They says you can invite folks if you want.
I wisht we had some frien’s to invite.
Maybe the men’ll know somebody to invite.”
Rose of Sharon peered down the road.
“That lady that says I’ll lose the baby—” she began.
“Now you stop that,” Ma warned her.
Rose of Sharon said softly,
“I seen her.
She’s a-comin’ here, I think.
Yeah! Here she comes. Ma, don’t let her——”
Ma turned and looked at the approaching figure.
“Howdy,” the woman said. “I’m Mis’ Sandry—Lisbeth Sandry.
I seen your girl this mornin’.”
“Howdy do,” said Ma.
“Are you happy in the Lord?”
“Pretty happy,” said Ma.
“Are you saved?”
“I been saved.” Ma’s face was closed and waiting.
“Well, I’m glad,” Lisbeth said. “The sinners is awful strong aroun’ here.
You come to a awful place.
They’s wicketness all around about.
Wicket people, wicket goin’s-on that a lamb’-blood Christian jes’ can’t hardly stan’.
They’s sinners all around us.”
Ma colored a little, and shut her mouth tightly.
“Seems to me they’s nice people here,” she said shortly.
Mrs. Sandry’s eyes stared.
“Nice!” she cried. “You think they’re nice when they’s dancin’ an’ huggin’?
I tell ya, ya eternal soul ain’t got a chancet in this here camp.
Went out to a meetin’ in Weedpatch las’ night.
Know what the preacher says? He says,
‘They’s wicketness in that camp.’
He says, ‘The poor is tryin’ to be rich.’
He says, ‘They’s dancin’ an’ huggin’ when they should be wailin’ an’ moanin’ in sin.’
That’s what he says.
‘Ever’body that ain’t here is a black sinner,’ he says.
I tell you it made a person feel purty good to hear ’im.
An’ we knowed we was safe. We ain’t danced.”
Ma’s face was red.
She stood up slowly and faced Mrs. Sandry.
“Git!” she said. “Git out now, ’fore I git to be a sinner a-tellin’ you where to go.
Git to your wailin’ an’ moanin’.”
Mrs. Sandry’s mouth dropped open.
She stepped back.
And then she became fierce.
“I thought you was Christians.” “So we are,” Ma said.
“No, you ain’t. You’re hell-burnin’ sinners, all of you!
An’ I’ll mention it in meetin’, too.
I can see your black soul a-burnin’.
I can see that innocent child in that there girl’s belly a-burnin’.”
A low wailing cry escaped from Rose of Sharon’s lips.