“Christians, fall into line.”
And the church-members silently fell into line two by two till they wuz all in their places.
Then he sez, “Sinners, fall into line.”
And the irreligious came forward jest as calmly and took their places, and the procession moved off, and Aunt Clo wuz carried away to her last sleep, in a little colored graveyard some mile and a half away.
I told Josiah about it after I got home; I sez:
“The good and the bad always foller on after every departed friend; but I never see ’em sorted out so careful before, and I never see such a calm willingness to be put amongst the goats as I see there.”
“Wall,” sez he, “they knew they wuz goats, so what wuz the use of kickin’?”
“Wall,” sez I, “I have seen white folks lots of times that must have known they wuz goats, but they didn’t love to be sorted out on the left side, and no money could have made ’em walk up and fall into a sinner’s line.”
Sez he, “If they be sinners, why can’t they own up to it? I would if I wuz a sinner.”
But I felt that it wuz ofttimes hard work to tell the difference; and I sez: