Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-04-07
AN EASTER EGG HUNT.
The Parson Found His Treasure in c
Queer Hidina Place.


Rev. CORVALLIS Washington Smith sat on
the bench in front of his cabin, sore per
picked Easter was at hand and his only
child, a woolly headed little pickaninny, had
set his heart on having Easter eggs, like de
white boys hab." AS for eggs he was not
worried. His hens would attend to all that
They were reliable hens, and would not
fail a minister of the Gospel on so impor
tant an occasion. 1t was the dye that both
cred the old man. He ran his hands through
his pockets repeatedly. Through" is the
proper word, for most of his pockets were
open at both ends. Naturally it was vain
to hope for nickels or even pennies in such.
In fact, collections were bad that spring.
81 dunno" he said, chow gwine to git dat
stuff nohow. De ole man he ain got nary
cent, for suah, but it do brek he heart not
to glib dat Pompey Ceasah Smif he Yeaster
eggs, it dol"
He scratched his head thoughtfully.
Pears like dat boy got he heart set on
eggs dis yeah, but | ain see" he broke
off abruptly "Psho ncw!" he calculated,
81 wonner why de ole man ain think OBJ
dat afore. Oats right good logic suah Sar
tinly it am. Whyfoh de white boys hab
cullud eggs, | like know? Jest cause so
dey git 'em de opposite, dat why. Darfoh
ef de white boy hab culled eggs, den de
cullud boy he titled to white eggs. Dat
sartinly am propah.'
1t took some time to make Pompey Caesar
see it in this light, but at length the old man
succeeded, and when Easter morning ar
rived the boy was well satisfied to hunt
the white eggs that had been hidden about
the cabin the night before While the hunt
lasted he was content. Then he undertook
some hiding ON his own account In the
henhouse he found three newly-aid eggs,
white enough to be the logical Easter eggs
for his very black father. These he hid in
out-ofthe-way places in the cabin, and set
the old darky hunting them. Rev. Smith
made great pretense of trying to find them,
and the little negro was nightly amused
at his fathers lack of success. 1t was great
fun while it lasted, and when church time
arrived and his father ha1 discovered none
of them, Pompey Caesar was in high glee.
The old negro donned his ancient long
tailed coat, put his rather brown tall hat
on his head, adjusted his glasses, and went
to deliver his Easter sermon. The day had
brought out the entire congregation, and as
Rev. CORVALLIS mounted the pulpit, he
beamed with pleasure. As he reached in
his coattal pocket for his bandanna, which
he always deposited on his pulpit before
beginning his sermon, his hand struck some
thing round and cold. 1t was one of Pom
pey Caesars eggs. He fumbled with it a
long while, wondering what it could be, and
as the congregation sang the hymn, he kept
his hand in the pocket. He could not
imagine what it was nor how it came there
He turned it over and over, wrinkled his
brow and tried to remember having put
something in his pocket some time, but it
protited him nothing His memory could
not grasp the egg. Unfortunately his hand
could. Little Pompey Caesar on the front
seat grew somewhat excited. His daddy was
on the right track at last As the old mar
fumbled with the egg, the boy could scarcely
sit still. At length the hymn ended, and
the congregation sat waiting for the, min.
lister to begin. He gave the egg one last,
lingering touch. 1t was too firm, his grasp
100 heavy. and the. egg brokai