Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1948-05-28
Somebody
CONTINUED from Page II

WIN WANT w pc INV Aio"
about DIR. Robinson? Say. man,
look at this Baptist Van Guard
Here's President Cogg's picture
That's the man want to be like"
Say, amt that Rev, Guys pic
ture? Yes, it is. Well, II could
just be like him. whew, I heard
him speak to farmers at State
College last month and he told
us some good things Say, Sis,
who do you want to be like?
Unnoticed, young girl had
slipped around the corner Of
the house and quietly Joined her
brothers at the edge of the porch.
In a low tone she replied. Il heard
Mrs. Henrietta Porter speak at a
meeting and / would like to be
like her.
The mother cut her sharp eyes
at the girl. You'll never be. You've
messed up your chance to be like
any respectable womanl Hard as
l worked in the field to get that
new dress for you then you
come up here like this!" look
ed annoyed Observing my atti-
tude, the father said, Come on
In the back room. Mr.. Smith, my
wife and I want to talk with you
bout this girl. Come on Josie"
l sat on a crude bench, while
the mother and father sat on one
side of the bed, with Josie Cling
ing helplessly to the post of the
old iron bed. They began, MIR.
Smith, we tried to raise our chill
dren right. We didn't spare the
rod. That gals got scars on her
now where we beat her trying
to raise her right. Then after all
that, she comes up here pregnant.
And she won't tell us who the
guilty man is. Is there any law
that we can use to find out? I'd
like to kill him. Yes, and | feel
like beating Josie's brains out.
I'd rather see her dead.
Josie fumblcd with an old worn
out handkerchief, too beaten in
spirit to even raise her head. l
broke in, Mr.. and Mrs Andrews,
do you have Bible and do you
read it," The answer was, Yes
Then you've read the story con-
corning the woman the men
brought to Christ saying, We
caught her in the very act. Re-
member, Christ simply knelt and
scratched on the ground to keep
from further embarrassing this
woman. Finally when he stood
up, only the woman was there.
He asked, Woman, where art
thou accusers? and she said,
Lord, / have none Then, said
the Lord, Go in peace and sin no
more Also, do you recall the
words, Those of you without
fault, cast the first stone? II
Christ respected human beings,
even tho they had erred, why
can't WEI"
Gradually the harsh attitude OF |
The parents softened somewhat
and the complexion of their prob
lem seemed to change. Josie lift
ed her eyes in an understanding
gesture, grateful for a glimpse OF
and that at least one
person seemed to understand, /,
Maybe somebody still cares and |
and would like to see her become ,
like Mrs. Porter, rather than con-
denim her and make the world of
look beautiful to her,
! directed my last remarks to
her mother, Mrs. Andrews, l
don't believe Josie is a bad girl
really don't believe that any girl
wants to have a baby before mar
riage They know, even in the
most uniformed corners of the
earth, that they viii be branded
and cast out of society, There
are so many contributing factors
that might cause weak girl to
err poor environment, unwhole-
some community and home life,
persuasion, ignorance, misdirec-