Well-a-well, man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble, as the Scripture says, and I reckon it’s so. He’ll play hookey this evening*, and I’ll just be obleeged to make him work, tomorrow, to punish him. It’s mighty hard to make him work Saturdays, when all the boys is having holiday, but he hates work more than he hates anything else, and I’ve got to do some of my duty by him, or I’ll be the ruination of the child.”
[*] Southwestern for “afternoon”
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Got these notes from ChatGPT and Internet:

Well-a-well

So here, since the speaker is talking to herself and kinda complaining about all the trouble Tom causes, “Well-a-well” sounds like a sigh — like she’s just giving up and accepting how life is.
Chatgpt
As far as I know, it's not used in contemporary AmE. – Peter Shor Commented Dec 19, 2018 at 12:16
https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/477775/what-is-the-meaning-of-well-a-well
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the Scripture

A Christian, when talking about their own holy book, might say:
the Bible (the usual, neutral term)
the Scripture(s) (when speaking in a more religious or formal tone, like in church or a sermon)
the Good Book (in a warm, folksy way)

But a non-Christian, when referring to the Christian holy book, would normally just say:
“the Bible.”
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reckon

Most uses of "reckon" sound rural and old-fashioned in the U.S.
It sounds especially like the language of the Old West.
"Reckon" for "calculate" or "estimate" (verb) is still used, but I would say not frequently.
https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/reckon-vs-think-in-english-uk.2765917/#post-13972644

In today’s standard urban or formal English, most people would say **I think so** or **I guess so** instead of **I reckon**.
Chatgpt
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play hookey

In modern everyday English, it’s more natural to say “skip school” or “skip work”.

“Play hooky” is still correct and understandable, but it’s old-fashioned, nostalgic, or playful, and mostly used in stories, children’s books, or to imitate an older dialect.

For casual conversation today, skip school/work is what native speakers usually say.
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evening [Southwestern for “afternoon”]

Yes, it is very common. I have cousins from Kentucky and Tennessee who say “evening” all the time, when what they mean is “afternoon.”
https://www.quora.com/Is-it-common-for-people-from-the-Southern-United-States-to-use-the-term-evening-rather-than-afternoon-and-if-so-why
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“Obleeged” = dialectal, old-fashioned, used in literature to show accent or speech patterns
It’s similar to how he wrote “hookey” instead of “hooky.
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It’s mighty hard to..

“Mighty” in this sense is somewhat old-fashioned or regional, often found in Southern speech, or literary dialects.
Today, mighty is still understood and occasionally used for emphasis, especially in informal or playful speech, but it’s less common than just saying very or really.
Example in modern casual speech:
It’s mighty cold today! → It’s really cold today!
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I’ve got to do some of my duty by him

I have got to do it = I must do it / I need to do it

Today, people would usually say something simpler, like:
I’ve got to do my part.
I need to do my duty.
I’ve got to take care of my responsibilities toward him.
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