The Press., 1903-03-05
ENTIRELY 9'
sA
L UNSUITABLE
BY Eva Williams Malone
BY ENs williams Malone
Copyright, 1908. bp the
s. S. Mcclure Company


gions.
Yet 1t was perfectly evident from the
proof that Brother Hawkins was guilty
of the charge brought against him
that he had assaulted Deacon Eli
Smith. The deacon's manifold and
manifest personal defacementg proved
the facts. and the oaths Of various wit
nesses clinched the proof.
Brother Hankins' counsel sought TO
establish the plea that there were caiti-
eating circumstances, and Brother
Hank;ns was allowed to take the stand
in his own behalf, He pulled his fore
top in the way he had been taught was
the proper thing when he wanted to
"use manners" and said: -. ..-
"Yo' sho' ain no mo s'prised to see
me heah. jedge. den is to be heah, but
flesh an blood is flesh an blood, an
dey cain stan no mo- den dey kin"
"But you are minister of the gospel.
Uncle Hank. and as such don't you
think it is very unbecomiug for you to
be getting into common fight?"
"But femme tell yo'. jedge. dis heah
ain no common fight. an eff airy one OBJ
my members had er been cotch in sech
a box an hadn' er fit I'd er thawt he
mout be putty good chu'ch member
but he wan no piece OBJ man."
How is that. Uncle Hank?" said the
judge, "It seems very plain case Of
assault and battery. and l don't see
come in
Oats bekase yo' hahn come ac-
quainted wild dem suckumsta noes an
cain jes' zackly segasherfy how miti-
gatin' dey RELY am. jedge. 70 see, l
wuz de paster at Pcssum Holler. an
dere wan muffin but peace an good
will in my congergashun tell de dea.
cons gun at me to marry My wife. yo'
know. been dead sev'al mont's."
well. you didn't object to that. did
you?" And the judge gave Uncle Han
kins a knowing wink
"Well. sab. wan jes' zackly sho'
bout de mattah. | lowed | wuz putty
comf'table wild my daughter kyarline.
so | said 10 de breddren ef hits all de
same I'd jes' stay lax | wuz But, no
sab: dey low hit mout mex scanned, an
hit 'u'd liz better fur de chu'ch eff I'd
git me Il pardner rum among de sis
ters: dat hit kinder keep de sisters in a
stew when de pastors Il widow man."
TOO many of them with an eye on
him. eh, Uncle Hankr' put in the
judge.
We'll. | dunno bout dat. jedge." said
Uncle Hank modestly. but de bred
dren dey put de matter so strong dat
fin'Iy concluded dat eff Zion cain pros
per under de preachin oh a widow
man dat widow man could put stop
to de trouble. an So
so You concluded to take wife. did
you?''
We'll not jes' zackly dat strong,
jedge tina VT Id sorter browse erroun'
an see how de ham lay. an eff my eye
light on de proper pusson an de proper
pusson's eye light on me-
why. the matter would be easy
enough. of course That's perfectly nat.
seemed for the time being to be trans
formed into the court of Cupid.
We'll: sab. | browse erroun' 'mongst
de sisters sev'aI mont's an come to de
conclusion dat Sist' 'Mericy Fender
grass jes' bout fill de bill. an when
'scuss de matter wild her she low she
hahn no detection; dat minister's
wife am a mos lubly an mos holy
callin' But Sist' MERCY say she hahn
no regler 'bidin' place. bein' a lady
what mostly hiahs out. so de weddin'
'u'd halter be kinder privit. douten no
kyards. no poun' cake. no TODD OBJ no
awt
But dat sawter didn' suit me. | stole
my fus' wife, hit bein' slave times. an
jes' had a feelin' dat ef gwine marry
ergin didn want no sneakin' off in de
dawk onbeknownst lax. so | tole Sist'
Mercy dat eZ ! wuZ entPrin de holy
state OBJ mattermony fur de good OBJ de
chu'ch mot meanin no SHINY
'ginst de LADY, low de chu'ch ort to
stand de spense. an | 'nounce at my
next 'p'intment dat dere 'u'd be perseed
ms OBJ mos onushal intrust at my
daughter Kyarline's de next Tuesday
night an all dem dat wuZ willin to
fetch poun' er so OBJ welcome needn'
stan back fur no fudder invite
"Dey cotch on. an ebberwha ! went
fur de mex few days yo' could smell de
poun cakes an de towels De deacons
dey all seem mighty pleased an low
hits de bes' ring could er happened to
de chu'ch. meanin' dat I wan gwine
stay a widow man no longer An Sist'
'Mericy she wuz jes eZ sInilin ez a
basket OBJ chips. an ! didn no mo dis
trus' 'er den | distrus 20 honnah on
de bench. | made sho she wuz straight
goods. all wool an yard wide an no
spots.
$50 I hustle erroun' an scratch up de
money fur de license. a-feplin' mo- set
tleder an mo- contenteder den IL
sence my fus' wife went to glory"
Here Uncle Hank paused. and q
shadow fell athwart his wrinkled face
The judge suggested: -..
Ibid the wedding come OF on time.
Uncle HankT'' EsEa HE#4 #ss
Uncle Hank wiped his brow redec
lively and answered after some hesita
ton:
.s.sr Hse
well. jedge. yO' mont say hit did. an
ergin yo' mout say hit didn'. 'cordin' to
de way yo look at de matter. Fun dis
heah cullud pusson's stan'p'int I'd say
no. sab. de weddin' didn' come of
'cordin' to 'p'intment. -...e
My daughter Kyarline hab ebber-
ting ready. an de way de pies an
cakes an towels WIZ brung in beat de
band De Management wuz dat Deacon
Eli Smith. dat white eyed scounnel
ober deere fornnst yo' honnah." and
Uncle Hank glared at the brother men,
wuz to fetch de bride an
de license to Kyarline's at early candle
lightin', an de weddin' 'u'd den per-
seed. Now. sab. jes' dar's whah de Ju-
das Scariat come In" aB
didn't Deacon Smith bring the |
bride. Uncle HankT asked the judge, |