The Forrest City times., 1903-12-11

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 70 Silas.- said Mrs Potter. with a look al her husband. how can yo1 speak 90 oares2eetful Of Mr. Garner. He says he's a real prophet. appinfed by God. and that the angsI told him to varu his neiZhbors. so hat they could repent of their sins Besides. he proves all he says by reve- latio-- He's a pious man. Mr. Gar Ter Is. and don't want his friends 10 be hurled into eternity onpreparei- But are won't quarrel about anything when we're so closte To the end Of our days"
 Course we won't" eheerfully assent ed her husband Wen jest eat a guod hearty supper. and not worry about The future. Where's John D5da't he come in a spell ago.~
 Mrs Potter glanced out of the open door. her brows contracting with an noyance.
 T declare she exclaimed with as perity. the earthquake for the moment forgotten. If there ain't the boy f5ohn xks @9} oTsT 10 Rcgzrs' again. spoonin' with that shiflezs Mary. The lea Of his being So sot on a girl that reads Shakespeare and can't make good szls TYR, bread. let alone hop east. But John shan: never marry tha nIHx so longs I'm on earth
 Which won't be long 'eo-din' to your tell, mother said Mr. Potter. helping himself to another generous dish Of apple sauce Still. we may not move out quite so sudden. after all: and you huow that you promised John to give your consent 70 his marrying Mary. if the world want swallowed up on the 2-th-"
 Mrs Potter said nothing. but gazed seornfnily in the direction of the Rog- CTS cottage Johns lore for Mary Rogers had been 8 sore trial 10 his mother. Not that the good woman did not want her son 10 marry: it was simply because she did not like the girl Any Of the other marriageable usaidens Of the place would have been satisfactory to her as a daaghter-in- law. bur Mary Rogers-neyer. She didn't like Mary simply because she was unlike the other girls. the diff ference being merely that Mary had the energy 10 get a little education. Mary was a pleasant. modest girl. and did not parade her knowledge oi grammar and sech stuff as Mrs. Potter eontemptuously put it. It is said that some good generally comes from the greatest disaster. and since the promulgation of the dire prophecy" the good woman had been able to glean one atom of comfort the earthquake would prevent John s marriage to an educated girl. Learn ing is seldom popular in the rural dis tricts.
 And Mary's certainly a good girl" resumed MT Potter. If I'm any judge. she's the most energetic girl in the place. If she don't care for dances and such, where's the harm? P'raps she can't cook jest like you experienced housekeepers, but she'll learn. She and John could get along first rate, l know. l do hope Jabe Gamers made some mistake in his callations." Mir Potter's whimsical smile was lost on his wife, who was intently watching her son as he slowly came up the stree. from the Rogers cottage.
 There won't be no mistake" re- turned Mrs. Potter. Tt does seem strange that some people will refuse to heed the warnin's of inspired prophets" She gave a sniff. and just then John entered the kitchen and took his place at the table
 Pass up your cup. John" said his mother. and haze some tea. It's about cold, and SO is the meat and the potatoes. But don't s'pose it mat ters." she said, relapsing into her for mer apathetic condition, for the things of earth is almost passed away. and We won't need no more food
 Not till tomorrow morning. ma, !" replied John. cheerfully, not till to- morrow morning. Then we'll have d good breakfast, such as you always get"
 His mother gave him look of min gled sorrow and reproach.
 T hope you men don't expect me to get any breakfast tomorrow morning. and the town and perhaps the whole earth to be destroyed at eight o'clock. There won't be no more time than we'll need to prepare ourselves for the other world.
 Her son changed the subject Got all the wheat in the west field in" he said. and after supper I'm going to fix up your nasturtiums. They're sprawling all over the ground"
 His mother vouchsafed no reply. but arose from the table. and went de- jectedly out upon the stoop.
 The morrow dawned clear and beau tiful- In the soft morning breeze and the blue sky there were no indications of approaching doom. Mir Potter and John were up beumes. as usual, and were mending a hayrack, seeming not at all depressed by any fear of coming disaster. At breakfast time they en- tered the kitchen. but no meal was in sight. Mrs. Potter was feyerishly pc rusing her Bible She implored her husband and her son to think ono eternity. and to remain near her" They promised to do both. and said that they were not going farther away than the