The weekly Anglo-African., 1859-08-06
A DISPUTE ABOUT LOTS WIFE
Or, Searching the Scriptures"

sitting one day on bench in the piazza
of retail grocery, with couple of silver
dollars on the seat between them. Both
had on their spectacles, and were busily
engaged in turning with great care and
scrutiny the leaves of a small Bible they
had just procured from the clerk of
the Circuit or Superior Court as it is called
in Georgia.
The lids of the sacred volume had been
worn or torn off, occasioning many dog
ears at both ends, showing evidently long
and hard usage
Each gentleman seemed anxious to have
the book for the time being while each
seemed determined that the other should
not be so exclusive. After most unsat-
isfactory examination, both participating,
Gerald jerked the book from Hodge with
evident signs of impatience, saying:
| can find it, if you will just hands off,
| and let me alone | read all about it ma
ny time when went to school l tell
you it's in the Psalms Of Moses, who
writ and sung all about the old dispensa-
ton"
"Pn double the bet" Hodge replied,
g it's neither in the Psalms nor in your old
dispensatory, as you call it. 1t is under
the new constitution, and if ever found
twill be in Revelations What did Moses
know about the 'Postle Paul and his fami-
ly arrangements | allow he was right
smart old gentleman, and could look into
circumstances about to crowd him as far as
/ -, INT +ha 1ax.1~
which they say was as dark as night
without stars, meteors, or lightning bugs,
come atween him and Paul, and he had no
specks, magnifying glass, or telegraph to
see through or work in them times. | tell
you, Gerald, you amt nowhar with me in
Bible larnin."
The person thus taunted had been anx-
iousl ly searching the Psalms, and had paid
very lit lie attention to his companion, but
had an indistinct idea that something had
been said about dark ages or dark nights /;
he, however, distinctly comprehended the
invidious comparison instituted between
his biblical knowledge and Hodges. Rails
ing his eyes from the pages he had been
SO closely scanning, and showing his spec
tacles to the top of his head, he looked
piercingly into the face of the other.
"Whar was you brung up, Billy Hodge
-whar eddycated? All I recollect now
the evening you went through college; you
staggered into one end drunk, and the
boys kicked you out at t'other. I s'pose
you thought that was graddyating. l
could have taken the same course the same
time, but declined. But that is neither
here nor thar What about the time you
said they had them dark nights l
wouln't be surprised if they didn't make a
power Of fine wheat then you know they
say wheat sowed in the dark nights of Oc-
tober always does well. l never could ac-
count for it, having looked plum through
the almanick several times to see how it
was. But this amt settlin our bet. |
want to handle the rhino | know I've got
you. Yonder is Bob Logan, the clerk I
reckon he mout take this book and look up
the passage"
Hodge heard nothing Gerald had just
said, except his allusion to the clerk, etc,
for as soon as the latter had ceased his
search among the Psalms, he seized the
Bible, and commenced looking through
Revelations.
"Halloa, Logan!7 p continued Gerald
come here" When this official approach.
ed, he proceeded: 81 and Hodge has
made bet He stands me silver dollar
it was Paurs and not Lots wife which was
turned to a pillow of salt We've beer
ransacking this old Bible, principally
Psalms and Revelations, and can't find the
place what treats on that toppick. Now
old fellow, just be kind enough to take
your own Bible and settle this matter
atwixt u.s."
at is no use to take the Bible," sale
Logan !" 1 thought every Sunday-schoo
boy and girl knew it was Lots wife they
rubbed the brine into so extensively. They
used the article so freely in the operation
it has preserved her safe and sound through
all seasons, years, and ages. Captain
Lynch reports it was but the other day ht
saw her standing in the suburbs of Sodon
or Gomorrah-one, he could not tell ex
actly which; but she was there, salty
as ever, with the smell Of fire and brim
stone around her. AS for that Apostle
Paul, if ever he was married, it was clan
destine affair his biography and autobiog
raphy are silent on that subject, and
reckon that in such an event man would
never forget, whether fortunate or unfor
tunate, though his friends might"
"It's my money !" shouted Gerald, and
he was about raking the money, wher
Hodge caught his hand.
Not so fast, if you please l have seer
sicker children live. Bob Logan DOM
know everything-he is like me and you
if all he did not know had to be put into
books, printing paper would rise, certain
What he and them school children may
say, with Captain Lynch thrown in tc
boot, can't move them deposits" (pointins
to the money! "Here is the dockyment
gentlemen" (holding up the Bible "mus
settle this game. Nice idea, indeed |!
must give up my money on the sayso of
r man which never reads his Bible, ant
l wouldn't keep one if the Judge didn't make