things.
Your brother Aaron used to do that,
and he fell off the barn and broke his
neck. I'm one as believes We was put
here Oil earth to BE warned. Do you
know what l heard at o'clock 'tother
night? You was snorin' away and
didn't hear it, but it come to me as
plain as day. I heard bell tollin'. )"
"What was she tollin' for?'
"For my funeral. Yes, Samuel
Gallup, that bell tolled forty seven
times, which is my age. and then it
stopped with sort Of groan and
shiver.'
'Got tired, probably he said, as
he scratched at his left heel with the
too OF his right slipper.
"If you ain't struck dead fur SIGH
remarks it's because the Lord is savin
you to be drownded in the we'll.
When that bell fust started / thought
mebbe it was tollin fur Aunt Hetty
White, who is 20 years old aud ex-
pectin to spread her wings every day;
but stopped at forty-seven. Samuel,
hcv you priced the price Of cofins
lately?"
"No, l heven'
II s'pose they can be had all the
way from SIS up to 500. l don't
want the cheapest, and / won t ask We
to buy the dearest. How much d'yc
think you could afford, Samuel? Re
member, it's the only coffin you'll ever
hev to buy me, and l wouldn't ask fur
that, only folks might talk about it,
''Times is purity hard, Hammer he
said, after long silence.
II know it, Samuel. Hain't l bin
goin almost barfoot fur the last three
months cause times was hard, and
don't | steep the tea grounds twice
over to make EN- go further 2
II should think ye orter git along
with S25 coffin, bein'it won't be of
no more use after it's put into the
ground. 'Taiu't as if yc could rig it
up fer sled OF weeclbarrer after
wards.
What! You goin' to bury me fur
$50 after my slavin' fur all these
years and years T. she exclaimed, as
the tears start 'I'll never take no.
s25 coffin and agree not to haunt yc.
Times is hard, but L amt goin' to be
put away in no dry goods box. If you
are SO stingy about the coffin, what'll
you do about the tombstone p
''Tcn dollars gifts fine onc," he
answered, "and they'll gimme a year
to pay fur it,
"Ten dollars fur my tombstoner'
she walled, as she dropped her work.
Samuel Gallup, if anybody had told
me this l wouldn't believed it.
You d be nice man to come up to
heaven and meet me and hev all the
angels know that you didn't pay but
s35, all told, fur funeral expenses.
Not one Of EN- would look at We, and
[ couldn't say nuthin' to excuse you"
"Then you hadn't better die, Han
ner, he observed, after she had wept
for three or four minutes and wiped
her eyes on the old skirt instead of
her apron.