Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-02-08
OLD KENTuCKy STORIES.
Some Humorous Bits Of Fright
Mord-pninting.
Joscph Noel Johnson IN the Cincinnati
TribuneD


Tribune)
when / give out that | would preach
at the head O. Trace Fork said the
Rev. Lemuel PcnroI yesterday, my
friends all up an ,ole me Ia never git
congregashun They said thar wuz
never rope Of savln grave made stout
enough to drag them ar natives 10 the
fear Nv the Spirit
But 7 knowed better Although You
may think ! WIZ city-born and have
wore out the backs NV my coats against
college walls. hits all or misteake. !
WIZ born and fetched up in the mount
iugs. I know ye don't believe hit Hit
looks unreasonable. but. sub, I'm er self
made man. I edercatad myself. | han't
got nobody but the Lord an myself ter
thank fur the work hev done, sub.
This is goin' er little out in the brush
from the road ] started on. but what !
want ter 'splain IL that | knowed the
people wuz born among EN-, an J
knew 'em through an through.
what did I do ter git the crowd?
That's what I'm swingin' or round to
Wall. sub. / got me- a spring wagin an
set six i-gallon jugs I'm the back part
uy it. Every house Ia pass on the way
ter preachin grounds Ia lift up a jug an
pretend ter be- drinkin'. Then Ia sit down
tho Jug lift mp mcr voice. an shout:
Come, all ye that famish an thirst. fer
the blessed Spirit ter the head o. Injun.
an We shall be filed" The whole fam
lily an AN their visitors would take after
my wagin. / kept repeatin' this dose IN
front nv every house. an when | got ter
the place fer preachin ] had the biggest
Catherin' tibet eyer he'd been seen I'm tibet
neck o. the woods \ revival be gun at
once. Forty souls were brought ter
Christ. an only one man killed durin' that
blessed week.
/ was stopping for the night on Christy
creek. in Carter county. The "Ole man
an woman" six gals" four boys" (all
grown. three hands. and myself made
a semi-circle about a great cdyernous
fireplace filed with roaring hickory
beech logs
one great, strappiug young giant sat
with his left shoulder against one jamh
rack. while his sister M0ll bracel her
right against the other. They faced each
other. and / saw them frequently eX-
change smiling glances. which they we'll
understood. They Were holding a word
less conversation. and I expect II related
to my very sef-mportant self
stretched legs. making his big boot-heel>
scrape harsnN on the earth and puncheon
floor as he dii SD. He stretched out his
long arms Ike wings yawnel. and rose
up. He then crooked long, dark com.
plexioned index-hnger toward me ana
said.
q want ter see We outside n mint.
stranger
went ont with him. Little shlvers
played hide and seek mp and down my
spinal column as 1 stood. i'm frightened
perplexity. below this tower OF muscle
and Drawn. What could he want2 My
blood? or a drink from a hask l had in
my pocket? lie kept me- I'm suspense sew
eral mnutes-mdny minutes TO me then
Then he drew In deep inspiration and
said:
Stranger, don't We want ter marry my
sister Moll?'
"Why-I-er don't understand. What IL,
you mean"
wal hits list this or way: Molrs
bound ter marry. that's all Their IL erbOut
%. Shes the best field hand on the place.
bat she swars she won't never strike an
other lick har. So ives all workin' ter
git her satisfied. I thought Jim Stacey
WIZ goin' ter take her. but he went to
log-rollin' soon arter they wuz ingaged
an beat ever man Their lften' at or
han spike. That got his name up, an
ever girl in the county was arter him.
That give him the big head. an he drop
ped Moll out an married Sal Bodkns fes
her good looks an two cows
Then Ben Taylor an her made er
contract. They WIZ jist erbout ter hitch
when his uncle died an left him two
good houses. That started all the gals in
the county arter him. Beck Latimer
who had list raised the best four acres
of terbacker to be found on the crick
an had two Of the biggest feather-beds
in the county. took or notion 10 him
Moll WIZ left out I'm the snow again.
This kind or thing keeps happenln' with
her time an time agin. Sh. talked Nv
hangin' herself. but | tole her ter hold
up or while longer. that If she couldn't
git a man right big. stout, an deyiish-
like Tom Stacy or Bill Latimer-that
some little warty, bowlegged cuss. better
than nuthin', would come er long some
time an pluck her OFF An now.
stranger, If you want wife that can
raise more corn than any man you can
scare up. just clinch yerself ter Moll. I
know she'll take ye. I cud see II in her
eye; besides. you've got a burned good
lcOkin' boss"