Morgan County democrat. (Versailles, Mo.) 1900-1906, 1903-12-04
The Earthquake at
Shutters Corners.
BY 4 L. VERMUH.

f rs comm; the signs is all right,
i and it's surely comm. Wen all
be In eternity by this time tomorrow,
and the world, at least II part of 1t,
will be all joggled to pieces. This is
our last day on earth, and we'd ought
TO reflect onto the future state" Mrs.
Potter creaked dismally back and
forth in her wooden rocker, as she
gaZcd with lack-luster eyes at some
half-grown chickens that were con
tentedly scratching before the open
door.
Wal, / dunno" replied her husband
cheerfully, as he cOmbed his scanty
locks before the small looking glass,
''p'raps we'll be here quite a spell
yet. Them prophet chaps don't know
1t ALL" Mr.. Potter was a cheerful
soul, though his wife regarded his pres
Cnt optimism as nothing short of rank
sin. But he did not believe that any
serious cataclysm was impending, SO
he sat down to supper with his wonted
good spirits.
For q prophet had arisen at Shutters
Cornerstone of those lank, sad eyed,
ignorant beings who are given to
dreams and visions, and who exert an
un%accountable influence over the minds
OF country folk. This particular seer
had been afflicted with "A dolefully real
Istic dream, in which he had seer the
Corners" and the surrounding coun-
try swallowed up by n great earth
quake. Then an angel had appeared
10 Iip, IL Iii. tI.4r nod l,l t-1I liz,
that it was an all-wool vision, and that
the things which he had seen would
surely come to pass, on the 9th day
OF the coming month, at exactly eight
o'clock in the morning. The destruc-
tiOn was to be complete, and after that
date the world would know Shutters
Corners no more. The prophet, 1t was
said, had eaten heartily of fresh pork
and fried onions on the eve of the
dream, which circumstance may have
had some connection with the VISION
though this is mere conjecture.
From the time of the vision, the
prophet had done nothing but wander
about the little hamlet, "warnin'" the
inhabitants, many of whom, greatly
TO their discrcdit, believed the lanky
one, and were accordingly much de-
pressed. These believers were fo1
leaving the place at once, but as none
seemed TO know just how far the earth
quake's destruction might extend, they
changed their minds and concluded to
die at home. Besides, 1t was right in
harvesting time, and with a faint hope
that there might be some mistake In
regard to the coming OF he advertised
. calamity, these superstitious folk con-
tinued to gather in their crops, though
the work was done In a perfunctory
manner Mr.. Potter and his son, John,
were quite unaffected by the prevailing
gloom; and the cheerfulness and en-
orgy with which these two worked AT
gathering in the harvest surprised and
annoyed the followers of the prophet,
and caused the dyspeptic soOthsayer to
declaim loudly against the worthy
farmers "Ongodliness." But Mrs. Pot
ter was the only utterly hopeless one
absolute certainty to the coming of the
earthquake on scheduled time, the eth
day Of August. at eight o'clock. 1t
was now the evening of the Goth.
Mr.. Potter sat down at the table and
began peeling a boiled potato. Anx-
iety for the morrow had not impaired
his appetite.
Come, Sairy," he said. cheerfully,
'set up and hev some supper. Come
and hev q cup of tea and some OF these
poached aigs. They're real good. the
way you cook EN-" Mr.. Potter had
always been indulgent with hts wife,
and now, though he was thoroughly
d~isgusted a, her taking SO strongly to
the popular delusion, he tried to cheer