Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-08-31
'un isall to blame fur it"

'un isall to blame fur it"
Now, Pollyi" chided the husband
Deed ye ar, Jim We've biz
hitched ifteeu years. We cum right
) yere to this very shake-down ffteer
years ago, an yere We az to-day
We did hev little sunthin' to begin
on, but it's all gone now. Stranger,
l hevn't got but one towel in this
yere cabin, an that's got hole into
i'll"
"Shucks, Polly! Who wants to use
towels?"
eve had three new sheets when
we cum yere-reg'lar sheets fur the
bed," continued the wife, "but whar'
ar they now? We had four pillar
cases, but they's dun gone. We had
cups and sassers, but ye can't find
'em now. Stranger, look about ye
an see see how pore an down-ridden
we ar'l"
can it's my fault, of course!" said
the husband, beginning to cry.
THAT'S what I'll always grip by
(stick toy, jim. If you was a glitter
we'd bin rich folks afore this"
"Shucks. Polly!"
"Oh it hain't no use of hetchin'
(scofTing), Jim. If it wann't for me
an the gal you'd starve to death.
You began to sot almost as soon as
we got got spliced, an you've got
wuss every year. l tell ye, stranger,
it keeps me clean beat Other folks
git along an 60 ahead, but we'uns
goes down hill every day. We hahn t
got nuthin', an we can't git nuth :
in, an the Lord doan' keer no mo
about us than so many onery skunks''
With that she burst out cryin, and
Jim wept the harder, and Mary look
ed in at the door and seriously OBJ
served:
Stranger. ye want to talk to pap
powerful sassy. He's tryin' to be fit
ten, an everybody knows he never
will be ftten"
"That's what ails him." said the
wife as she choked back her tears.
Whats he trying to be itten for?"
l 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 niver be. Ifhe would
MT try to ftten he'd go to work and
airn sunthin'."
"Why can't l be ftten?" asked
Jim. "Wasn't Moses, St. John and
Paul ftten?"
eyes, but they wasn't pore ignor-
ant squatters, an you know it. They
had calls"
can haven't l got call! Didnn't
l hear voice in my dreams a-sayin':
Jim Porter, the Lord calls ye to lab
or in his an-Jard. Fitten yerselt an
60 forth"
"Shucks!" called Mary from the
door.
"Pore critter!" sighed the wife.
"I'll leave it to the stranger if l
kin be ftten," said Jim, and be went
over and got his Bible and opened it
and began to read:
40, give thanks, thanks, unto
Lord, for he-he-is-is- good, good;
be-be-because his mercy, mercy
-D
He was two minutes getting that
far, and he closed the book and said:
stranger, be honest an squar'
with me. Am l itten Will / ever
be ftten?"
"You are no more ftten to 60 out
and preach than coon is. to sing
pslams." l replied.
~ said so, Jim Porter-tole We 80
all the time!" shouted the wife.
"Hooraym Pap hain't fitten!"
cheered Mary.
Stranger, have l mistook!" asked
Jim in a trembling voice. Didn't |
hear no voice callin' on me to be
ftten?"
"No, my friend, you'd simply ex-
cite ridicule. You might have
hundred years ago, but you
can't now. There are too many
preachers Those who spread the
gospel are smart and we'll educated"
"Shucks! An l amt got no call?"
mo, my friend"
"An' / won't hevY"
"Never."
"An' you truly say I've mistook?"
"You certainly have You could
MT help the cause Of religion two
cents worth in ten years."
"Glory to jumper, stranger, but Pm
80 glad!" shouted the wife.
"He hain't ftten, an he'll never be
fitten to be 6tten-hoo ray!" added
Mary.
"An'-an' what shall / do. stran-.
ger?"
go to work-clear off more land
raise more corn and potatoes-cut
bark and dig roots to sell-haul wood
do anything to earn better living.
That's your call"
Stranger, I'll do it? Put it thar!
thought / was fitten, but l wasn't
| thought | had call but | reckon l
was dreamin', Pete Farrell said you
was honest an squar' You've dun
tole me right Polly cum yere! Mary,
cum yere! I've mistook. You said
SO, but / wouldn't believe it. / know
it now, an to-morrer Pm new mani
When | was going away in the
morning l left ten yards of calico with
the wife for new dress, some rib.
bons for Mary and plug of navy"
for the husband. Mother and daugh-
ter fell to crying over it, and Jim had
such lump in his throat that he
couldn't spe k to me until we had
gone half mile. Then he stopped
for the goodbye, and said;
IL see it mighty cl'ar now, stran-
ger Some folks il litten an some
hain't. While you is ftten to be
toted right into Heavens gates, l
hain't fitten to go in ahead Of
skunks!"