Part 24 (1/2)
But still I' in ti by it?which I hope he hasn't”
”Well, he don't ht; but he'shis brother Peter die?which he mayn't ive anything in this world to see _hi else all these three weeks; hadn't seen hiether?and hadn't ever seen his brother William at all?that's the deef and dumb one?Williae were the only ones that coe was the married brother; him and his wife both died last year Harvey and Willia, they haven't got here in time”
”Did anybody send 'eo, when Peter was first took; because Peter said then that he sorter felt like he warn't going to get well this ti'yirls was too young to be much company for him, except Mary Jane, the red-headed one; and so he was kinder lonesoe and his wife died, and didn't seem to care much to live He most desperately wanted to see Harvey?and William, too, for that matter?because he was one of them kind that can't bear to make a will He left a letter behind for Harvey, and said he'd told in it where his money was hid, and hoanted the rest of the property divided up so George's g'yirls would be all right?for George didn't leave nothing And that letter was all they could get him to put a pen to”
”Why do you reckon Harvey don't coland?Sheffield?preaches there?hasn't ever been in this country He hasn't had any too ot the letter at all, you know”
”Too bad, too bad he couldn't a lived to see his brothers, poor soul
You going to Orleans, you say?”
”Yes, but that ain't only a part of it I' in a shi+p, next Wednesday, for Ryo Janeero, wherejourney But it'll be lovely; wisht I was a-going
Is Mary Jane the oldest? How old is the others?”
”Mary Jane's nineteen, Susan's fifteen, and Joanna's about fourteen?that's the one that gives herself to good works and has a hare-lip”
”Poor things! to be left alone in the cold world so”
”Well, they could be worse off Old Peter had friends, and they ain't going to let them come to no harm There's Hobson, the Babtis'
preacher; and Deacon Lot Hovey, and Ben Rucker, and Abner Shackleford, and Levi Bell, the lawyer; and Dr Robinson, and their wives, and theBartley, and?well, there's a lot of them; but these are the ones that Peter was thickest with, and used to write about sometimes, when he wrote hoets here”
Well, the oldquestions till he just fairly e fellow Bla in that blessed town, and all about the Wilkses; and about Peter's business?which was a tanner; and about George's?which was a carpenter; and about Harvey's?which was a dissentering minister; and so on, and so on Then he says:
”What did you want to walk all the way up to the stea Orleans boat, and I was afeard she htn't stop there When they're deep they won't stop for a hail A Cincinnati boat will, but this is a St Louis one”
”Was Peter Wilks well off?”
”Oh, yes, pretty well off He had houses and land, and it's reckoned he left three or four thousand in cash hid up som'ers”
”When did you say he died?”
”I didn't say, but it was last night”
”Funeral to-morrow, likely?”
”Yes, 'bout the middle of the day”
”Well, it's all terrible sad; but we've all got to go, one time or another So ant to do is to be prepared; then we're all right”
”Yes, sir, it's the best way Ma used to always say that”