Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 December 1885 — The ’Possum on Judgment Day. [ARTICLE]

The ’Possum on Judgment Day.

A planter owned a slave named Mose, who was an inveterate ’possum hunter. Away back in 1833 there was a most remarkable meteoric shower, popularly known as “when ; the stars fell.” Uncle Mose was out in a hurricane track where the logs Igy thick, indulging in his favorite pass-time. His boy Jeff was with him, and they had caught a ’possum and inserted his tail in a cleft sapling, in the usual fashion, and Jeff was carrying the pole on his shoulder. Suddenly the whole earth was illuminated by the shower of falling meteors. Uncle Mose gazed up in mute astonishment as the blazing stars went shooting hither and thither, stretching their flaming tails across the horizon in an awe inspiring manner. Then he stampeded. He would run a short distance, fall over a log, and then get on his knees and pray. Then he would make another dash, trip over a decaying branch, and begin praying again. Jeff scrambled after him, still holding onto his ’possum. All of a sudden Mose remembered it was Sunday night, and then he prayed louder than ever. Jeff called out: “Daddy, wot mus’ I do wid dis ’possum?” “Great Lord o’ massy! Jeff, hab you got dat ’possum yit? Turn ’im loose! let’em go, yo’ fool nigger! De worl’ am cornin’ to an een’, an’ w’en de Load ax me wot I mean by huntin’ ’possum on Sunday night, doan yo’ know Idoan want dat ’possum to ’pear in judgment agin me?”—Macon Telegraph.