St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-03-25
FoREHANDED GRAvED1GGER.
Provision Made for 81 johnson In tn e
s.DreaLful Cold" Connect.
cut Winters.

| One day late i'm November a COM
mercial traveller from New York was
walking aimlessly through the grave
yard in a little village in Connecticut
1t was Greary looking place. The
few trees which had been planted there
by the friends of those sleeping under
ground were bare Of leaves. and the
wind made their branches rub together
with a sound which suggested1rving's
description of the haunted tree at
Sleepy Hollow. The commercial trav-
eler was about to seek more cheer
full scene for the continuation of his
stroll when he caught sight of man
carrying u spade coming through the
little gate which was reserved for pc
trance being used by those who rode in
carriages-or otherwise.
Business pretty bi:sk around here ?''
asked the drummer, throwing away
his cigar and joining the man with the
spade.
Not very replied the man as he
bent 10 measure off parallelogram
eight feet by four. "Only two funerals
since August and one of those was a
baby's, SO l only got half price for dig
GIN the grave
The business Of the gravedigger was
not exactly what the drummer had re-
ferred to, but he let the matter drop.
and, seating himself on a large. fiat
stone in the vicinity of the parallelo-
gram, watched the progress of eNcava-
ton with apparent interest.
"You haven't very imposing array
of monuments in this cemetery" he
remarked. casting his eye over the few
rows of plain. mossgrown headstoncs.
from which here and there slab of
clean, shining marble plainly told the
story of its late arrival.
NO. we haven't a very attractive
place here" the gra,edigger reluctant
ly admitted You see, the folks in
this town are mostly poor. and those
that amt poor are too stingy to in
vest in marble statuary for their mon
uments. Only about one family in ten
thinks of giving me even drink of
cider for fixing up their graves and
lining 'em with leayes so as to kinder
soften the sound of the box as it goes
down.
The drummer drew a flask from his
pocket and handed it to the man with
the spade.
That's rather cold work you're do
ing" he said: "Betterhave drink
Thank ye.-Air." said the gravedig-
ger. handing back the bottle.
by the way" said the drummer, as
he restored it TO his pocket. ''whcse
grave is that you're digging now?'
''O!d 81 Johnson'sF'
Isl johnson" repeated the drummer.
Isl Johnson. 1t seems to me l have
heard the name before. Isn't he father
OF the man that keeps the store up at
the Corners?"
"Yes, that's ST." answered the grave
digger. throwing up very large SHOW
elful of dirt which came near landing
on the patent leather shoes Of his ques-
toner.
but didn't know that he was dead"
said the drummer. II was in his sons
place this morning. and"
oh! he amt dead yet" interrupted
the gravedigger, resting for moment
on his spade and contemplating the
progress he had made. ''He amt dead
yet. but the doctor says he cant last
till New Years. so | thought Id better
get his grave ready before the ground
freezes up too hard. Dreadful cold
winters we have down here in Con-
necticut!"
'Hase another drink" said the drum
mer. gravely. handing over the bottle.