The Lambertville record., 1903-01-14
ENTIRELY 9o
JUSTIFIABLE
BY Eva Williams Malone
Copyright, 1908, by the
BY Eva Williams Malone
Copyright, 1909, BY the
s. S. Mcclure Company


tice Bradbury for assault and battery
Brother Hankins, who had always
considered ''going to court" as the next
step toward trip to the neither re.
gions.
Yet 1t was perfectly evident from the
proof that Brother Hankins was guilty
Of the charge brought against him
that he had assaulted Deacon Ell
Smith. The deacon's manifold and
manifest personal defacements proved
the facts. and the oaths of various wit
nesses clinched the proof.
Brother Hankins counsel sought to
establish the plea that there were miti-
| eating circumstances, and Brother
| Hankins 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- sprised to see
me heah, jedge. den l is to be heah, but
flesh an blood Is flesh an blood, an
dey cain stan no mo- den dey kim"
"But you are minister of the gospel
Uncle Hank, and as such don't you
think 1t is very unbecoming for you to
be getting into common ightf"
"But lemme tell yo'. jedge, dis heah
ain no common fight, an eff ary one OBJ
my members had er been cotch In sech
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 2" said the
judge. at seems very plain case of
assault and battery. and l don't see
where the mitigating circumstances
come in."
Oats bekase yo' hahn come ac-
quainted wild dem suckumstances an
cain jes' zackly segasherfy how miti-
gatin' dey reely am, jedge. Yo' see.
wuz de paster at Possum 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 monts"
well. you didn't object to that, did
your" And the Judge gave Uncle Han
kins knowing wink.
"Well. sab, | wan jes' zackly sho'
bout de mattah. lowed | wuz putty
comf'table wild my daughter Kyarline,
80 | said to de breddren eff hits all de
same I'd jes' stay lax | wuz. But, no
sab; dey low hit mout mex scanned, an
hit 'u'd be better fur de chu'ch eff I'd
! ters: dat hit kinder keep de sisters In a
stew when dc paster's widow man."
TOO many of them with an eye on
| him, eh. Uncle Hank ?" put In the
| judge.
"Well. | dunno bout dat. jedge." said
Uncle Hank modestly, but de bred
dren dey put de matter 30 strong dat
hnly concluded dat ef Zion cain pros
per under de preachln' oh n widow
man dat widow man could put stop
to de trouble, an So
$50 you concluded to take a wife, did
your
"Well. not jes' zackly dat strong,
jedge. thawt I'd sorter browse erroun'
an see how de Ian 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.
ural, Uncle Hank" The judges court
seemed for the time being to be trans
formed into the court OF Cupid.
"Well, sab. | browse erroun' 'mongst
a .tn .IaI ~ Do, a
conclusion dat Sist 'Mericy Pender
grass jes' bout ill de bill. an when |
'scuss de matter wild her she low she
hahn no detection: dat n minister's
wife am mos lubly an mos holy
calm. But Sist' 'Merlcy say she hahn
no regler 'bldln' place, bein' lady
what mostly hiahs out, 80 de weddin'
'u'd halter be kinder prlvit, douten no
kyards. no poun' cake. no to-do OBJ no
sawt.
But dat sawter didn' suit me. ! stole
my fus' wife, hit bein' slave times, an
jes' had feelin' dat ef gwine marry
ergin didn' want no sneakin' Off in de
dawk onbeknownst lax. 80 tole Sist
'Mericy dat ez WIZ enterin' de holy
state OBJ mattermony fur de good oh dc
chu'ch mot meanin' no sinnywations
'ginst de LADY, low de chuch ort to
stand de spense. an | 'nounce at my
next 'p'intment dat dere 'u'd be perseed
ms OBJ mos onushal intrust ut my
daughter Kyarline's de next Tuesday
. night an all dem dat wuz willin' to
fetch poun' er 80 OBJ welcome needD
stan back fur no fudder invite.
"Dey cotch on, an ebberwhab 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' ting could er happened to
de chu'ch, meanin dat wan gwine
stay widow man no longer An Sist'
'Mericy she wuz jes' ez smilIn' ez a
basket OBJ chips. an dldn' no mo- dis.
trus' 'er den | dIstrus' yo' honnah on
de bench. ! made sho' she wuz straight
goods. all wool an yard wide an no
spots.
$50 hustle erroun' an scratch up de
money fur de license. a-feelin' mo- set
teder an mo- contenteder den | is
sence my fus' wife went to glory"
Here Uncle Hank paused, and a
shadow fell atbwart his wrinkled face.
The judge suggested:
Ibid the wedding come of on time,
Uncle HankT'
Uncle Hank wiped his brow refec-
lively and answered after some hesita-
ton:
"well, ledge. yo' mout say hit did, au'
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' dldn' come or
'cordin' to 'p'intment.
"My daughter Kyarline hab ebber-
ting ready, an de way de pies an
cakes an towels wuz brung In beat de
band. De 'rangement wuz dat Deacon
ELI Smith, dat white eyed scounnel
ober dere forninst yo' honnah," and
Uncle Hank glared at the brother men,
tioned-"he wuz to fetch de bride an
40 = ,lx Ia