Little Wolf: A Tale of the Western FrontierCornelius, Mary Ann Mann
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Little Wolf: A Tale of the Western Frontier
Cornelius, Mary Ann Mann
Frontier and pioneer life -- United States -- Fiction; Temperance -- Fiction
"''Tween you and me, Fanny, you've pinted straight this
time,' said he one day, after having listened a while to her
conversation. 'It's all plain now--I see my Father, I see my
elder brother, the Lord Jusus interceding for me--I see the
table spread, and I ain't had no hand in the spreadin of it.
He'll hev to reach down and take me jest as I am, and he'll
du it--I'm sartin of it, cause Fanny, you know it is said
_whosoever_. That are _whosoever_ is the _comprehendest_ word
in the hull Bible. Miss Peters pinted it out to the Honey,
and the Honey told me about it jest afore I started fur
Recta, and some how it went into one ear and out 'tother.
Howsoever, I could see the Honey was a heap changed by it,
though it don't take away nun of her pretty.--She was more
tenderer like, and when she spoke tu me about it, the tears
cum into her bright eyes, jest like the pearls sot around the
diamonds in her ring. I'm kinder thinkin we shall talk that
are matter over when she comes back.'
"Up to the last day he was hopeful of getting well, and none
of us felt specially concerned about him. The doctor came
and went with words of cheer, and I was making preparations
to go home, when the unexpected summons came. His pain seemed
suddenly to change to the region of his heart, and I heard
him say to Fanny, ''Tween you an me, Fanny, the pain is in my
heart. I believe I'm called fur, and I ain't done no good in
the world yet. My temperance lectur didn't amount to nothin.
I'm glad I never delivered it, fur it ain't got none of
Jesus's love in it, and men du need the Almighty's lovin hand
in that are thing. Fur it's the devil's pison and mighty hard
to fight agin. Wouldn't the Honey be glad though, if she knew
what a fine man that are Sherman is since he give up drinkin.
Tell her that poor old Daddy blessed her with his dyin
breath. Call Recta, Fanny.'
"I sprang to his bedside, and in a moment Recta was there
also. The dying man took my hand and thanked me for all my
attentions to him, and then his eyes rested tenderly upon his
wife. He tried to speak, but a spasm of pain checked him, and
Recta bent low to catch the words. He pointed upwards, threw
his arms around her neck, and was gone.
"We buried him at the left of your parents beside mammy, and
when I left a mantle of soft, white snow was flung over all.
"I brought Fanny home with me, and Recta is living with Dr.
Goodrich's family. Having previously been so many years their
servant, she is much attached to the doctor's wife and Edward
Sherman.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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