be. I just don’t know.”
“If they gonna be put to rest here, Ernie, then it looks to me like they oughta be from around these parts somewhere.”
“Yeah, it does, Joey Frank. If you want to, we’ll go an’ see if we can find out who it is.”
“Go where an’ find out?”
“Down yonder at the church.”
“Shucks, Ernie, we cain’t do no sech a thang as that ‘cause we ain’t dressed fitten to go to a fun’ral.”
“I know that we ain’t dressed fitten to go to a fun’ral, an’ I wudn’t figgerin’ on us a-goin’ to one. What we can do is wait ‘til ever’body’s gone inside the church; then we can crawl to a window at the far end an’ take a peek in to see who’s in the coffin.”
“I don’t see no use of us a-doin’ all that when we won’t know who’s in the coffin, ‘cause we don’t know no big shots.”
“Well heck, if we don’t know who they are, then we can lis’en for their name to be called; then we’d know who they are, won’t we?”
“Yeah, I reckin so.”
“Well, come on; they gonna soon be there. Yonder’s the end of the mourners’ line now.”
The boys walked on to get closer to the funeral procession. They lingered behind the long line of buggies and wagons, staying out of sight because Joey Frank didn’t think their clothes were fit to be seen anywhere near a funeral. Ernie told him to hush up and stop worrying about their clothes. He said that if the mourners did see them, they wouldn’t think anything other than they were just a couple of gravediggers. When the boys were in view of the large white church with its attractive steeple surmounted by a tall spire, they stood back and watched the many horse-drawn vehicles fill the yard that had been freshly swept clean for the occasion. Later, they walked closer and stepped behind a border of shrubbery. They put the things they were carrying down on the ground, and separated the leafy hedge with their hands. They watched the undertakers take the gray coffin from the hearse and carry it up the steps into the church. They saw the men folk step from their carriages, dump out their pipe bowls, and straighten their coats and ties. They spied as the gentlemen politely helped the lady folk step out of carriages with their handkerchiefs pressed against their noses. Joey Frank remarked that he had never before seen such well-dressed people. Ernie responded in a like manner, that the person who was going to be put to rest was no doubt, “a big shot.”
The boys stayed hid and watched from behind the shrubbery until everyone had gone inside the big church; then Ernie said, “Joey Frank, I thank they all inside now. Let’s git on down there.”
When they stepped out into the open, Joey Frank hesitated before he went any farther and said, “Wait Ernie, over yonder’s two colored fellas in the graveyard. They’ll see us for shore.”
“It don’t matter if they do, they just the gravediggers. See yonder at that big pile of dirt they got dug out. They just a-waitin’ on them to git through in yonder so they can bury that person. Now come on; they ain’t gonna pay us no ‘tention.”
The boys went running toward the church. They made their way around the menagerie of carriages and wagons that filled the yard, being cautious not to arouse the horses. When they reached the front side of the large structure, Ernie told Joey
Frank to get on his hands and knees and follow him. They began to crawl along the ground until they reached the backside of the building. Ernie turned his head to Joey Frank and whispered, “We’ll stop right here, an’ look in this here window.”
Joey Frank looked up at the window above his head that Ernie had chosen to look in. He whispered, “What made you wanna go an’ pick the highest window from the ground for?”
Ernie whispered back, “I went and picked it, dumbbell, ‘cause it’s the one that’s closest to the altar, that’s why. You oughta know that’s where the
“If they gonna be put to rest here, Ernie, then it looks to me like they oughta be from around these parts somewhere.”
“Yeah, it does, Joey Frank. If you want to, we’ll go an’ see if we can find out who it is.”
“Go where an’ find out?”
“Down yonder at the church.”
“Shucks, Ernie, we cain’t do no sech a thang as that ‘cause we ain’t dressed fitten to go to a fun’ral.”
“I know that we ain’t dressed fitten to go to a fun’ral, an’ I wudn’t figgerin’ on us a-goin’ to one. What we can do is wait ‘til ever’body’s gone inside the church; then we can crawl to a window at the far end an’ take a peek in to see who’s in the coffin.”
“I don’t see no use of us a-doin’ all that when we won’t know who’s in the coffin, ‘cause we don’t know no big shots.”
“Well heck, if we don’t know who they are, then we can lis’en for their name to be called; then we’d know who they are, won’t we?”
“Yeah, I reckin so.”
“Well, come on; they gonna soon be there. Yonder’s the end of the mourners’ line now.”
The boys walked on to get closer to the funeral procession. They lingered behind the long line of buggies and wagons, staying out of sight because Joey Frank didn’t think their clothes were fit to be seen anywhere near a funeral. Ernie told him to hush up and stop worrying about their clothes. He said that if the mourners did see them, they wouldn’t think anything other than they were just a couple of gravediggers. When the boys were in view of the large white church with its attractive steeple surmounted by a tall spire, they stood back and watched the many horse-drawn vehicles fill the yard that had been freshly swept clean for the occasion. Later, they walked closer and stepped behind a border of shrubbery. They put the things they were carrying down on the ground, and separated the leafy hedge with their hands. They watched the undertakers take the gray coffin from the hearse and carry it up the steps into the church. They saw the men folk step from their carriages, dump out their pipe bowls, and straighten their coats and ties. They spied as the gentlemen politely helped the lady folk step out of carriages with their handkerchiefs pressed against their noses. Joey Frank remarked that he had never before seen such well-dressed people. Ernie responded in a like manner, that the person who was going to be put to rest was no doubt, “a big shot.”
The boys stayed hid and watched from behind the shrubbery until everyone had gone inside the big church; then Ernie said, “Joey Frank, I thank they all inside now. Let’s git on down there.”
When they stepped out into the open, Joey Frank hesitated before he went any farther and said, “Wait Ernie, over yonder’s two colored fellas in the graveyard. They’ll see us for shore.”
“It don’t matter if they do, they just the gravediggers. See yonder at that big pile of dirt they got dug out. They just a-waitin’ on them to git through in yonder so they can bury that person. Now come on; they ain’t gonna pay us no ‘tention.”
The boys went running toward the church. They made their way around the menagerie of carriages and wagons that filled the yard, being cautious not to arouse the horses. When they reached the front side of the large structure, Ernie told Joey
Frank to get on his hands and knees and follow him. They began to crawl along the ground until they reached the backside of the building. Ernie turned his head to Joey Frank and whispered, “We’ll stop right here, an’ look in this here window.”
Joey Frank looked up at the window above his head that Ernie had chosen to look in. He whispered, “What made you wanna go an’ pick the highest window from the ground for?”
Ernie whispered back, “I went and picked it, dumbbell, ‘cause it’s the one that’s closest to the altar, that’s why. You oughta know that’s where the
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