The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1897-08-07

breasted regards till it would take c
book to tell the reasons why. She talks
considerable with her mouth, and says
a whole passle at the same time. She
is so newsy like and fresh. She knows
tremendous big lot, and she don't
mind tellin it.
"Thc Devils Quarter Section"
For fears somebody else will come
along and tell you all the news in re
CARDS to the new church which they
never built down there in the Devils
Quarter Section, maybe 1 mought as
well tend to the job right now" says
Aunt Nancy to mother and me the last
time she come up from the old settle
ment to bless us with her brief ant
smilin presence.
you have been down there in thu
forks of Murder creek, Rufus, into that
skirt of country which everybody calls
the Devils Quarter Section. Well
somewheres right around in there yor
will find the church which they never
built.
at is a scandalous bad messment they
have got over there, Rufus, and that
scrapegrace Web Gardner is at the bot
tom of it. You know Web Gardner--ol
at any rates, you know him by name
and you know where he lives. And you
know there are some people in this
world-as pore and needy as the best oil
us-that jest naturally don't have tc
work-which that is one of the most
strangest things in creation to me. But
itisso. And Web Gardner is one of them
sort. He don't even do like julie Majors
go around huntin for work, but hopi1
and prayin all the time that he won't
find what he is looBin for. | have nc
doubts but what Web Gardner is under
a heavy Bible oath that he never will
scarrify the fair bosom of the earth
with a lick of honest work so long as
life shall last.
"Consequentially when Web rid by ouI
house before sun up one mornin about
three weeks ago, and told Andrew jim
that he was pledged to go down in
the Devils Quarter Section that day Oh
some pressin business, l lowed right
then that there must be somethin dead
up the creek, Only two days before
that l had met up with Webs wife over
at the Cross Roads and she was tellin
me how much bad luck had been comm
their way of late and what hard time
thew was havin to make tongue ano
buckle meet. We had already got the
news that old Parson Weston was run
min of big bresh arbor meetin down
in the DEVILS Quarter Section, ano
when Web rid by that mornin-so pipin
soon and in SIGH a tempestrous big
hurry-and told where he was headed
for, says l to myself, the human race
was horned and brung forth unto sin
and sorrow and sufferin, and some
body's time is comm next.
"Wen, what did Web Gardner dc
down in the Devils Quarter Section
| don't know where he got the neces-
sary materials, but he turned up at
that big bresh arbor meetin the first
day drunk-pluperfectly, bilin, roarin,
soakin drunk. He had three fights
right there on the grounds, ripped and
cussed till the free and native air was
hot and blue in streaks and patches for
miles around, and all but busted up the
meetin. But old Parson Weston helt
the first base and stood by his guns
He called Web Gard er by his full name
and preached a short sermont to him
in the first person, single number
preached hell fire and birthstone and
everlastin damnation-and called on
Web to flee from the wrath to come be
fore it come.
"By the next day Web had slept II
off, or flung it up, and when he put il
his appointments at the brush arboI
meetin for the second time he was
sad-eyed sober. The old parsor
preached forth another powerful and
stirrin sermont-they tell me it was
reglar heart-thumper and soul rouser
And when they sung song and called
for mourners that day Web Gardner
was the very first man to come forth IL
saekcloth and ashes, as it were-meat
fifteen for repentance. Right then every
body thought the dead was alive anc
the lost was found oncst more. There
was shoutin and singin and weepin fol
inv