The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-05-14
A Methodist Minister Hunting Snakes

| '''e SiNeo Tue IOIiOWlnt
entertaining picture of plantation life in
Mississippi. Uncle Billy and Aunt Sus,
are negro characters; they need no specia
introduction.
In a previous chapter, the reader had ,
glance at the features Of an old fashioned
"two-days' meeting" at this early day n
these outposts. Two days rest to the preach
er were generally found necessary following
such an effort. Tuesday morning had ar
rived, my WEAKNESS was relieved, and wa.
prepared 10 join "Uncle Billy, on an adveu
ture into the swamp 10 see its lions" and
especially its snakes. 1t is yet early in the
morning, however, and the cold rain of :
few nights since renders it necessary tha,
we wait until the hot hours OF the forenoon
1 VIII seek briefintervew with Aunt Susa
in her little cabin.
Good morning, Aunt Susa," said /, as
stepped into her quarters
why, good mornin', Massa Watson
laws o marcy, dis no place for de likes O.
YOU"
why" said !, "Aunt Susa, have. YOU
some places here too good for me?" and
saying this | advanced toward little man
lei shelf and seized Susa's pipe, together
with some nice tobacco leaves of her own
raising, and was preparing TO regae myself
little, when she flew towards me. excIaim.
ing:
"Massa, you no shall smoke wild dat pipe;
II no 60 IN your mouf, dat sartan. Here be
new pipe, and a mighty good 'un, too;
an like TO the colt. de foal oh an ass. we
read Oh, massa, which 10 one eber ride
aiore, no one has eber SIN ked ia it," And
here she commenced filling it un AS threw
myself into the rude resemblance of q chair
"Susa." said |, "where did you learn to
quote Scripturel"
wv by, massa, blessed be your lips, larn
much from the preachers; but dar, mas>a.
look dar, by de side ob ye!' when turning
around, my delighted eyes rested upon a
well soled, wel-thumbed, old fashioned Bi-
bic, that had recently received an addition.
al covering of buck>kin.
"SuSa, said |, "where did you get this?'
81 brings it from old Tennessee" said
she, twenty years ago" saying which. she
handed me The new pipe, on the top of
which she had balanced coal from the
heath. lnhaing Whit or two, said |:
"SuSa, can you readl'
"Ies, massa, blessed be God. reads
mighty we'll for de likes ob me. do de hard
words are great bother-some ob which
SkIps; but hab read dat Bible dar a
mighty heap; read IL from de apostle Solo
mon ali de way TO de prophet Saul; bat
reads de most in dat part whar Jesus be on
de earth, 1t bein' de most easy"
"Cau Unce Billy readi" Iasked.
IN a. he ha to,, oil a., I.. -
he set here an smoke ob nights, an listen
mighty lose TO what reads. He links it
oe enough for 10 know how to read"
WHO learned you to read, Susa?"
"Well, row, dat be a funny question.
ka>e II tell you, fear you WON'T believe
me nohow."
Why, yes" said |, "susa, will believe
YOU"
We'll, den, tell We it was de angels.
no know how to read, an laws an crie.
AN prays about it ob nights; den goes To
steep an dreams about it, an most ebery
nlght Tor year prays an cries and takes
up my Bible, when one night it seem a. if
An angel come down, an don't know whe
ther wake or sleep, | sees all letters in de
letters IN de book, an it say TO me. IBIS he
a. in dat b, an dat c. and so on; an ar,er
a llue while gifts up, opens NV Bible
when knows most eheiy letter. Next
morn, young massa Tom, who know'd how
TO read. come III here to run bullets. when
1 aXed him, says | tom, does Won call
desc letters dis!' "Why, yes SAYS he. Won
Old fool, you Now saws |. Tom. you'Il
want some ob my good 'bacca soon. an if
you 'buse me dat way, you no get IL
WE'LL says he, Aunt Sue, it yoll run nv
bullets Tor me dis mornin', III come in here
10 hight an show you heap about realin'.
30 run Toms bullets, and lie comes at
night, an | larns nightly But Tom
wouldn't larn me long, anyhow. So told
h'm dat | find him in 'bacca and run his
bullets always. If he arn me a little now
ah' den. Well, Tom did; an YOU see dat
1t was de angel fust, an Tom next dat start
me on in readn'. An O! what blessed
ting 1t Is; | would rather die dan rib up
my Bible; an lis been q readin' dis morn
IN; but before say dat, tell you again |
neber should read Il hooter but for dat an
gel"
Here | was for moment profoundly
grave at the mysteries of the Imagination.
and then smiling at the garrulous old saints
,redU':;y, said |:
"ousa, what is that you have been read.
ng this morningi'
why, as was sayin.' | was readin' in
,ie-nee-sis about dat sarpint dat was more
,uIly dan de oder cattle ob de ded, which
spose mean lie he be hrack, kase he came
rom dat place whar the wicked 90 dat
burn all de while wild fi,e an birthstone"
Here smiled again ever this new exc.
yesis, and said
Aunt, what did you read about the old
serpent for this morningi"
80, hardly knows; guess kase Uncle
Billy tell me you gwine snake l.unlin' to.
lay, an kase as how it says de sons ob de
woman shall bruse dar heads"
Here paused to simplify the theology
If this blessed passage, which | feared til,
imPle saint had understood too literally.
tN..... 4