Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1901-02-23

GAA'...-@ O.sN-
I'LL BE IN HEAVEN BEFORE SUNRISE"
but had become interested in the state
ment that Speckled hens were more H.
able to the pip than white or black
ones when Mrs. Gallup recovered con-
sciOuSness - that is she opened her
eyes. uttered a sigh and fetched q
groan and sat up. She fully expected
Mr.. Gallup would ask her what had
happened or at least look in her direc-
ton, but just then he was busy with
the poultry books statement that q
red rag tied to the tail of a would be
sitting hen will scare her out Of the
idea. When a long two minutes had
passed, Mrs. Gallup concluded that
something ought to be said. and she be-
gan:
Samuel, want to talk to you few
minitS before perish. You know
- hev bin eXpectin to be summoned any
day for the last ten years. or since that
cow kicked me over the heart. While
you were out feedin the hog the sum
mons came. / caught sight of the back
of my head in the lookin glass jest as
strange black cat run across the
kitchen floor That was the way Mary
Ann Davis and Hammer Sly received
their summons, and there amt no
doubt that I'll be in heaven before sun
rise"
Mr.. Gallup scratched the back Of his
neck with one hand and held the book
with the other as he read that some
geese had been known to live to the
age of 10 years. but he had no remarks
to offer.
Il don't want to annoy you while you
are readin." continued Mrs. Gallup as
she unpinned the tidy from the head
of the lounge to use as handkerchief;
''but, as | never died before, | think
you kin bear with me a little. The
first thing to be done after | expire,
Samuel, is to hev me laid out. The
nayburs will cheerfully do that want
to be dressed in that gray dress you
bought me six years ago. Be particu-
lar about that, because it's the only
one | ever had that fits me across the
shoulders. | don't want to go to heav-
en- in a dress all hunched up. want
to hev my hands folded and pink
hOllyhOck in my fingers. shall try
to expire with a smile on my face. so |
as to look my very best. and if my |
mouth is shet nobody will notice my |
old teeth. Samuel. are you follenp |
me"
He wasn't. He was following the
author of the poultry book where he
stated that ducks were strangely infu-
enced by music and had been known to
60 to sleep when a fiddle was being
played. Mrs. Gallup toyed with her
tears for an interval and then said:
That's all about me, Samuel You
needn't git up no big funeral or 90 to
any big expense. The rest is about
you. Even if you don't marry agin
within four weeks you'll want soft
soap fur the winter. The soap grease
is down cellar in a keg. and it's as good
soap grease as anybody ever had
When you are bilin your soap. don't
furgit to lay a saSsafras stick across
the kittle. think you'll hey to buy
new tablecloth some time before spring
I've made the last one do fur two
years, but It's beginnin to 90. It's got
three holes right in the middle. How
ever, if you don't marry you won't
mind a hOley tablecloth. You know
about the wash biler, don't you"
Mr. Gallup refused to answer that
question by even lifting bis eyebrows. ,
The statement that a gander had been :
known to commit suicide through dis
appointed love interested him to the
exclusion Of all else
"The biler leaks in four different
places. Samuel. and has fur two years. ,
and I'm afraid you'll hev to git it mend :
ed. I'd hes tried to hang on to it fur
another year if l hadn't bin goin to =,
die, but now it's my duty to tell you ,
And I'm afraid your second wife will !
want you to git her a new washboard. y
I've made ours do fur nine years and
It only cost 13 cents at first. but it's
)eginnin to crinkle, and nobody kin be .
blamed fur it. Now, let's see. Mrs.
Taylor owes me two cups Of brown :,
sugar. If she cries much at my funer- :,
Il, you needn't ask her fur them, but q
f she only sheds a tear. or two she q
must pay 'em back Then Mrs. Jack n
on has flatiron of mine with a bro =
zen handle. She's bin sayin fur year n
r two that she'd bring it back but she =
asn't done it. 1t amt good fur any =,
hing as Il fiGtirOn, but you want it to N
rack butternuts with. Samuel do you !,
emember when the preacher ate sup N
er at Joe Whites? 1t was two years o.
90 this fall. think, and just about 4
ne time | fell into the cistern."
Mr. Gallup did not open his mouth
| reply. He had reached a chapter =.
the book wherein it stated that roost- -,
s crowed in the early morning not
welcome daylight, but to scare pole
ITS away, and he was oblivous of all 20
Sc.