The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-12-27

' smartin' from the burns, they were more tf a1 willin' to give others taste of those same torments. At least, this was the case with most of lem; but once in a while there'd be a tender-hearted one who felt sorry for the poor souls an in- stid of sousin' lem into the hottest places, he'd hunt around for a cooler spot, or maybe shove few ashes over the fires to make 'em lie easier. But he had to be mighty sly about it, can tell you for if any of the others saw him, back he went into the flames to learn lesson he never forgot.
 "Two or three had been caught in the act of scrapin' off coals, or shoyelin' in ashes, an they had been treated in such a manner as to make the rest mighty careful an sly, as have said.
 "Well things went on in this way for some time, till one day as St. Peter-who every once in while, when least expected would step in to see what was goin' on was walkin' around inspectin' things, he noticed that all the sinners were tryin' to squirm towards certain spot. There was bigger pile of coals around this place, an it looked to be hotter here than anywhere else but in spite O this, all the souls were tryin' to get there, fghtin' an pushin' one another like ali possessed.
 "It looked mighty peculiar. So thinks St. Peter to himself, I'll just walk around an see what the attraction is.' An strollin' round that way, careless like, what does he see but nice soft bed of ashes just comfortably warm, an on it as many souls as it would hold, lyin' very pleasantly; but for policy's sake, now mind ye, yellin' an hollerin' worse than any of the rest. When they saw him comin' they yelled an squirmed worse than ever, an the little divil who was pre- tendin' to attend to the fire, tried to sneak back into the crowd. But St. Peter was too quick for him, an catchin' him by the shoulder as he slipped by, asked him what such conduct meant.
 "'I don't know, sir gasped the divil, scared out of his life.
 Don't know says Peter, ( an why don't you know [?
 "' don't know again stammered the fiena, not bein' able to collect his thoughts enough to be commonly polite.
 "' Do you know of any other divils who have done the likes O thisp ? says his riv- irince, pointing to the ashes.
 " A few was the reply.
 "A few, an how many do you call few p asked the saint, gettin' out O pa- tience.
 "About-about {" a hundred,' guessed the divil at venture.
 "' Point lem out to me- commanded Peter.
 "So the divil an Peter went around among the crowd, an as each one was pointed out by the divil, Peter told him to stand up at certain place. When they were all collected, he formed 'em into line, an countin' lem found there was about three hundred.
 St. Peter was nightly bothered. He couldn't take 'em to heaven, an it wouldn't do to leave lem there. So while the tremblin' sinners watched him, he walked up an down, up an down, in a deep study. After bit, thought struck him, an stoppin' his walk to command the row of souls to stand where they were as they valued their future welfare, he started off as fast as his wings could fly; never stoppin' till he got to the bor- der-land between the good place and the bad. This he surveyed in every nook an corner, an seemed nightly satisfied with it. So he turns round an goes back the road he came, findin' the souls just where he'd left lem, for they hadn't dared to stir peg.
 "He marched lem all to the place he'd just left, an stood 'em up in row there. Then he made 'em speech an' says he: T have named this place Purgatory an it's where you'll all stay for the present, an maybe for always. That depends says the saint, a good deal on you, an a good deal sn your friends.
 "'You see how it is,' continued Peter, socially, for his rivirince is very sociable sometimes, you ain't fit to go to heaven now, an you're too good for divils. So the only thing to do with you, SO far as I see, is to leave you here where you'll have chance to repent, an as it wouldn't be fair to the saints not to punish you a little, you'll just be tormented while here with the thoughts O the sins you committed on earth an you'll have no rest for thinkin' of lem day nor night.