Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with the things suffered

100/260“Ah had tuh laugh at de people out dere in de woods dis mornin’,Janie. You can’t help but laugh at de capers they cuts. But all the same,Ah wish mah people would git mo’ business in ’em and not spend somuch time on foolishness.”“Everybody can’t be lak you, Jody. Somebody is bound tuh wanttuh laugh and play.”“Who don’t love tuh laugh and play?”“You make out like you don’t, anyhow.”“I god, Ah don’t make out no such uh lie! But it’s uh time fuh allthings. But it’s awful tuh see so many people don’t want nothin’ but uhfull belly and uh place tuh lay down and sleep afterwards. It makes mesad sometimes and then agin it makes me mad. They say things sometimesthat tickles me nearly tuh death, but Ah won’t laugh jus’ tuh disincourage’em.” Janie took the easy way away from a fuss. She didn’tchange her mind but she agreed with her mouth. Her heart said, “Evenso, but you don’t have to cry about it.”But sometimes Sam Watson and Lige Moss forced a belly laugh outof Joe himself with their eternal arguments. It never ended becausethere was no end to reach. It was a contest in hyperbole and carried onfor no other reason.Maybe Sam would be sitting on the porch when Lige walked up. Ifnobody was there to speak of, nothing happened. But if the town wasthere like on Saturday night, Lige would come up with a very grave air.Couldn’t even pass the time of day, for being so busy thinking. Thenwhen he was asked what was the matter in order to start him off, he’dsay, “Dis question done ’bout drove me crazy. And Sam, he know somuch into things, Ah wants some information on de subject.”