True stories of old Houston and Houstonians: historical and personal sketches / by S. O. Young. Page: 186
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186 TRUE STORIES OF OLD
ers say. That whipsaws me, of course. I lose both ways and
I end where I started."
"Well," said I, "why don't you give it up and quit thinking
about it?"
"I would," said he, "but for two things. One happened to
me and the other happened to Jack."
I knew there was a good story coming so I remained silent.
"What happened to me was a plenty, too, for I actually died
and went to hell, so I know there is a hell. That part's settled
in my mind, almost. You are too young to more than barely
remember that there was a big yellow fever epidemic in Houston
in 1852. It was a hummer and as it was the first one since 1847
when so many people died, there were lots of newcomers here
who had never had the fever and it seemed like everybody in
town was down with it and either dead or dying. About the
fourth or fifth week it got me and I grew sicker and sicker until
finally I did not know anything at all until suddenly I came to
my senses for a moment and realized I was dying sure enough.
The next thing I knew I was dead and could hear my women
folks crying and going on. Then everything became black and
silent and when I came to I was in a great big hall with a big
throne at one end of it. The hall was crowded, but there was
window which he was facing. All of a sudden he saw Lige
on each side of this space the sheep and goats were lined up.
They had me on the goat side. On the throne was a big man
with a long white beard who had a long shepherd's crook in his
hand. He looked like the picture of Moses I had seen, so I
concluded it was him. Whoever he was, he had full charge
and went on sorting the sheep and goats with his crook as fast
as they came in.
"Now, I didn't like being among the goats, so I slipped across
among the sheep, *but it didn't do any good, for I scarcely got
across when Moses, or whoever he was, reached out and caught
me round the neck with his crook and put me back with the
goats. I tried it again, but he roped me with his crook without
even looking around at me. I waited a moment and sneaked over
again. This time he caught me before I got clean over and
twisted my neck when he shoved me back. It made me mad and
I blurted out, 'Damn it, sir; don't do that.'
"In a second old Moses changed. He looked vicious and,
instead of pushing me clear back among the goats, he gave
his crook a sudden flirt and threw me clear through the roof
out into space. I thought I never would land anywhere. Finally
I saw slid earth under me and when I got nearer it I saw a
little hole in the ground like one of those doodle holes the boys
stick straws in and catch doodles. I 'was heading straight for
that hole, and the next minute I hit it, head on, and went through
like a flash. The squeeze through the hole broke my fall, and
the next moment I landed safely in a beautiful garden. It was
a fine place. I stood up and looked round. There were horse
races going on and big crowds of ladies and gentlemen were
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Young, Samuel Oliver. True stories of old Houston and Houstonians: historical and personal sketches / by S. O. Young., book, 1913; Galveston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth24646/m1/186/?rotate=270: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.