The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-21
0Ilapodriga.
BY AN EX.ABBEVILLIAN OF
OVER FORTY YEARS.
SSeven up.1

sScven up.''
There once met ain the usual way"
near your square, two disciples of the
gospel Of Hoyle, onea local ~dispenserof
the WOrG and the other al itinerant.
The former l will call Rodrick and
the latter and truly one-cyed Collins.
A felIow-feeling which always pro-
vokes kindness and the flocking to-
gether of birds of a feather, kept them
CONDUCTORS in the good work of jointly
SHINING The boys, and then like ami
mails Of the same class, and even man
kind when driven to extremities for
s%ustenance, rend and feed upon each
other. Such latter was the cas- with
them was agreed upon, each having
what lawyers now call "a theory"
others "a programmed" and military
men "a strategic movement" Col
Inns furnished the cards from his va
lise, and Rodrick soon discovered
them so marked that his adversary
had the overwhelming advantage of
knowing the cards he held, while be
had to take the chances and fight in
the dark. But those informed in the
first principles of the catechism know
that, unless the cards are '~'stocked,"
and that is easily prevented, a fair
player will, even with the adversary
knowing his cards, win one game in
four; and Rodrick's theory-pro-
gramme strategy he calculated
would stand that pressure, and he
stuck to his colors. Query: who beat?
answer both. Collins won three
games out of four and had the most
money; but Rodrick had the best
money, because he staked counterfeit
and when lie Won he raked it in and
! replaced from his purse.
A Scene in Church.
In tie year 1885, when big breeches
We're all the rage ("tights" succeeded
them in q storm in 1850 the congre-
CATION had assembled, the hymn sung
and prayer offered up, and Brother
Armstrong in the old 30x2O had taken
his text ana divided from his firstly to
filthy, when in anne John Parks,
merchant and six foot six inches, and
Samuel Marion, law student, so called,
and four feet nine inches, in single
file dressed in shad-belly coats, knee
breaches, silk stockings-all black
and large shoes with enormous silver
buckles. Johns underpins looked
like two fence rails in mourning, and
Samuel's little round pegs looked like
rs if borrowed from a duck for the
occasion. They passed on carrying
the gaze Of all upon them to the
"amen corner" and took a front side
seat, crossing their legs, reclining
back their bodies, folding their arms
and fixing their solemn gaze upon the
preacher. their looks speaking as if
lit matters not who fails to get the
benefit of this sermon we intend to
for ourselves" Soon the congrega-
ton presented the scene of q puppet
dance going up and down all over the
house. l shall never forget, especially
the looks and motions of Miss Jane
Davis and Dr. Isaac Branch. The
latter looked wild and his head eern-
ed to run round as if OH q pivot. Soon
Brother Armstrong had his secondly in
the place of filthy and his filthy in
the shoes of thirdly and himself 'in
the brush" He dropped all, and after
n minutes exhortation struck up
without giving out or lining:
"On Jordan's stormy banks l stand" &C.
when the grave worshippers arose and
walked out in the order in which they
came, their c~ountenances indicatingI
sorrow and modification at the con-
duct Of others, and saying in mute
language: 1--WE came here to worship
in spirit and in truth, and if we CAM
not do it in peace we will 60 where we