The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1899-04-14
THE FUNERAL AT TEE COVE.

4 Skecch Of Character aad Scenery
In the Mountains Of North Caro-.
lina.
"YSas. I Wa at tho fuusril, and Il
was ~ esrty . fansril - I was ever
1t, AID you must say thar aint masy
that I've skipped sincs my ols maa
died, fer just delight in2 fsaszih,
they make . body 6sei % solsna ord
uncomfortable like.
"Betsy Ann Blake and mss bssa
"sighbors nigh On to twelve ysar. II
aint nore'n ton mile BY The bride Path
70 her cabin, and I sllux simed 20 80
her lesstway half d, zsn times Q ysss.
I'll miss her powerful. Betsy Aan
was . good woman, and . powerful
kind neighbor, nvne better. 'low
the reason I didn't know she was sick
was because I was down q Sam
Hob6s . nussin' Mari, her that wss
Mari Lawson, you remsmbss, thas
lives down at tho settlement. We'll,
she's got her tsnth, and they are oil
nightly tiokled cause its an "hsis."
and looks - If it had come % 49,,
while Mari, she looks dretful pasy
and no count Shsuldn't wonder II
thar'd 10 . house of mournia' tier
afore long.
''ssm he warn't for 'scusing me, bat
I promised faithful to 20 beck again.
I Was just bound to git 70 Jssmss %
80 how they all tuck their 'aiction,
and I got the news % Late, I plum
had to make my old nag lops stl to
way, and her with tho heavss, TOO.
ut wss awful suddsnt Bstsy1
death was, hadn't been sick . weed.
Doctor said It Was the mslafy. bus /
knowed better. Betsy Ann had .
disease the doctors whole saddle bass
couldn't cure. She was just pintsdly
wore out with Jeems's manuvsrinS,
and care of such heap Of young onss.
Betsy was one meek sort, and never
anybody, but she wss awful
sot- them quiet folks allux is-snd
what passed between her and the Ma
grsws I never knowed, nor colldn't
find out, but not ono of 'sm sver'd
crossed her door step for mors.n Q
year, and I wss Gurus TO 80 II they
bc at tho funerll.
"Blsss you; every last one of EN-
was on hand, from Paw and Nav
Magraw, down to tho babs in arms.
Why you'd . thought they vas nsss-
est OF kin, to go 'em all . bossin' aud
directin' all over and every.whar /; and
the way that oldest Msgraw girl Aus-
tered around Jeems Blake was nothin'
short Of outdacious briggitynss.
my, but there WAS . cot out In The
kitchen. The table was plum loaded
With things to eat. Thar was ohloksa
fixin's and hog meat, and pies and
cakes, and light bread and corn pons.
and moro store tea and coffee than !
aver 80 aAbrs TO onook reckon
Jssms scored . hesp of votss; he's Q
running for sheriff this fall, 70 know,
and he's . mighty man for seixin' tho
main chance.
ut did seem q little like ondscent
haste to have tho buryin' and the
funeril both to oncet, but Jeemes h
allux mighty rushin' and hefrrshand;
lnd he said ~ the elder was ON aAaaa
thar warn't no need Of proosaai.atioa. I.
Maybe he didn't want 10 Hsstap; 1iih
no :hindsrmints 10 his, polisins. .41alkh''
lsesr On; any way, the slAsr Presohsd
'he funeril sermon right than and thar,
md . powerful good one It Was. TOO,
slough he said he wasn't mach Pre-.
pared.
"Psars to mo tho elder outdoss him.
,elf on occasions. WY when hs wm
! oomf,rtin' the mourSsn you could
heard him . mile, aud ~ remasls
about Betsy Ann was al true and
lovely, they was 20. 6omshov, I
couldn't help wishin' she could have
heard some Of them words, or they
could have been said to her whilst
,he was ivin'; it would have en-.
her nightly.
"Jeems Was all broke up, and the
tsars jest ran in rivers down his checks,
whilst Lsviny Magrsw, she stood b.
lookin' for all the world like ,shs vas
achin' to wipe 'em away.
"Humphl Two seen thsm sasas
tears doW down Jeem's checks twicse
afore-Betsy's his third, you know
and ! just give him six months 70 dry
them weepin' eyes. Yss'm, jsst ax
months, and he won't find nary anoth.
q Betsy Ann 70 dry 'sm neither.
1T WAS nigh on to sun down afors
he psroession got started. The elders
sgrnoa wss long, and everybody want.
Cd 70 view tho sorpse. Jssuns d3d' Aals
hs could, / reckon, aad HsAay A1a'
wa droseod fincr than I WVor - ASr