The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1880-10-07
Cross.Cut

The Westinghouse of the Lickskillit
district was crowded. The preacher, old
Noah, with his grizzly beard and head
half white, like a cotton field when the
bolls are just opening, sat in the pulpit
surveying his congregation In that pecul-
lar way which has ever characterized the
colored preacher. A spontaneous hymn
arose., and when the melody had ceased
the preacher arose and said, "Let Is IN
gage In prar." The congregation kneeled,
even young Ike, the preachers son, who
had just come from down to the spring,
where he had been trying to swap mules
with one of the deacons.
ooh, Lord" began the preacher, eve
'semble in dis house OBJ worship to thank
thee fur the many blessin's OBJ de past,
an a dat yer would sprinkle our lam
wild a leetle noah rain. We must hab a
shower 'twixt dis an Saturday night,
case, Lord, we'se needin' OBJ hit. Amen"
just as the preacher arose there was a
stir at the real end of the house. A tall
colored man, followed by several parties
as intensely colored as himself, fled down
the aisle. "Come up ter de stan,
Brother Robinson" said the preacher,
for he recognized the preacher of the
Blacksnort district.
"I doan want ter come up ter yer
stan'," said MI. Robinson.
"Whut's de matter wild yer, sahl" ex-
claimed old Noah. "What's a ailin' OBJ
yer? ?"
"Tuther day I sent yer a note, AKIN
yer ter stop prayin' fur rain" remarked
Robinson, with emphasis. "Ou1 cotton
is sufferin' fur sunshine. We'se had
noah rain den we wants, an heah yer
goes AKIN fur NOAH"
eve hain't had no rain, shah, an I
items ter pray fur it until hit do come"
els yer tryin' ter drown us out?"
"No, but I wants 'nough rain,"
az understands yor game, Brudder
Noah. You sees dat rain is putin us in
de grass. You know dat hit is to de
worlly intrust OBJ dis section fur ter keep
us dar. Yer wants de Lord ter drown us
out, SO dat your c~on'regation will git de
heels OBJ us id de market. De Lord at
dis season OBJ de yeah, has got SO much
business ter tend ter dat he amt O noticin'
how much rain is a fallin'. You keep
a sendin' up your prars, an he keeps a
pullin' de string. I wants yer to stop
hit. Does yer heah, Brudder Noah?"
81 heah, but is mighty loft about
hark'nin. We wants rain, we does. We
prays, and eff de Lord grabs a hold oh de
wrong string it faint no fault of ours"
"Well I came heah prepared for a let
up or a fight. Sich foolishness as you
send up is 'nough ter git de Lord SC tan.
gled dat he can't git himself straight fol
a yeah. You'll put de sun in de clips"
"Do what wild de sum-"
"Put hit in de clips"
"Well, eff dat doan beat any mistake
I ever heard a niger make. No wonde,
de Lord won't pay no 'tention to yer"
"What would you say?"
"Why, de reclipse."
"Dat's all right, but de fact I wan
settled is dis: Is yer gwine ter stop?"
"No, I isn't"
eden we mixes WOOL"
Mr.. Robinson sprang toward the pull
pit. Noah sprang to meet him. Thu
widest confusion prevailed. The two
men grappled, and the deacons gathered
around.
"Gimmy de plantation grip" ex
claimed Noah, while Mr.. Robinson vo
ciferated 'cut yer capers, cut yer capersl'
Finally Robinson fell, Noah mounted
him, choked him into obedience AM
raising himself up, exclaimed: "Let u
pray again. Brudder johnson, git dow
dar." The preachersh have become friends
Little Rock Gazette.