The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-09-08

(stick tol, Jim. If you was a glitter we'd been rich folks afore this"
 "Shucks, Pollyr
 "Oh! it hain't no use of hetchin' (scoffng), Jim. If it wasn't fol me an the gal you'd starve to death. You began to sot almost as soon as we got spliced, an you've got wuss every year. tell ye. stranger, it keeps me clean beat. Other folks git along an go ahead, but we'uns goes down hill every day. We hain't got nothin', an we can't git nothin', an the Lord doan keer no mo- about us than so many onery skunkst"
 With that she burst out crying, and Jim wept the harder, and Mary looked in at the door and seriously observed:
 Stranger, ye want to talk to pap powerful sassy. He's tryin' to be fit- ten, am everybody knows he never will be fitten."
 "That's what ails him." said the wife as she choked back her tears.
 "What's he trying to be fitten for2" I asked.
 "To spread the gospil, stranger. He's got his nose in that ar bible all day long. He wants to be fitten to preach, but he never kin be. If he wouldn't try to be fitten he'd go to work and airn sunthin'"
 "Why can't be ftten?" asked Jim. "Wasn't Moses, St. John and Paul fitten?"
 "Yes, but they wasn't pore igno- rant squatters, an you know it. They had calls"
 "An' haven't got call Didn't I hear voice in my dream a-sayin' {: Jim Porter, the Lord calls ye to labor in his lanyard. Fitten yerself an go forth.'"
 "Shucksw called Mary from the door.
 "Pore critter w sighed the wife.
 "I'll leave it to the stranger if I kin be fitten," said Jim, and he went over and got his bible and began to read
 70, give t-h-a- h. ks, thanks, unto the Lord, for he-he-is-is-g-o-o-d, good be-be-because his m- m-e-r-c-y, mercy ="
 He was two minutes getting that far, and he closed the book and said
 "Stranger, be honest an squar' with me. Am I fitten2 Will ever be fit- ten?"
 "You are no more fitten to go out and preach than coon is to sing psalms" I replied.
 "I said 50, Jim Porter-tole ye so all the time !" shouted the wife.
 "Hooray! Pap hain't fitten v cheered Mary.
 Stranger, have I mistook '" asked Jim in trembling voice. "Didn't hear no voice callin' on me to be fit temp
 "No, my friend, you'd simply ex- cite ridicule. You might have done some good five hundred years ago, but you can't now. There are too many preachers. Those who spread the gospel are smart and well educated
 "Shucks! An I hain't got no call?'
 "No. my friend"
 "An' won't hev?"
 "Never."
 "An' yon truly say Pve mistook?'
 "You certainly have. You couldn't help the cause of religion two cents worth in ten years"
 "Glory to jumper, stranger, but I'm so glad 1" shouted the wife.
 "He hain't fitten, an he'll never be fitten to be fitten-hooray added Mary.
 "An'-an' what shall do strangerp"
 "Go to work-clear off more land raise more corn and potatoes-cut bark and dig roots to sell-haul wood do any thing to earn better living That's your call"
 "Stranger, I'll do 1t! Put it thar I thought was fitten, but I wasn't. thought had a call, but I reckon was dreamin'. Pete Farrell said you was honest am squar. You've done tole me right Polly, cum yere Mary, cum yere! Pve mistook. You said SO, but wouldn't believe it. know it now, an tomorrer Pm a new man
 When I was going away in the morning I left ten yards of calico with the wife for new dress, some ribbons for Mary and plug of "navy" for the husband. Mother and daughter fell to crying over it, and Jim had such a lump in his throat that he couldn't speak to me until we had gone half a mile. Then he stopped for the good bye, and said:
 "I see 1t mighty cl'ar now, stranger. Some folks is fitten an some hain't. While you is fitten to be toted right into heaven's gates, hain't ftten to go in ahead of skunks !"-DetroH Free Press.
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