The record-union., 1893-02-24
HAD TO SWEAR.
Moses Himself Would Have Done
the Same.
A Brilliant Example of Ignor-
ance on ''PoSsum
Ridge.''

a minister on his way to fill an ap-
pointment was riding Ieisurely along
'Possum Ridge road meditating on the
subject of his coming discourse, when
suddenly he was startled and shocked by
terrible outburst of profane language
which came from somewhere just beyond
little belt of timber. Riding forward
short distance the minister came upon a
small patch of new ground planted in
corn, which tall, lanB, longhaired man,
a tall, lank, long-legged mule. and bull
tongue plow were making an effort to
cultivate. 1t was the man who had given
utterance to the profanity, and the mule
and the bull-tongue were the cause.
The minister felt it his duty to speak
word to the man on the sinfulness of
such language, and accordingly he reined
up his horse and addressed him.
''My friend" he began, did not hear
you using some very profane words
moment SINGER"
81 dunno" the 'Possum- -Ridger re-
piled. Reckon eff you hain't powerful
hard o. hearin' you heerd me doin' some
mouty straight cussin', though"
"Well, do you realize that it is very
wrong to do sop
Wrong to cuss?"
"Yes"
"Hain't bean hearin' nothin' bout it.n
why, you certainly know that the
Scriptures say that you shall not take the
name of the Lord in vain. 1t is one of
the commandments"
II amt heerd nothin' bout no COM
mandments."
surely you havei Don't YOU remem-
Der the Ten Commandments given to
MoSes?" g..
Reckon not. Them thar fellers down
at The county seat air always a-gettin' up
somethin' new that we don't know moth
IN bout up yere. They done went an
fixed it SO we can't make whisky an
sell 1t, an now this yere Moses feller
comes along an says we sha'n't cuss.
Reckon them thar officers an lawyers
down thar think we amt got no right to
do nothin'.''
YOU'RE mistaken, my friend" the
minister reasoned, gently. "Moses lived
thousands OF years ago, and we find this
commandment written by him in the
Scriptures"
What's them?"
The Scriptures? Why. you've heard
OF the Bible, haven't you?''
''Pears like Eve heerd somethin,
bout it someway. But what of it?''
well, it's the Scriptures-God's word
telling people how to live and what to do,
so that when they die they will go to
Heaven"
81 heerd somethin' bout that.u
and you want to 60 to Heaven, Pm
sure?"
Reckon it's putty good place to 90
to, hain't it?"
Indeed it is. Life will be all happi-
ness and JOY there"
Il low Id like to go then"
We'll, you must quit cursing."
'Must?"
YES, sir"
"Sna San'f inastG g5t to go to Heaven if I don't?"
Have to shet right squar' off and not
cuss grain?" NV
YES"
he?" ""y' oiu
YES, sir"
"Yes."
The man scratched his head and looked
down at the ground very thoughtfully
for almost minute. Finally, looking
said:
See yere, stranger, do you know any
thing bout that thar Moses feller?"
Yes, something"
Didn't he never cuss none?n
II think not"
Sir, you shore?"
Yes, pretty sure"
Dio ne ever plow new ground with
pull-tongue am ole yaller mule that
wuz contrairer 'an the dickens?'
II presume not"
IN, nun Never had ole yaller mule
to wind an twist all over the field. an, ro
ever way but the right one?"
II suppose not"
"Uh, huh! Never had bull-tonque
run into stumps an roots. an, r,ar mn uo
an punch his ribs outp' p
NO"
"Uh, huh That thar counts for il.
reckon most anybody could 90 long
'thout cussin' under them circumstance
Guess feller whut never wrastled with
a. ole yailer mule an bull-tongue don't
know nothin' bout cussin' few streaks
hlsself am eff he'd writ that thar com.
nanament MAJ omen he'd excepted out the fell
Iers what had to plow new ground with
yailer mule an a bull-tongue. Tbar,s
some occasions when feller just has to
cuSs. am this yere's one of 'em. Ain,t
nobody going to say soft easy thinps
when plow-handle is swipin' the hide
oi1en his ribs an gougin' in after his