The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1899-07-14


know nOthin' about Elder Jimpson?
But you must have seen his obitara-
ries in the newspapers-threc columns
OF 'em in the BungtOwn Eagle, an as
much more in the Wild Cat Cleaner.
The elder had preached fifty year, an
banged the inards out OF as many as
twenty bibles, besides breakin' lamps
without number a-gestickrelatin to
the miserable sinners in his congre.
cation. He had baptized 0ncounted,
an berried an merried as much as n
q thousand, both male an female, an
some old maids and bacheldores. He
was a tall old man with a sQuint in
his left eye, which was caused by try.
in to see by his nose, which was kind
er scrcw-jinted, an leaned half way
round on that side of his face.
He lived to be ninety, and the folks
give him big funeral.
| Now, in some places they don't
make no great account of funerals,
but to Wild Cat Narrers there's moth.
IN except a circus that goes ahead OF
a funeral. Everybody gifts an airly
dinner an goes an falls into the per-
cession, an the one that gifts in nigh
est the mourners is the best feller SO
to speak.
An all the women in the neighbor-
hood go to the house a day or two be-
fore the funeral and cook up all there
is to be cooked, an then funeral day,
everybody stays to supper to console
the mourners.
Ezra he'd had little touch of the
malary about that time, and he said
furst he couldn't go to the funeral
He said he should hate to be ashakin
an takin' qunne whilst the minister
was addressin' the mourners, but
told him he could 90 out into the
woodshed if he felt IA spell comm on
| thought we'd better 90. for this was
most likely the last opportunity wee
ever git OF meetin' Elder Jlmpson in
a social way. l told him I'd drive an
we'd take old Dumps, which is stid
dy boss il he don't take notion to bt
bauky or to run away with We.
II Dunno says Ezra, 'as we'd ought
to take Dumps, anyway, for likely as
not he'll be took with one OF his cadi
does, an stop, an thereby stop the
whole percession. I've heard my grand
mother say that once, where she was
a h0ss stopped in a funeral percession,
an telerscoped as much as fifteen car
riages, an all the mourners, an rails
ed the old Harry ginerally."
Ezra he's alters b0rryin' trouble.
Good land, he's crossed more bridges
before he come to them than there is
over the Mississippi river! No matter
what you talk about, hc alters sees
trouble ahead.
Wall, we took Dumps, an the best
harness, an tie dimmycart wagon.
with little Nehemiah Jones in the
hind part-a.settin' On cricket.
snow, Nehemiah Jones, you hold
on" says l, 'if old Dumps gets to ca
vortin', as likely as not he'll bounce
you out"
Nehemiah he braced hsself, an
hid onto the seat of the wagon with
one hand, an his new straw hat with
the other, an We sot forth. AS soon
as we got out into the road along
come Mandy Perkins an her darter,
Sally with their old sorrel mare.
Mandy she hit her hoss cut with
the whip, an got in ahead OF US, an
got to the front door of the Jimpson
house furst.
All through the sarmon, which was
two hours and a half long. an told
everything that Elder Jimpson had
ever done, or ever sot out To do, | was
a.thinkin' OF how I'd contrive to git
in ahead of Mandy in the percession.
The minnit the sarmon was over.
II hurried out, an Onhitched
Dumps, an got Ezra an Nehe'
miah Jones loaded into the wag-
on. An the instant that the funeral
manager said: Friends will please
fall into percession behind the mourn.
ers," / hit Dumps a lick with the
whip, an VIC scooted right in front OF
Mandy jest as she was gittin' the old
\ sorrel out of his moorin's.
j Mandy she see that she was beaten
unless she did something quick, an
SO she galloped right up alongside o.
US. The road was pritty wide, an
; for a minnit or two we kept along
neck an neck, as the jockeys say. I.
"Git up there!" says she, hittin thu
. old crltter Will the relnS. an Uryih
hard to pull him right In front 0l
Dumps. But l kept old Dumps nose
. right into the backs OF Alciny Jimp'
J son an her husband, an Mandy's hoss
I couldn't git In ahead Of me unless nc
} clim into the hind part Of Jimpsons
wagon.
At the foot Of Browns hill we met
> an or team an had to turn out. Man.
dys horse he seed something that
skccred him an he sot out on arun,an'
, Dumps hc walked up an h'isted his
|, tail an snortcd, an sot out after the
sorrel. Right by everything we went,
hearsc, bearers, an mourncrs, an