St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1896-10-10

Uie llAHtIJ JfeJ lIOIu uIlotHCI,dItet WIllCft
ne and Ben Chris had went down under
the Hill in orderment to mix a little
pure spring water with the early run
nins of the corn.
"Remained Over and Tarried Around"
s'But sometime and somehow in the
beginnin Andy Lucas was made" Ben
Chris went on--which by this time his
talkin machinery was limbered up CON
siderable.
"Accordin to the Scripture-whicll
says that mortal man was taken from
the bosom of the earth and must conse-
quentially retrun back to the same thing,
or words to that extent--I reckon the
good Lord must of made Andy along
with the rest of human creation. Least
wise the public in general has got Him
charged up with the job. Some people
are jest naturally proneful to throw off
all the blame on the good Lord any
how, Rufus. Now as to me. l don't
TO say blame Him for the maxim of
Andy Lucas. Eff He made that lost and
ruint man, which accordin to the Scrip
ture reckon He did, it was because He
had whole passle of odds and ends,
and rakins and serapins, which He
didn't have no particlar use for, so He
jest flung the pile together and made
human bein and called itAndy Lucas.
TO be certainly Irecollect that you
and Andy was borned and bred and
brung up together on joinin farms, and
s,ff soa IL se.J,
take soup through the same quill to
some extent" says Ben Chris as he
went down after his tobacco and put
fresh bundle in the rack ssYet. still
at the same time, Rufus, I don't wear
no paddock on my mouthaas anybody
knows of. and I.don't mind telIin you
the naked unwashed truth though it
breaks up the4plan of salvation and
brings on another war between the
United States.
''But what put in to tell You about
was the trip which Andy made :lown
into the old Panther Creek settlement
durin the dark nights and hot days
of August, and what a tremendous wide
row he weeded around at the big pro-
tracted msetins. As for me, I was too
monstroua 3usy pullin down and stack
in up my fodder right along about that
time, and couldn't turn out to the
meetins any to speak of only on Sat
urdnys and Sundays. But Andy he re-
mained over and tarried in the settle
ment somethin better than three weeks
and took in all the big naeetins indurin
<oe4 40 4 49,
range he turned his horse in my lot
and made our house his general head
quarters, thought didn't lag eyes on
him more than oncst or twicst week
whilst he tarried down there amongst
us. Still at the same time / could hear
some news from Andy every day in !
the week.
"The very next day after Andy showed
down in the Panther Creek country me
and him went to a big Methodist meetin
over at Long Creek church, where they
had three sermonts a day and dinner on
the grounds-which, you understand,
that was on a Sunday. And late that
evenin when got ready to start off on
myreturn back home 10 and behold there
was Andy Lucas! Finally at last. i
found him, and wheredo you reckon he
was? III. was way off down there in the
woods behind big pine log with old
Parson Raynor-which the parson had
Andy down on his knees and was pray
in for him in a deep and ferpent voice.
He was pleadin in dead earnest with
both eyes shet, and consequentially he
u 3..s4 A ~
!. of me, and when he did he closed his
left eye slow and KNOWN like and waved
his hand at me to go on back. And
then, when presently him and the old
parson come up out of the woods, the
great horsetrader had his pocket hand.
kerchief in one handsand q prayer.
book in the other, whilst his face was
pulled ont as long as your arm. They
then shook the partin hand and spoke
a sad farewell. The good old parson
went on his way rejoiein in the hope,
and that blame fellow Lucas come to me
and said, said he:
"Ben Chris, from the way the cards
are runnin now and the general circum-
ference of the calamity, / reckon you
WILL NAdNC " IGtuTHt BUCK uOU1e HIOI16 ny
yourself. / don't see how, ] could go
with you this eyenin. IfeeI called to re-
main over at this meetin and tarry
around amongst the brethren for few
days longer. Whilst the lamp holds out
to burn the durndest sinner maybe
mought return, and if tear myself
away right now expect the Ineetin
would come to student close. But
there IS grounds for hope and room for
great rejoicin and material to work
on so long as ] remain over, and
tarry around the mourners' bench so
reglar and so frequent. Inthat regards
you must recollect. Ben Chris, that am
a full blood grandson of ole Hiram Luz
cas-, which they tell me he was the hard
est customer and the most wickedest
sinner that ever drove horse trade or
spit cuss words in all these regions
round, Whereas you can see how and
why they will run this mcetin several
days lenger-with three sermonts Il