The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-12-26

SnFlVeIled and seemed to fade .xav
Sne rubbed a hand over his broad
breast lovingly. then laid him away
70 nnish the dressing later. casting at
n1ih from time TO time approving
lance no doubt with antici0@.7a- Gf
the thanksgiving meal, Of which he
WAS 20 De the chief factor, tnou... >.
mentioned that she had sum mighty
good sweet 'taters ter go wild him"
1t seemed that everything favored
US on this decision, for suddenly Aur.
MIttle Ann turned to me and said.
~itnout any preface, DID you go ter
De 1uneral?' / had to reply, in a way
not tC show my ignorance of the de-
ceased n OF the ceremony, and then
she turned to my companion and said.
want dat or putty f~uneral?" This
rough out the story Of the "Buryin'
Oh tneIe Lazarus" and my companion
had to tell it as we left the house 10
take a turn around the grounds and
stop at the spring. Uncle Lazarus,
Aunt aiittie AIMS partner for over
Torty years, had passed away, rheu.
niatisfn beng the chief cause of his
In the extremity Of woe
Aunt Mittie Ann had sent for my
com panIon, whom she esteems most
highly, to make some preliminary
suggestions as to the funeral. She
said: Il is, 'Mefdis, but Uncle Laza-
rus was want muffin: didn't long 10
no church at ALI" Then she went on
to say that a friend. a cook, had dun
ole re & Baptis' preacher whar she
knows breaches er mighty nice sar-
mint and he IS de man I'm er looking
fer" This pastor has a church and
lock IL Raleigh. and is a big and
unctOuS fellow, fairness if not theoio-
sy fairly dripping from him, and on
the afternoon Of the greatest day III
Aunt Mittie AIMS life. after she had
bno ~~--~ =.
forty years ago by her, "Ole Miss
she was driven to the big and barn
like church chosen as the place Of
the ceremonies. She was delighted,
though she did not say SO by look or
word, to find three preachers. all
swathed in black from head to foot;
the big fellow in the middle weaElag
a coat the tails OF which almost swept
the floor, f.anked by the other breth-
rem, who were local talent called in
by him. he having stated hat it was
too much 'sponsibility" for him
alone to conduct the funeral
after the great compliment had been
paid him of being chosen by a mem
Der Of another denomination TO rende:
this service. My companion was the
only white person at the exercises, as
Aunt hittie Ann had stated, "scuaGn
the undertaken" "Scuson" she meant
en- OF by Aunt Mittie Ann as my
ScIIfpdIioII SiiOGiu 6lISItG, a. Shic
wanted her ''pinion er de funeral
The big preacher raised "a tune and
then read q letter written by a lady
Of the family" tina family ever spok-
G nof by Aunt Mittie Ann as my
White folks" This letter referred to
Uncle Lazarus in most affectionate
terms, saying that he had always been
in Tia service of the family and had
been ever faithful. and and then went
Oh to tell the story of how he had
caught rheumatism from exposure.
The preacher read this with the most
profound dignity and folding it up
and restoring it to it's envelope, pre-
served IL to give it to Aunt Mittie Ann
as a most priced remembrance of this
great OCCASION Then he went on to
speak about Uncle Lazarus, and to
tell the truth dwelt not upon his meT-
its but upon his dement's. He declar-
ed that he want no Christian no.
how and became very excited IN the
course of his prolonged remarks. He
told with infinite detail of the death
bed suffeFings Of Lazarus, and made
broad the fact that the latter was by
no means in fit shape TO go TO the
Great Beyond This gave the preacher
his golden opportunity, for in the midst
of his discourse, cool as was The day,
he took off his coat and hung it On the
back of his chair and then literally
Waded into his subject, namely Laza-
rus: mopped his forehead and almost
went into Commissions Aunt Mittie
Ann sat upright in her place., very
proud of every word said, Of the fact
that she was better dressed than ever
before and was the chief figure in the
exercises Of the hour, and that so
many friends of hers were there to see
her. The coffin of Lazarus, opened so
that his face could be seen, was oil
rectIy in range of her vision and in
plain view of everybody in fact the
preacher during his as liter
ally looked poor Lazarus in the face,
if he were berating him personally.
Finally, the discourse ended, Aunt
Mittie Ann began for the first time
to get uneasy. for her friend the cook
had promised that she would shout
during the exercises, and Aunt Mittle
Ann became desperately afraid she
would forget this promise, but sud
denly the cook, big and fat and loud
voiced, spranS to her feet, revealing
a snowy White dress, gave a most
tremendous shout, leaned forward