The hull town was
there then, and they all sung, and they sung re-
vival hymns over Hank. And Hank he would jest
cuss and cuss. Every time he busted out into
another cussing spell they would start another
hymn. Finally the men out in the front yard got
warmed up too, and begun to sing, all but Bill
Nolan's crowd, and they give Hank up for lost and
went away disgusted.
The first thing you knowed they was a reg'lar
revival meeting there, and that preacher was
preaching a reg'lar revival sermon. I been to
more'n one camp meeting, but fur jest natcherally
taking holt of the hull human race by the slack
of its pants and dangling of it over hell-fire, I never
hearn nothing could come up to that there sermon.
Two or three old backsliders in the crowd come right
up and repented all over agin on the spot. The
hull kit and biling of 'em got the power good and
hard, like they does at camp meetings and revivals.
But Hank, he only cussed. He was obstinate,
Hank was, and his pride and dander had riz up.
Finally he says:
"You're taking a ornery, low-down advantage
o' me, you are. Let me out'n this here cistern and
I'll show you who'll stick it out longest on dry
land, dern your religious hides!"
Some of the folks there hadn't had no suppers,
so after all the other sinners but Hank had either
got converted or else sneaked away, some of the
women says why not make a kind of love feast out
of it, and bring some vittles, like they does to
church sociables.
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