The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-11-10
TANGIBLE SORROW. +"
As Expressed by the Mourners nit ths
0bseGuie@ of "a Departed
COhoFed Brother.

side, and the women on the left: ban
dana handkerchiefs were i'm evidence
There was much smiling and walins
and bowling. Brother j. was tb,
preacher, and sat directly behind tn,
coffin, facing the congregation. n,
had asked Brother Gardner. the pre-
siding elder, 10. say few words about
the dear departed. Brother Gardner
arose, clearing his throat vigorourly
and wiping his eyes again and again
He glanced toward the Amen corner
where sat the bereayed widow Matil.
! ola and long row of fatherless chill
dren. Clearing his throat again. he
began in the most solemn and holy
tone, relates the Boston Transcript.
"Bredderin' an belubbed friends Of
the po'r departed Brudder Jinkins:
We is gaddered here agin to-day to
mourn de obsequies oh dis here pillar
oh de church, him was a lilly oh de
valley a flower oh de flock, an de
shepherd oh Israel; him was de best
husband an fadder dat any oman eb-
Der had; him was n chile oh de Lord;
him was de best man dat ebber trod
de streets oh Fernandina, an we as
sembles to offer our sympathies to-
day TO po'r Sister Matilda, an dem 10
head OF fatherless chillen."
Howl after howl went up; some of
the visitors felt impressed with the
Importance of the late brother. and
sympathi2ed deeply with the poor sor-
rowing widow, and wondered how the
church would ever get along without
him.
Suddenly Brother johnson, the
preacher, interrupted him as he was
about to continue his howery praise,
and, standing on tiptoes and scream
ing out with all his might, called in
laundering tones:
"Brudder Gardner, am yo' throo'?
Am yo' throo' tellin' all dem beauti-
full lies? ! want yo' to know dat Mig
ger am dade; him's long way past
whar dem beautiful lies of yourn am
gwine to do him any good whatsomeb-
Der, and him's q long ways past whar
my trufe am gwine to hurt him. am
lse gwine to tell de truf about dat
niger! Him was the dead-beatenest
niger Fernandina ebber seed! Him
was drunk hand runnin' ebber night
TO 40 years. Yo' an |. Brudder Gard
ner, amt done nothin' but pull him
out oh de callaboose thousands of
times" (pointing to the dead); "hump,
yo' know, dat's de trufe, ole man. no
'sputin' wild me now; lie down dar
quiet, | say; de Lord knows yo' would
be drunk dis minute If de debbil didn't
hab yo'. or had any whisky dar YOU
could buy. | want de congregation to
stop all dat sniffin' round here ober
dat lazy, triflin', drunken Niger; an
as TO wastin' your sorrow ober po'r
Sister Matilda an dem 10 hade oh fad
deriess chillen. |, me, myself fink she
done made mighty good radiance of
bad rubbish" with loving glance to-
ward the Amen corner), IAN hope
the fust young buck she'll spark will
be me! An what's more. dis here mig
ger cost me money TO dis box to bury
him in; Ise out Of pocket five dollars.
an. lse gwine to be disembursed befo'
1 Leah de meetin'i
"Yo'se all sayin' yo'se sorry round
here; now Use gwine to glib yo' de |
chance to show how sorry yo' am. sho' |
'nough; come along heah ebbery last
one of yo an put yo' money down in
tangible sorrow an show how sorry
yo' is; walk long up libely now an
put 20 money down.
Sister Polly Ann. yo's workin' TO-
SIS n month; yo' handkerchief done say
yo's sorry lot; what yo' pocketbook
t'ink about it? How sorry is yo' Sister
Polly?"
Sister Polly tucked away her hand
kerchief and sailing up the aisle, plain
lively said; else sorry TO bits" and
laid down so cents upon the coffin.
The preacher kept on with the col
lection. How sorry is yo, Brudder
Gardner? come long up here an lay
down yo' money! How sorry il de
oh de church,"
The mother of the church walked up
and was sorry six bits, and laid down
her money.
How sorry Is yo', Sister Ann?"
Sister Ann grieyed TO the extent of
two bits" and so on through the con
@tfSAtiollt tif NbHltH hurried np the
aisle, proud of chance to show off
heir new frocks, and put down their
money in Tangible sorrow" until an
DID auntie hobhled up ON her cane un-
til she reached the cofiln, then wheel
ing about and facing the congregation,
he exclaimed;
II nebher hear de trufe told befo' at
my Niger funeral. an lse gwlne to
tell de trufe. Brother Jiukins was the
neanest Niger de Lord ebber made.
IN amt sorry one picoyune!" and
here she gave the edge of the coffin
numbering rap with her cane, 40
70 shore stole ebbery hog ebber had
n Fernandina."
And thus Brother johnson called out
an honest expression of tangible sor-
'ow" 10 the amount OF Si0.75; SIS he
put instantly into his pocket, the rest
he turned over to the widow; and in
ess than two weeks he was the proud
of the remainder of the
funeral money, for he brRvely married
he widow and - "head" OF father
ess children.
Oar cities II Century Ago.