[ExI] Jokers was atheists/religion

[Keith Henson]

Though I was raised in a religion, it didn't stick with me past the
first semester of college.

I have lost some of the details, but this was at a time when my
grandparents (Mother's parents) were living on a farm near Sparta, TN.

Before the era of heavy mechanization, farms had to have extra labor,
in some cases relatives, in others hired help or both.  The labor was
usually live in and ate with the family.  One of these hired hands
endlessly talked about how he was waiting for the word from God to go
preach.  It got annoying around the dinner table.

My mom's family included a lot of jokers

One day this hired hand and one of my mom's uncles were out hoeing a
field.  This uncle (a rather tall one) noted that the prospective
preacher was hoeing from one side of the field toward a line of china
berry (also known as mulberry) trees on the end of the field.  These
trees have very thick foliage.  When he reached the end of the row he
was working on, he reached up into the tree and pulled himself up till
he was well concealed.

The victim of the prank came hoeing down the field till he was under
the tree.  Cupping his hands and using a deep voice the uncle said "Go
Preach!"  The man looked around wildly and the voice repeated
"Go-o-o-o Preach!"

According to the story, the man threw down his hoe and ran off--never
to be seen again.

Keith