Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-07

:
In any body's house but her own, and this
immunity from outside service gave her d
. certain pre-emnence among her slsteFs'
] II every woman was possessed OF eeVeh
/ devils, then, Ia this respect, sac was 40
/ better nor worse than any OF the oInerS ;
and al this her proud heart rebelled. IL tne
! preacher had said some women hao elEhL
devils and others six, II would nave Deeh
better. She might then have made a
mental arrangement in regard to her rel
/ alive position which would nave some
what cOnsOled her. But now there was
no chance for that The words OF the
preacher had equally deOased all women.
A meeting Of the disaffected church
members was held the mcknight at susan
Henry's cacin, or rather in the little yard
about it, for the house was not large
enough to hold the people VINO attended 1t.
"Look h'yarw cried Susan, at the end
OF some energetic remarks. "ls dar emmy
pusson h'yar who kin count up fggersW
Inquiries on the subject ran through the
crowd, ana in a few moments black boy,
about IA, was pushed forward as an ex-
pert in arithmetic.
''Now, you, Jim," said Susan, ''you's
been to school, an you kin count up ng-
gers. 'COrdlu' ter de chu'ch books dar's
forty-seben women b'longin' to our meet
in, an ef each one OBJ dem dar has got
seben debbils in her, JUS wants you ter
tell me how many debbils come to chu'ch
cherry cPar Sunday to hear dat ole Uncle
Pete preach"
Jim's calculations were made by the
aid OF back Of an old letter and piece
of pencil furnished by Susan. The result
was at last announced as 3l9.
"NOw, you JUS turn dat ober In you
alPs minds,r said Susan. MORAN free
hundred debbils in chu'ch cherry Sunday,
an we women fotchin 'em. Does any
body s'pOse Ise gwine ter blieVe dat fool
talkP'
A middle-aged man now lifted up his
voice and said Else been thinkin' ober
dis h'yar matter, and Ise 'cluded dat
used in a figgeratous form o. sense.
P'r'aps de seben debbils meant chillun."
These remarks were received with no
favor by the assem- blage.
sob, you git Quit" cried Susan. "YOur
ole woman's got seben chilun, shore
nut, an / spec dey's all debbils. But
dem sentiments dom apply ter all de
udder women, tic'larly ter dem dar young
uns wOt amt married yit."
This was good logic, but the feeling on
the subject proved to be even stronger,
for the mothers IN the company became
so angry at their children being consid-
cred devils that for a time there seemed
to be danger of an AmazOnian attack on
the unfortunate speaker. Many violent
propositions were made, some Of the
younger men going so far as to offer to
burn down the church. 1t was finally
agreed that old Peter should be uncere-
moniOusly ousted from his place in the
pulpit winch he had filed so many years.
AS the week passed on some OF the
older men of the congregation, who had
friendly feelings toward their old COM
panlon and preacher, talked the matter
over among themselves, and afterward
succeeded in gaining the general consent
that Uncle Pete should be allowed a
chance to explain himself, and give his
grounds and reasons for his astounding
statement In regard to wOmankind. If he
could show Biblical authority for this, Of
course nothing more could be said. But
if be could not, then he must get down
from the pulpit and sitfor the rest of his
life on back seat of the church.
Uncle Pete arrived at home very late on
Saturday night, and retired to his simple
couch without knowing anything of the
terrible storm which was TO burst upon
him on the morrow. But the next morn
ing, lolg before church time, he received
warning what was to happen. But the
old man possessed a stubborn soul, not
easily to be frightened.
"Wot | says In de pulpit he remarked,
"Pll 'splain IN de pulpit, am you all I'D
better git long TO de chu'ch, an when de
time fur de sarvice come, III be dar."
As soon as he enteredthe church he was
formally instructed by a committee of the
leading members that before he began to
open the services he must make it plain
TO the congregation that what he had said
on the preceding Sunday about every wO-
man being possessed by seven devils was
Scripture truth, and not mere wicked non
sense out of his own brain. Ii he could
not do that, they wanted no more praying
or preaching from him. -
Uncle Peter made no answer, but, as
cending the little pulpit, he put his hat on
the bench behind him where it vas used to
repose, took out his red cotton handkerchief
and blew his nose in his accustomed way,
and looked about him, The house was
crowded. Even Aunt Rebecca was there.
After deliberate survey of his audi
ence, the preacher spoke: "Brev'ren am
sisters, see afore me Brudder Bill Hines.
WIN kin read de Bible, AM has got one.
Amt dat so, brudder?
Bill Hines having nodded aud modestlv
grunJed assent, the preacher continued :
AN dar's Aun' Priseilla's boy, Jake.
who amt brudder yit, though he's plen-
~ old nut, min, tell We; an be kin
ItdQ OlblC JUS abts udS IBAu III Ter
me ober an ober ag'in. Amt dat so,
JakeP'
Jake grinned, nodded, and hung mis-
head, very uncomfortable at being thus
publicly pointed out.
"An' dar's good ole Aun' Patty, who
knows more ScrIpter dan ennybuddy
h'yar, havin' been teached by de little
gals from Kunnel Jasper's, an by dere
mudders atore 'em. l reckin she know
de hui Bible straight froo, from de Gar
den OF Eden 10 de New Jerus'lum. AM
dar are udders h'yar who know de Scrip-
ters. some one part an some anudder.
Now | axes cherry one OBJ you all wOt know
de Scripters Of he dom member how de
Bible tells how our L0r', when He was on
dis yearth, cas- seben debbils out o. Mary
MagdalumP
A murmur Of assent came from the
congregation. Most OF them remembered
that.
"But did emmy OBJ you ebber read, or hab
read 10 you. dat be ebber cas- 'em out o.
emmy udder wOmanP
Negative grunts and shakes OF the head
signihed that nobody had ever heard OF
this.
"well, dem" said the preacher, gazing
around, "all de udder women got 'em
yit."
A deep silence fell upon the assembly.
and in few moments an elderly member
arose.
"Brudder Peter" be said, seIreckIu Won
mOught as.Well glib out de hVmedr