The Van Buren press., 1897-09-25
A brighter and Better Land.

Now IL there ever was three old men
in the settlement that didn't have any
religion for certain, it was Travis
Waters, Luke Wesley and Lige Runnels.
They never did belong to the church
and they never seached the Scriptures.
But they had their own pecurious no.
tions in regards to the things of the
future hereafter. They maintained and
helt to it that we are all headed one
way and bound for the same country.
They believed that we will live together
in that country a night smart like we
live here, and that the general settle
ments of the people will be the same
thing over there on the other shore.
They didn't think the land of the fu-
ture beyond will be particular cold, or
so very tremendous hot, and their doc
trine was, that people which live to-
gether here, will likewise also live to-
gether there. They maintained in a
general way that the people of Rocky
Creek will live all in the same settle
ment and be neighbors and friends
and fellow citizens oncst more over
there, and that the people from
the hill country, and the people from
Huekelberry Ridge, and from Panther
Creek, and from the Flat Woods will
all live together in their different set
Elements, and there will be meetin and
visitin and courtin and marryin and
goin on there about the same as you see
in this country to-day.
"Hit will be hot or cold in that coun-
try accordin to the way man would
ruther take his weather, Rufe," says old
man Travis to me oncst upon time.
"If you would ruther have cold weather
you will jest naturally find your place
in some pleasant strip of country where
it is cold all the year round. But if you
would ruther have your weather hot
you can go where it is summer time
straig ght through for 12 months in the
year. And if you wantit mixed about
half and half, or only middlin hot OF
cold you can nominate your weather
and take your pick.
"And over there in that country, Rufe,
people won't have to work only when
they feel like it. The seasons will hit
right every pop, and every year will
be a good crop year, but in that coun-
try people won't have to tend the soil
and eat their bread andlmeat and greens
in the sweat of the face like they do
here. There will be plenty of some
thin good to eat and plenty of clothes to
wear, but people won't have to scratch
and scramble and, work their daylights
out in orderment to git the necessary
wherewithals of life. You viii know
jest the same people over there as you
know here, and you can go on scrapin
up new acquaintances if you want to.
There won't be any taxes to pay and
government to maintain. There won't
be any money there, from the fact that
people can have everything they want
without money andwithout price. And
then they won't have no politics there,
Rufe-which there wouldn't be any
here if we didn't raise up so infurnal
many politicians that are forever
scramblin for a soft job. Everybody
will be out of debt-no more mortgages,
no more waverly notes, no more papers
or compellment-and everybody will
be healthy and happy over there.
"All the people in creation couldn't I
make me believe that when man has
suffered through the things of this
country-all the aches and pains that
the human flesh is heir to-sweltry hot
or cold as fugins-wet spells and dry
drouths and sorry crops and hard times
sickness and sorrow and trials and
troubles and tribulations-you needn't
to tell me that a man which has went
through with all this will have to stand
and suffer somethin worse when he goes
to his long and final home on the other
shore"