The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-08-04
A MOUNTAIN REvIvALIsT
BY N. QUAD.

However, as soon as he heard and saw me he called out:
 "Be not afraid, stranger, am here to do the Lords work. Two months ago was the most shuckless critter in all Tennessee, and wicked to boot. Light has busted in upon me, and I am tryin' to make my feller- critters see and mend the error of their ways. Let us sing"
 He had Moody and Sankey hymn book, but he could only read with difficulty, and his enthusiasm was too great for him to stick to the text. He burst into song as follows:
 "we shall meet beyond the river,
 In the sweet by and bye;
 Git all ready fur the journey,
 Cause the Lord Is gwine to call you.
 CHoRUs-H'ar me callin'-
 All you sinnersl
 Go to pra in,
 Fur the time is short"
 When he had finished his song he announced that he was a revivalist on his tour to stir up the sinners of the mountains, and that he was to hold services that afternoon at Wharton's valley, about five miles away. As was bound for the same place we went on in company. I soon discov- cred that the man was rough, igno- rant and given to plug tobacco, but seemed earnest in his mission, and so l found many excuses for him. He could chew more tobacco in a given time and spit further through his front teeth than any man ever saw. I carried few plugs in my knapsack for the benefit of the natives at large, and he soon discovered this and now and then would observe:
 "Yes, stranger, although you may hev bin a pirate there's hope ahead fur you and I'll take another bite O that plug"
 By the time we had arrived at Wharton's he had wasted half my stock and had spat on every rock on the wayside. There were two cabins here, with three others within the mile, and about fifteen people had gathered to hear the revivalist talk. He introduced me as "a teller -critter" he had picked up on the way, and added that l evidently needed praying for the worst way. The people re- ceived him rather coldly I thought, and soon learned the reason. When we had had bite to eat the people arranged themselves about the open door of the cabin, and the revivalist began by saying:
 "Thar's sin and wickedness yere- hoana of # VO1Suua fc uofh;rS hs,f n shuckless pack of sinners on yer way to fiery furnace fed with sulphur an brimstun. The devil is clus behind the hull of ye, am he's bound to git ye."
 "Look-a-yere, Joe Williams 1" in- corrupted a tall and serious looking mountaineer as he rose up, "let's start this yere circumstance at the beginnin'. In the fust place, who was ye2"
 "Don't interrupt a sarvent of the Lord 1" warned Joe.
 "Yes, who was ye2" inquired woman as she laid aside her snuff stick to stand up. "Ye was pore an shuckless an low-down, Joe Will Hams, only Q few weeks ago. Yer hull family was b'arfut, an the best ye had to eat was bar meat an pones. Ye drank mo- whisky than all the men put together, am ye never had a second shirt to yer backl"
 This wasn't . corker for Joseph. He heard the woman through with smile, and then said:
 "A sarvent of the Lord must take the abuse of shuckless sinners an' turn the other cheek. I hev cum up yere to warn ye that the seventh signals has been sot in the heavens as . warnin'l Wool Woe! Wool Them as gin heed will pass down the trail clothed in silks am sAtins an' pearls. Them as sco1F am revile an cuss around will be tooken by the heels am flung into the fiery furnace, which is 100 feet deep am full of twistin' sarpints-"
 Two children were overcome and began to cry at this, but the father of one of them gave him box on the ear and rose up and said:
 "Who was you an who is you7 We all know you to be . shih'less onery, shuckless varmint. You wasn't fit to wipe up sknnk's ile fur ten long y'ars. Then you wont over to Knoxville, jfned tho salvashun army, an hev cum