As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
As I Lay Dying

William Faulkner

Cash

CASH

I MADE it on the bevel.

1. There is more surface for the nails to grip.

2. There is twice the gripping-surface to each seam.

3. The water will have to seep into it on a slant. Water moves easiest up

and down or straight across.

4. In a house people are upright two-thirds of the time. So the seams and

joints are made up-and-down. Because the stress is up-and-down.

5. In a bed where people lie down all the time, the joints and seams are

made sideways, because the stress is sideways.

6. Except.

7. A body is not square like a cross-tie.

8. Animal magnetism.

9. The animal magnetism of a dead body makes the stress come slanting,

so the seams and joints of a coffin are made on the bevel.

10. You can see by an old grave that the earth sinks down on the bevel.

11. While in a natural hole it sinks by the centre, the stress being up-and-

down.

12. So I made it on the bevel.

13. It makes a neater job.

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Table of Contents

Darl
Cora
Darl
Jewel
Darl
Cora
Dewey Dell
Tull
Anse
Darl
Peabody
Darl
Vardaman
Dewey Dell
Vardaman
Tull
Darl
Vardaman
Tull
Darl
Cash
Darl
Vardaman