The hummer. (Houston, Miss.) 1914-19??, 1916-01-28
THE BURIAL OF ABRAHAM
By Edna Teas Smith.


The following dialect story was sent to by Mrs Edna
Teas Smith of COfeevl Mississippi and having laughed
it and passed you 90 thou and do likewise
believing that you will say it of the best short stories
you have read for many moons and some more moons
Boss is yer hear tell how dem nggers over to
Postum Neck done burd de peach instid Brer
Abaham Lincum Hamilton? Yer amt? Well, | shO
Lord gwne ttell yer"
My questiOner of the type seldom seen nowadays
young buck evidently at outs with the Fraterna Orders
We we're enrOute from Coffeevlle to the still smaller vii
lage of PttsbOrO distance of twenty odd miles up hill
and down. We had typical country livery team, raw
bOned horses and shackedy buggy the trip would occupy
practically the remainder Othe day and since the story
promised diversion arranged myself in the of the
seat listen enjOyaby to MansyIlas of the cata
strophe the funeral of Brer Abaham Lincun Hamilton
Mansya settled himself and with admontory heck on
the fankOf Frank wry neck eve tailed gray-tO mis-
quote Holmes, began
1T wus dis way Boss drv de hearse an dem fruit trees
sho heavy De niggers dey all gethered de depot
fur Brer Abe had died at POsidOn town on de Yaer
Dog rail road dey brung him to Postum Neck Wharhis
ole Nanny, Aunt Marthy Brown live. Aunt Marthy is
moss hunded an neatly bin an she shO wus awesOme
sight dat day. De Sons Daughters Abaham Isaac
Jacob to bury him. but Sis Marthy don't long to
dat She is de haid Nv de SteriOus Stem Mysterious
Ten) de SterOus Stem mus wear some white an some
black silk dress dey want neck sleeves to it. so
she put it white was Sis Marthy is got big
feet fur niger she had white slippers and red
stOckns she had hanSum red sash her middle an
den all dis she had a long mOunin veil hangin
down her back Gemmen de way she took on when dat
long box brought out sumpin turrrbe-yer know
she had to do hOnah to her mOunn close De Sons an
Daughters Abaham, Isaac and Jacob dar in full
regaa de daughters purple dresses white apuns an
black hats de Sons black clOes white aDuDs an hi ack
hats wild crepe streamers hangn down de back. wus
daT hadin dem prancin steeds de ole hearse done
washed and shined up tell she sparked lax de new Jur
userlem De pail bearers all gehered bsted dat
box into de hearSe dTv off slow and sOlem lax to de
cemetey-yer know OATS de grave yahd, BOss-wd de
uders marchin behime Oar kerridge dar fur Sis
Marthy de President Nv Abaham Isaac and JacOb mex
Sons wild dey crepe bans wavin in de win, las de
Daughters. In dis fashion brung up at de grave "
cemetery, an dar we met by Brer Prmus Sias
Brer Prmus kin pray long wndedest prar and de
Oudess any young man | ever hear He TUX fur his
tex whar say in de Bible Let Ober de rber an
under de shade de trees yea verify by dey fruits
We shall know dem. 1t shO strrin OratiOn but
BTeT Prmus aus knows his Bible an kin quote it on mos
evey casiOn He spavcae and he tidtOe Yer sho could
hear dat niger town Brer Yves Logan led in prar He
begin at the begnnn and he 90 thru to de he pray
Lord from the front doe to de back doe It's wonder dem
fruit trees didn't sprOut Ef he'd been in Bible times
he'd made de walls Jehico fall Den Brer Phillip
johnson raised de hymn, How Chris DER sinners weep
I'll chase me till die Brer Phillips opens his mouf an