Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-07
COLONEL GOFORTH'S
FUNERAL
BY BERTHA FRANCES WOLFE

~ of the rural districts of Kentucky said
the Judge, IL was travelling through a
sparsely settled region when my horse fell
lame. Seeing that could 60 no farther,
stopped at the nearest house, hoping to be
able to hire horse TO continue my Journey.
at was bright day in the latter part of
September, and the mountains of dear old
Kentucky never looked more beautiful; for
Nature was beginning to don her auturnnal
COlors. - -
al knocked at the door of a rude 10, house
Presently it was opened by towheaded 10y
of about ten years. In answer to inquiry
for his father, he said:
"'Pap is at the shed saddlin' the mewel,
and Mammyis gettin' ready for the fun raj.
II followed him to the shed in search of
the father, and, having made known my
dilemma and asked for assistance, he re-
plied
Law, ledge, you couldn't git no critter
in this country today nohow; for this is the
day sot for Colonel Bourne Goforth's fun raj,
and everybody round that has any beasties
| will be usin' of EN-, and them that hasn't ill
walk afoot. You jist as well put up with us
and stay till tomorrer.'
Seeing that could 60 no farther that
day. and thinking that l might do myself
| some good in my approaching race for re-
election, l accepted his invitation to stay
with him and attend the funeral.
"Colonel Goforth died last winter. |
thought the funeral sermon was preached
at the time, said [.
"'No, We see it was in Feb 'uary he died,
and the roads was powerful bad; so they
put off the fun'ral till the roads was good
and the weather pleasant, SO as all of his kin
and friends could come. Then they wanted
to send for his sister, that's married and
lives in I'way; not as they thought she'd be
likely to come but they wanted to gin her
good chanst. So the date was sOt and
norated round fur the last Saturday in Sep
tember'
"At this juncture the wife appeared with
La baby in her arms and three year old boy
at her heels She mounted the n ule by the
aid of the rail fence, and, with the babe in
her lap and the three-year-o riding behind,
we set forth. Her husband and | walked
alongside, followed by Buddy.
| "On arriving at the meeting house, log
structure of small pretensions, we found that
quite number had already assembled, and
a lot of men were lounging about the door,
talking in subdued tones. The women, as
was the custom in that part of the country,
sat on one side of the house, the men on the
other We sat for sometime in silence, in
terrupted occasionally by the entrance of
later corners, and | looked about over the
congregation, mentally marking those l
would speak to after the meeting.
"The preacher accompanied by clerical
brother, entered. Presently there was
little stir and craning of necks, and John
nudged me and said, That's the wilder, as
woman dres ed in black calico entered and
took her seat She had two children with
her, one little girl of five, wearing pink
calico frock and sunbonnet to match, and
boy of seven, who wore little round straw
hat with peacock feather stuck in the side.
"The preacher rose, announced and read
hymn, and, after it was sung, read from the
Scripture, and then called on his pulpit com.
panion to pray. The sermon that followed
was powerful and impressive discourse on
the horrors and terrors in store for the I'M
saved, and was followed by a personal
tribute to the late Colonel Goforth. An
other song, and the minister before dis
missing the congregation, turned to the Wis
iting preacher, saying, Would you like to
say few words, my dear brother!
"The visiting minister rose and quoted in
solemn tone, '"To every thing there IS sea-
son, and a time to every purpose under the
heaven: time to weep. and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time
to love, and time to hate; time to die, and
a time to marry And behold voice was