don’t believe there’s another durn gal in the whole country who’s as contrary-minded about sleeping in the bed as Pearl is.”
Dude picked up the baseball and began tossing it on the roof of the porch, and catching it when it rolled down into the yard. The ball knocked loose the rotten shingles, and pieces of them showered the yard. Ellie May sat waiting to hear some more prayer when Bessie and Jeeter got through talking about Pearl.
“Maybe it wouldn’t hurt none if I was to mention it,” Bessie said.
“That’s right,” Jeeter said. “You speak to the Lord about it, too. Both of you together ought to get something done about it.”
“Now, Lord, I’ve got something special to pray about. I don’t ask favors unless they is things I want pretty bad, so this time I’m asking for a favor for Pearl. I want You to make her stop sleeping on a pallet on the floor while Brother Lov has to sleep by himself in the bed. Make Pearl get in the bed, Lord, and make her stay there where she belongs. She ain’t got no right to sleep on a pallet on the floor when Lov’s got a bed for her. Now, You make her stop acting like she’s been, and put her in the bed when night comes. I was a good wife to my former husband. I never slept on no pallet on the floor. Sister Ada here don’t do nothing like that. And when I marry another man, I ain’t going to do that, neither. I’m going to get in the bed just as big as my new husband does. So You tell Pearl to quit that. We women knows what we ought to do, and Pearl just ain’t old enough to know better. You got to tell her to quit doing that. If it was—”
“What was that you was saying about getting married, Sister Bessie?” Jeeter asked. “Didn’t I hear you say you was going to marry yourself a new husband? Who is you going to get married to?”
“Well, I ain’t made up my mind yet. I been looking around some, though. Right now it looks like I can’t make up my mind. It’s my wish to find a man who’s got some goods and possessions, but it looks like ain’t nobody got nothing around here no more. All the men folks is poor.”
“Now, if it wasn’t for Ada, there,” Jeeter said.
“Brother Jeeter, you hush your mouth!” she giggled. “You make me feel so funny when you talk like that! How’d you know I’d take to you? You’re pretty old, ain’t you?”
“I reckon you’d better finish up the prayer,” he said. “Ada, there, gets sort of peeved when I talk about marrying another woman.”
“—Save us from the devil and make a place for us in heaven. Amen.”
Chapter VI
“Y OU CLEAR FORGOT to say a little prayer for Dude,” Jeeter said suddenly. “You left Dude out all around, Bessie. Dude, he’s as big a sinner as the rest of us Lesters.”
Bessie jumped up and ran out into the yard. She clutched Dude by the arm and dragged him to the porch by her chair. She kneeled down in front of it, and tried to pull Dude down beside her.
“I don’t want to do that,” Dude said angrily. “I don’t want no praying for me. I ain’t done nothing. Pa did all the stealing of Lov’s turnips. He took them and ran off to the thicket.”
Bessie took his hands in hers and stroked his arms for several minutes without speaking. Then she stood up beside him and locked her arms around his waist. She squeezed him so hard it made the blood rush to his head.
“I got to pray for you, Dude. The Lord told me all you Lesters was sinful. He didn’t leave you out no more than He did Ellie May.”
Dude looked into her face. She pleaded convincingly enough to make him want to be prayed for, but he could not stop looking down into her nostrils.
“What you laughing at, Dude?” she said.
“Nothing,” he snickered, twisting his head until he could almost see behind himself.
“There ain’t nothing about prayer to laugh at, Dude,” she said. “All of us has got to have it some time or another.”
He felt ill at ease standing so close to her. The way she
Dude picked up the baseball and began tossing it on the roof of the porch, and catching it when it rolled down into the yard. The ball knocked loose the rotten shingles, and pieces of them showered the yard. Ellie May sat waiting to hear some more prayer when Bessie and Jeeter got through talking about Pearl.
“Maybe it wouldn’t hurt none if I was to mention it,” Bessie said.
“That’s right,” Jeeter said. “You speak to the Lord about it, too. Both of you together ought to get something done about it.”
“Now, Lord, I’ve got something special to pray about. I don’t ask favors unless they is things I want pretty bad, so this time I’m asking for a favor for Pearl. I want You to make her stop sleeping on a pallet on the floor while Brother Lov has to sleep by himself in the bed. Make Pearl get in the bed, Lord, and make her stay there where she belongs. She ain’t got no right to sleep on a pallet on the floor when Lov’s got a bed for her. Now, You make her stop acting like she’s been, and put her in the bed when night comes. I was a good wife to my former husband. I never slept on no pallet on the floor. Sister Ada here don’t do nothing like that. And when I marry another man, I ain’t going to do that, neither. I’m going to get in the bed just as big as my new husband does. So You tell Pearl to quit that. We women knows what we ought to do, and Pearl just ain’t old enough to know better. You got to tell her to quit doing that. If it was—”
“What was that you was saying about getting married, Sister Bessie?” Jeeter asked. “Didn’t I hear you say you was going to marry yourself a new husband? Who is you going to get married to?”
“Well, I ain’t made up my mind yet. I been looking around some, though. Right now it looks like I can’t make up my mind. It’s my wish to find a man who’s got some goods and possessions, but it looks like ain’t nobody got nothing around here no more. All the men folks is poor.”
“Now, if it wasn’t for Ada, there,” Jeeter said.
“Brother Jeeter, you hush your mouth!” she giggled. “You make me feel so funny when you talk like that! How’d you know I’d take to you? You’re pretty old, ain’t you?”
“I reckon you’d better finish up the prayer,” he said. “Ada, there, gets sort of peeved when I talk about marrying another woman.”
“—Save us from the devil and make a place for us in heaven. Amen.”
Chapter VI
“Y OU CLEAR FORGOT to say a little prayer for Dude,” Jeeter said suddenly. “You left Dude out all around, Bessie. Dude, he’s as big a sinner as the rest of us Lesters.”
Bessie jumped up and ran out into the yard. She clutched Dude by the arm and dragged him to the porch by her chair. She kneeled down in front of it, and tried to pull Dude down beside her.
“I don’t want to do that,” Dude said angrily. “I don’t want no praying for me. I ain’t done nothing. Pa did all the stealing of Lov’s turnips. He took them and ran off to the thicket.”
Bessie took his hands in hers and stroked his arms for several minutes without speaking. Then she stood up beside him and locked her arms around his waist. She squeezed him so hard it made the blood rush to his head.
“I got to pray for you, Dude. The Lord told me all you Lesters was sinful. He didn’t leave you out no more than He did Ellie May.”
Dude looked into her face. She pleaded convincingly enough to make him want to be prayed for, but he could not stop looking down into her nostrils.
“What you laughing at, Dude?” she said.
“Nothing,” he snickered, twisting his head until he could almost see behind himself.
“There ain’t nothing about prayer to laugh at, Dude,” she said. “All of us has got to have it some time or another.”
He felt ill at ease standing so close to her. The way she
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