The Leatherwood God

sed fresh life into the day. Where Matthew Braile sat smoking his corncob pipe in the covered porchway between the rooms of his double-log cabi

he light that came into his narrowed eyes was of rather amused liking, as a man on a claybank horse rode up before the cabin in the space where alone it was not hidden by the ranks of the tall corn. The man sat astride a sack with a grist of corn in one end balanced by a large stone in the other, and h

e edge of the porch, before he called back

to have any breakfast till I bring back the meal for her to git it with; anyway that's what she said when I left." Braile answered nothing, and the rider of the claybank added, with a certain uneasiness as if for the effect of what

quiline profile, which met close at the lips from the loss of his teeth, compressed itself further in leaving the whole burden of the affair

cing a little under the old man's indifference. Brail

his face, and the responsive levity of his phrase, "There was a change of hands,

scornful guttural which no En

he had 'em goun' lively, about midnight, now I tell you: whoopun' and yellun', and rippun' and stavun', and fallun' down with the jerks, and pullun' and haulun' at the

dy," Braile said, putting his pipe back into his mout

as a bigger meetun' in Leatherwood Bottom, anywhere. Folks there from twenty

out his pipe in making the sound now; the

nd singun' everywhere, so you couldn't hear yourself think. Every exhorter had a mourners' bench in front of him, and I counted as many as eighty mourners on 'em at one time. The most of 'em was se

of cold sympathy with the riotous outla

stageun's yit, so the whole place was lit up as bright as day; and when the elder stopped short and sudden, and the other exhorters held back their tommyhawks, and all the saints and sinners left off their groanun' and jerkun' to see what was comun', now it was a great sight, I tell you, Squire. The elder he put up his hand and says he, 'Let us pray!' and the blaze from all them stageun's seemed to turn itself right onto him, and the smoke and the leaves hung like a big red cloud over him, and everybody had their eyes fastened tight on his face, like they couldn't turn 'em anywhere else if they tried. But he didn't begin prayun' straight off. He se

, who had been smoking tranquilly throughout,

s. He was kind of pale like, and sad-lookun', and he had a Roman nose some like yourn, and eyes like two coals, just black fire, kind of. He was putty thickset, round the shoulders, but he slimmed down towards his legs, and he stood about six feet high. But the thing of it," Reverdy urged, seeing that Braile remained outwardly unmoved, "was the way he

porch, as if to be sure of spitting quite under the claybank's body. Not until he had fold

ingling of disappointed hope, hurt

upon him. That was cruel, and yet funny, Reverdy had inwardly to own, as it touched the remoteness from a full suit of black broadcloth represented by his hickory shirt and his butternut trousers held up by a single suspender passing over his shoulder and fastened before and behind with wooden pegs. His straw hat, which he had braided himself, and his wife had sewed into shape the summer before, was ragged round the brim, and a tuft of his yel

eep sigh, but s

you wouldn't get that corn gro

where he had left her in high rebellion which she promised him nothing but a bag of cornmeal could reduce, "she d

ht," Braile

quick movements of feet over the puncheon floor, with some clicking of knives and dishes

heck apron reaching to its hem in front, and a white cloth passed round h

r presence in saying, "The wom

erdy, "Good morning, Abel. Won't you light and have breakfa

o; she's wuss'n I am, if anything. I reckon if she had her say we'd have a two-room cabin, too, and a loft over both parts, like you have, Mis' Braile, or a frame house, even. But I don't believe anybody but you could keep this floor so clean. Them knots in the puncheons just shine! And that chimbly-piece with that plaster of Paris Samuel prayin' in it; well, if Sally's as't me for a Samuel once I reckon she has a hundred times; and that clock! It's a pictur'." He looked about the interior as he took the seat offered him at the table, and praised the details of the furnishing with a reference to the effect

g to eat, Mr. Braile?" his wife

long as I've got anything to smoke. Gets up," he explained to Rev

raised above his level by amiable condescension. But as if he thought it safest to refuse any share in this intimacy, he ended his a

anger. "This is the Temple: Temple of Justice-Justice of the Peace.

