The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-03-28
"AIFs Well That Ends Well.'


farm an original character. She was
woman. She had son and daugh-
ter, both grown, and they were also
original characters.
One Saturday morning in the early
fall, the woman, Maum Katie, came
to our house, and l saw at once that
she was in fine spirits, and that she
wanted some favor. After having a
chat with my wife and her aged faith
er, who was living with us at that
time, she turned to me and said:
Il wants you to let me hab dat
gentle mule O. yourn terday. Me
an my gal, Letha wants to drive ole
Bill ter de distracted meetin', fer de
decidin' elder gwine preach terday,
an US sho' wants ter hear him.
l consented for her to have the
mule, and in due course of time
Katie and Letha came to get him
and 1 am sure I never saw two wo-
men more remarkably rigged up than
these two. Their dresses glittered
and glistened in the morning sun;
long, red ribbons were fiuttering in
the breeze In short they easily
could have outshined Dolly Warden
in her palmiest days.
Old Bill was harnessed up to her
sons buggy, and off went Katie and
Letha to the protracted meeting
where the presiding elder was hold
ing forth.
The incidents of the day must be
told by Katie herself, which she did
in her most complacent and inimit-
able way 1t was we'll into the after
noon when Katie and Letha came
back home, but "alas, poor Yorick,
change had come over Katie's
dream.
why, Maum Katie" said my
wife, what on earth has happened
to you and Letha?"
"Why, missus de berry debbil been
ter play. Ole Bill dun it. 1t wuz
dis er away. Old Bill tex us ter de
church az lovin' as yer please, and
when us git ter de meetin' house, de
meetin' wuz a gwiin on, an me an
my gal walks in; an dem women
wuz a singin' from dere souls; dem
men er basting ter beat de band! An
me an my gal walks spang up ter
de amen corner an sets down; an
dem people jest looks at US from
ebry side. An I say ter my gal,
'Letha us mekin' a Calvin dash ter
day; us cuttin' er through wild a
broad-ax! We's in de fight! We's in
de hat!' An dem people wuz er hab-
bin such a good washup (worship)
till l jess git converted on de spot
an 1 shouts de holy shout, an I
dance de holy dance, an l laff de
holy laff An I gifts de 'cidln
elder by by de hand, an he say,
shout, my sister, shout! An l shout,
an my new frock rattle, an my rib
bins flew, an I shout. Den l say:
.Decidin', lie got one sin an dat sin
il cussin', but promise you, an |
promise Jesus dat I won't cuss no
more in life,' an de decidin elder say.
shout en- I shout. Den | knoWed
wuz er maxim Calvin dash; l
knowed 1 wuz a cuttin' through
wild a broad-ax.
Den de meetin' broke, an me an
Letha gifts in de buggy an start back
fer home, an ole Bill he git de debbil
in him rite off. He wuz fuss on dis
side, den on tudder side, see-sawin'
all ober de road. Den | gifts out
an gifts a switch an fran down
pun old Bills back, an him dash off.
Fust ting us know him turn de bug
gy ober kerdap in er mud hole waist
deep, an deeper, wild me an Letha
hunder de bottom, an ole Bill went
right on er draggin' us under de
buggy. After while the buggy passes
ober us, but ole Bill he go rite on
jig-a-jag fer home jess as fass as him
can trot, an I say to Letha, catch
dat mule; head him; run him down;
an Letha, kill de son of gun on
de spot | see de mule giving so
fass, hollow, 'wo Bill, wo. Cawp
Bill, cawp,' but Bill header wo nur
cawp. jess go rite on, but my gal
Letha cotch him after while, an
when l walk up ter where Letha wuz
holdin' ole Bill, Letha say, ma
look at your new clothes, an /
look an see dat de was ruint
wild mud an water. Den I say, Bill
you Sc de 'casion oh dis den / cuss,
en- 1 cuss, but 1 member what I say
to de decidin, an I say, Bill done
promise de elder an Jesus dat I done
Il