The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1862-12-13
,,,rIxe RELIGION UNDER DIFFlcuLT LTlEs.

= aSSsackey's bend, by at least a length
80 = - uas no devit.y that he was not up to
.I;o,o laIG, and no frolic that he did not manage
satsys W. a finger in Whether it was drinking,
s,I,;ag gambling, or any other amusement
ras = scholar, and he who went ahead Of
,n a. either game had TO rise very early in the
| Earning.
.,a,. snd, after the work was done the crowd
iP5anrDed to the spring for 'refreshments"-
=, Of q two-gallon jug. Seating himself on
~ ground, with the jug between his knees and
Sr;s rup in his hand, Mike looked around yery
.Osmnly and remarked:
Bows, cum mighty nigh getting religion
VVT, The ..boys." who we'll knew Mikes charac.
T., far ungodliness, shouted at the remark, and
he grsye manner in which it was delivered.
You needn't larf, drot ye!" he growled,
.I,,a fact. drot ef it amt.
nTslus about it, Mike, there's good fel-
bw SAID enc.
les Won re- desprit anxious to hear it now:
n, jss now You larfed like We thought was
ssol Ivea mighty good notion not to tell a
zae Of il. replied Mike.
All Mike do tell it !f'plead several
We'll, ef You'll promise not to interrupt me
u5rea twenty minutes,PA spin it out" said
The promise was readily given, and the old
Eaner prepared TO relate his experience His
prsparaiions consisted in pouring cup-full of
glisssy, half of which he drank and held the
'saajader IN his hand as a reserve Then he
sogsi huge chunk of"nigger- head" intothe
ms open portion of his countenance. and be-
ssn:
When l was about twenty-five wears old,
hYs. ! was an awful hard case, thar's g no doubt
oft. Old age hard times, an hard drink has
uIy made Christian of me, though, drot ef
laa, haint! But when was young, over in
Walton county, Jorgy, thar warn man, boy,
1af uigger, in the settlement that could smell
uy track al rascality an gin'ral wickedness l
Ess the terror of chill 'un, the pest of men, an
he domination of female wimmin. The old
zsn made me the pint of all thar leeturs to
thar boys, telling EN- ef they didn't mind
usy'd be as mean as Murrel, Nike Tupper or
he devil. The old wimmin pinted me out to
thar gals as an institution of onmixed villainy.
sl .nem as had young chill un, threatened 'em
Vi me ef they got anyways rambunctious.-
Lre chaps would run under the bed when
ller seed me cummin', as eff war q grand
Grryyan, an even the dogs refused to bark at
se! All war hard case, an no mistake
il the ticket
Well, while | war thus maxim myself a
LANE among the inhabitants of the yearth,
thar happened big, double ;jinted pertracted
aeetin close TO my house, an to it went. as
night he expected, for l alters went whar
thgr war crowd, jest cos l knowed nobody
wanted me thar, an for the further reason
ls, usually found q chance to drink, gamble,
an have good time ginrally. On that Ca
Eau was Inore'n ever disposed to have some
TN, an pitched on one Of the preachers for
~ sltjec'. He was an awful lookin' chap,
h was, an his looks an my karacter would a
started the boss devil Of all into a first-class
hlslness He was ni'ly as long as fence rail,
Il not much bigger, with face as sharp as q
nestaxe, az voice twice as sharp as his
!4ee. Bat, God how that feller could sing,
al pray, an preach, an' convert! Thar warn't
apeacher in the country that could hold him
aeahdle at prayin', drinkin' red-eye whiskey,
Or eatin' fried chicken. Ef it hadn't been fur
The whiskey an chicken, though, he'd q re-
.gned his commission, fur he was amazin'
hnd Of en- Boys, he loved whiskey ~an'
chicken
They was hOldin' the meetin' under arb0r,
nFered with bresh, an, as soon as it was dark
apl elnmb on top Of the concern, with the in
sHtlon O. given old hatchet face lift with his
sermon, an managed to place myself right
over head without bein diskivered. I'd bought
awhole passel o re-crackers an tied 'em
round ole bari hoop, an fixed string to it
si =, could let it down through the bresh.--
Lights war very skase. enyhow, and the
Preacher, in rippin round, had put out the
oniy candle about the pulpit, which left him
'ne dark, In more ways than one!
Well, he'd got in a big way, an Jest as
aed got TO rippin' an rantin' about death an
,le devil an brimstun, an sich other foolery,
pnt ire TO the crackers, an let the hoop
IWn 30 that the thing hung to his head, with
t 4e crackers poppin' and fizzin' about him
aze swarm o fiery sarpents. Boys, it was
fieh' n. That preacher jest made one big effort,
~. me a eat lurnpln out'n bari, an went over
mal % pulpit with q yell like Mohawk lngin.
Ae III atop of ole woman what weighed
0on' half thousan', an she tainted as easy
@a ayoung gal III harrycane, while her hus-
ss sal run up an give him a jerk that nearly
siose him OF at the waist. He run agin a big
I-rnous brother, an he hit him Just in the
sGs' knocking him about rod, an nearly
SI.nging his two ends t0gethas All this time
'ae wnmin was a screa16ln' an holler.
- oioryi an the men was groanin an pray
- Oh the boys whoopin an cussin', an
s.'ssFything was havin' a rale jolly time Of it.
aI'Ff q While the preacher broke through the
SVwd an tuck to the woods, whar he had
;ashl smart chance o fun, all TO hisself. He
,-a'peo up an down faster'n cat with hick-
!! Aut bulls Oh his feet, an danced round like
" u. va tryin' his awfulest to go distracted.
.a as hhaliy managed to git shet Of the thing,
- taen he sneaked of TO his tent, an had1
- more TO cay that night.
III lle meantime Itried to get OH n the ar
S s0' bul instead o gettin' down like any other
as s0ii tambled off, neck and heel, right on top
vi =. Whole raft O niggers, who was standin' !
: van thar mouths open wide enough to swaller
saIF1 ItoFn-s -sheller. Thar was hollerin' worth
,ant @slh about l don't know whether they
,n'u oa Lac for Gabriel or the devil; but they
sn]., "Naon ike was little o. both. This raised
ftlef f~.. nproar among the wimmin, and for
sa moments thar was q sound like heaven
ssa yer'n war comm together. ATtir while
- IVY eooled down, while sneaked OF and got
d. d Iuhk as billed owl, thinkin' orter be
.s s.A somethin' to wind up the occasion In
nsi nypcl manner. As good luck would have it,
SIiJoy S.airoy didn't know who was, an a. didn't
b,otl ei IKE II was my duty 70 enEghten 'em, they
,a,as; I,oSe ~ the msetin' Tor that night, some
War r,1n IN y war angel, an some thinkin' it
Al, = spent the rest o the night drinkin, licker
n..py a. playln old sisdge, an next day felf
weaI sl,srn forty cent Whisksy. l lsy bout she
n;Sp. .s an siep' asasly al day, an, !, whom thu
rsat meetin' cOnmenos6, j Gidled dOWu1t0 the
Eno, Eouo, Ieelih' yals solsnp en- hod, j telf yous-
ea.a.y soon the sxeitemAst got mp, N they
saaencsd sacsd cutsin' up pewerfully. Th@ w4ai
-, L!.ang, Eo9d.l0okia ps6aehes thw thet eonld
n ~ cre6tion conyestin' Wimmea ~ Rnls.
ras,s want - smart = eld hn4chet- -. - -
sNafoQ II