A neglected young boy is taken to a revival meeting by his babysitter. The evangelist baptizes him in the river and tells him that he has a father in heaven and that he "counts." On his return home, his family still ignores him despite him telling them that he counts. The next day he returns to the river trying to re-experience the previous day's events, and drowns.
First published in the Sewanee Review, Summer 1953.
| Date | Publication | Publisher | Type | Page | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 |
|
A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories | Harcourt, Brace & Company | Collection | 30 |
| June 1981 |
|
The Evil Image: Two Centuries of Gothic Short Fiction and Poetry | NAL Meridian | Anthology | 442 |
| October 1992 |
|
A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories | Harcourt Brace | Collection | 23 |
| October 1998 |
|
Mistresses of the Dark: 25 Macabre Tales by Master Storytellers | Barnes & Noble Books | Anthology | 286 |
| 2002 |
|
Mistresses of the Dark: 25 Macabre Tales by Master Storytellers | Barnes & Noble Books | Anthology | 286 |