way, all the log-rollin' I done for you last 'lection time. I didn'

ld you?" Braile asked, with incr

is' Braile was Christian enough for the whole family. Said you knowed more l

Braile won't refuse to serve," he said, and he began his walk again. "Tell her

hine off of religious experience. Why," he addressed himself to Mrs. Braile, "it wasn't much, as fur as anybody could make out. It was just the queerness of the whole

and then she asked, "

o' th'owed cold water on the meetun' and folks begun goun' home, and breakun' up and turnun' in; well it was pretty nigh sun-up, anyway, by that time. I don't know! Made me feel all-overish. Seemed like I'd been dream

he keeps on," Mrs. Braile said with apparent reproof

n't," Reverdy bega

e her up and tel

firs' thing I know was Sally havin' me by the shoulder, and wantun' to know about gittun' that corn groun' for breakfas'. My! I don't know w

mb holding its main strands together. The lankness of her long figure showed in the calico wrapper which seemed her sole garment; and her large features were respectively lank in their way, nose and chin and high cheek bones; her eyes wabbled in their sockets with the sort of inquiring laughter that spread her wide, loose mouth. She was bare

said, without troubling herself to rise from her o

meant how nice it smelt. I got me somepin at

Squire said. "Sit down! You couldn't get Abel away now

a excitement there is in this town about the goun's on at the camp-meetun', last night. If I've heard it from one I've heard it from a dozen. I s'pose Abel's

y opened his mouth in a soundless laugh at the Squire's humor, and then filled it with

', and snorted like a horse-But I know Abel's tol' you! It's just like one of your jok

etter go on. I couldn't hear too often about a man that snorted like a horse, if Abel did tell.

f. She slumped forward with a laugh, and when she lifted her head she said through the victual that f

with him; he tried to impart it to Mrs. Braile, impassively pouring him a third cup of coffee. "I jes' met Mis' Leonard comun' up

he table in feigned fear and threat

r claybank that snorted?"

screamed. But he stood there, straight as a ramrod, and never moved a eye-winker. She said his face was somepin awful: just as solemn and still! He never spoke after that one word 'Salvation,' but every once in a while he snorted. Nobody seen him come in, or ever seen him before till he first snorted, and then they didn't see

a bird?" the Sq

ought been," Sally

snorter disappeared in a flash, with

, pleasant as a basket of chips; and he went home with David Gillespie. He was just as

truth in 'em. Who's that up there at the pike-crossing?" He did not trouble himself to do more than frow

there is any. Say, say, Jane!" she called to the girl, as she ran up the road with the cow-like gait which her swirling skirt gave her. The girl stopped f

ad remained in the enjoyment of Mrs. Braile's

questioned back

of yours ground, a

space where Braile sat. "Well, I won't fergit this breakfast very soon," he offer

and mounted his claybank and thumped the horse into motion with his naked heels, she came out into t

of fools. But Abel and Sally are a perfect pair, mental and moral twins; the only thing they don't agree in is their account of what became of that snorting exhorter. But the difference there isn't important. If an all-wise Providence has kept them from tra

me breakfast?" his wife asked.

the head on-Martha, that's a fact.

ssed into the kitchen again, where she continued to make

s like Abel would make me sick. So I waited till the Creator of heaven and earth could get a minute off and help me out. But He seemed pretty busy with the solar system this morning, and I had about

et him to stay in the first p

ond time, though." Mrs. Braile did not answer, and by the familiar scent from within, Braile knew that his coffee must be nearly ready

o and fro at her labors. Her steps ceased and she called, "Well, come in

h the coffee and bacon renewed upon it, he mocked tenderly, "Now just to reward y

goin' myself," she sa

d, just to pleas