Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1877-08-16
A HALF HARD SHELL AND
HALF SOFT-SHELL BAPTIST
TELLS WHAT HE THINKS OF
THE PRESBYTERIANS.

she heard in Georgia, from which
we give an extract:
The preacher was apparently
about fifty years of, age, muscular
and well proportioned. On enter
ing the pulpit he took off his coat
and hung it on a nail behind him,
then opened his collar and wrist
bands, and wiped the perspiration
from his face, neck and hands. He
was clad in striped cotton home
spun, and his shirt was of the same
material. He had travelled several
miles that morning, and seemed
almost overcome by the heat. But
the brethren sung a couple OF
hymns while he cooled oft, and
when he rose he looked comfortable
and good natnrcd.
He had preached there once or
twice befoLe, but to most or the
audience he was stranger. Hence
he thought it necessary to Introduce
himself as "Old Club AK Davis,
from Scriven county, Half Hard
Shell. and Half Soft-Shell Baptist. ,:
Il have given myself that name" p"
said lie, s'becaase | believe the Lord
elected ne, from all eternity, to go
ahead in the backwoods and grub
ont the path and blaze the way for
other mon to follow. After the
thickcst of it is cut away, good,
warm Methodist brother will come
along and take my trail, and make
things smoother and good deal
noisier. And after all the under
brush is cleared out, and the owls
and wolves are skeered back, and
rattlesnakes is killed off, Presby
terian brother, III black broadcloth
and white cravat, will come along
and cry for decency and ORDER
And they'll both do good in their
sphere. l don't dcspise larnt
man, even when he don't dress and
think as ! do. You couldn't pay
ne enough to wear broaacloth,
summer nor winter, and you
couldn't pay Presbyterian brother
enough to go without it in dog :
days.
"God didn't make us all alike,
my brethren; but every man has his
own sphere. When God has place
to fill he makes a man and puts
him in it. When he wanted Gen
o,.l T,,.l-co, L., ,,,,,Jo Lin, opS cot
him to tightin' InJnns and the Erg
lish. When he wanted Whitfield,
he made him for to blow the gospel
trumpet as no other man ever
blowed it; and when he wanted
Old Club AK Davis, lie made him,
and sent him to grubbin' in the
backwoods.
"But my shell isn't so hard but l
can see good pints in everybody;
and as for the Presbyterians, they
are lorg way ahead Of us Baptists
and Methodists in some things
They raise their children better
than any people on the face of the
earth. Only a few days ago a
Methodist class-leader said to me !:
Brother Club AK, l was born a
Methodist, | was raised Meth
odist, and blythe grace Of God |
hope to die a Methodist; but, thank
God, Pve got Presbyterian wife
to raise my Children And | be-
lleve, my brethering, if the Lord
should open way for me to marry
again, I'd try my best to find a
Presbyterian woman, and run NY
chances of breaking her into the
saving doctrines Of feet, washin' and
immersion. afterwards.
just at this point he was inter-
rupted by two spotted hounds that
had been continually running up and
down the pulpit stairs. One of
themjumpedupon the seat and begun
to gnaw his coat-tail, in which was
something he had brought along
for lunch. He turned slowly
around, and took him by the cars
and tail, threw him ont of the win'
dow behind him as easy as if ne had
been a young kitten The other
took warning and got out as rapidly
as possible, though not without
bowling and yelping as if it had
been killed. He then turned to
the audience, and said, sniiingly:
est. Paul exhorted the brethcrine
to Beware of dogs L wonder
what he would do if he was in my
place this morning. 1t appears like
| am compassed about with dogs, az
David says he was"
He had scarcely commenced
preaching again before there was ;
terrible squealing and kicking
among the mules and horses tina
were tied to the trees close by. IL
put his head out OF the window ant
said: "No harm done, my brother
ing. Just creetur with a side
saddle on has broken loose. Viii