Free Spencer's Mountain by Jr. Earl Hamner Page A

part of Mary the Mother of Jesus, and her little brother Woodrow, who was supposed to beJoseph but forgot all his lines and turned the whole thing into an awful mess.
    There were even those in the Baptist church who hoped now that a new minister was coming he might appoint someone else, more capable if somewhat less dedicated than Lucy, to conduct the annual celebration which had become such an ordeal.
    In the living room of the parsonage, Ida Italiano and Eunice Crittenbarger were waxing furniture. Eunice was a snoop and a gossip and turned every social encounter into an opportunity to find out anything she could about other people’s business. Since prying into other people’s affairs came naturally to Eunice it was inevitable that she become the local correspondent for The Charlottesville
Citizen
and submit to the newspaper each week an account of what she considered newsworthy in New Dominion, some of which was published and which earned her the sum of three dollars a week. For this sum she would submit from ten to fifteen pages of single-spaced, badly typed copy from which the editors had to delete such items as:
    Hiram Motherwell’s old sow pig, Petunia, had fourteen babies Thursday night. Mother and children all doing just fine except for the one that was eaten.
    Franklin Bibb is laid up with intestinal trouble again. This is the same old trouble Franklin has had for years and his sister, Wanda, died of. Dr. Campbell says Franklin had better do something about himself or he won’t live to tell the tale.
    There was a fight down at The Pool Hall last Friday night but nobody was hurt. This isn’t much news as there is a fight down there most every Friday night. They ought to close it.
    â€œI wonder what old Preacher Goolsby really did die of,” Eunice remarked to Ida.
    â€œI think it was just old age,” replied Ida. “He’d been feeble for years and he was way up in his eighties.”
    â€œI don’t know,” said Eunice. “Once they get sick people over there in that Old University of Virginia Hospital you’rejust as good as dead. All they do is let them young students cut people open and study what’s inside ’em.”
    â€œI’ve heard that,” said Ida, “but they sure were nice to me over there that time I broke my hip. The nurses took real good care of me and never a day went by the doctor didn’t come in and look at me. He was an Episcopalian, that doctor, but he was just as nice as he could be.”
    â€œAnyway, I’ll bet we never do find out exactly what Preacher Goolsby passed on with. Miss Ida, didn’t you and Preacher Goolsby have a fallen-out one time?”
    â€œIt wasn’t what you would call a fallen-out. No,” said Ida.
    â€œSeems like I heard y’all had a fuss or somethen.”
    â€œWhat you’re thinken about was when Preacher Goolsby married Clay and Livy. But it wasn’t any fuss and never a harsh word passed between us. He come to me the very next day and told me he’d married ’em, said he turned ’em down at first, but they would have found another preacher somewhere, and they would of. But there never was any hard feelens between the preacher and me.”
    â€œWhat did you have against Clay Spencer marryen Livy?”
    â€œClay was a wild boy. I don’t reckon I would of carried on so if I’d known then how he’d settle down. He’s been a good husband to Livy and I love him now just like one of my own. You won’t find a more good-hearted man than Clay Spencer.
    â€œI love to hear Clay tell a joke. I’ll be feelen just as blue as I can be, real down in the dumps, and I’ll run into Clay Spencer and he’ll have me laughen in no time.
    â€œClay drinks and he takes the Lord’s name in vain, but he’s a good provider for Livy and he’s a good father to them children. Lord, how he loves them children. I reckon you just have to