The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-11-07
COMPELLED HIM.
Randsom Objected to the Pool, but Ike and the Preacher were
 Powerful.

Randsom Briley, shortly after the late war began, cooked for his young "mars- ter's" mess. Subsequently he drove a team of mules for our kindly old relative, Uncle Sam. When the war closed, he gave his great intellectual and physical energies to the werk of reconstruction. He was success in every undertaking, and political leaders have not thought it beneath their dignity to take his hand and tell him that they loved him, yea, ever so much better than they had done the year before. We'll, during a recent revival, the old man was among the num- ber who humbly asked for the prayers of the church.
 My p'litical wuck is done, now" said he, "an' thinks dat it is time ter do suthin' fur de Lawd. Er pusson ken run on fur erwhile widout de aid O de heab- enly ban, but arter CT while de rhe una. siz O 'pentence hits him in de 'ints an wrings rum him CT pr'ar fur mussy. Pray fur me, good folks"
 The pious people of the congregation were glad of this opportunity. They had longed to draw old RAndsom into the fold. They prayed earnestly, noisily, and when the old man threw up his hands and declared that the word of peace had been spoken unto his soul, his friends gathered around him and shook him with the fervor and recklessness of great joy. Randsom announced his in- tention of joining the church. Alas, that there should be any difference of opinion with regard to the workings of the gospel machinery.
 The old maa joined the Baptist church. The preacher ot this church is an intelli- gent and progressive man. Unlike many of his brethren, he does not believe that it is strictly necessary to lead a newly made Christian down into the murky waters of bayou, but believes that a pool under the pulpit meets every bap- tismal requirement. Unfortunately, Rand. som adheres to the old school He thinks that if John the Baptist had thought a pool necessary, he would not have led his converts down into the river of Jor- dan. Randsom did not know that the preacher intended to souse him into a hole, and when the pulpit was removed, revealing the pool, he drew back in dis gust.
 Bruder Randsom," said the preacher, "git yersef ready fur ter go through wid desc heah holy proceedin's."
 "Whus yer gwineter do1"
 Baptize yer, bruder."
 "Wharf'
 "W'y, in dis heah holy pool whut hab dun been ern'inted by de grace"
 "Whut, dis ole hole ?"
 "Doan call it CT ole hole. It am de pool O de salvation"
 "l ain't gwine down in dat hole"
 "W'yp
 "De water aim clean"
 "Yes it is.'
 "When wuz it put in dar 2'
 "Las' munf"
 "Ain' ole Kidney Footed Ike been soused in dat hole sense dat time '"
 "Yas."
 "An' still yer calls it cleanr'
 "W'y, bruder, Ike didn' hurt de water"
 ~Wall he didn' do it no good, femme tell yer. seed dat man lay down wid CT haug onct an immeeitly de h aug got up an went an rubbed hissef g'inss de fence. Ain gwine down in dat hole" "Who said dat l laid down wid CT haugT exclaimed old Kidney Footed Ike, advancing with threatening air. "I said so." "Yessef did2
 "Dat's whut said.''
 @Wail, now femme tell yer right heah Dat sorter lie aim de uuf When did yer see me lay down wid CT haug?"
 "Look heah," RAndsom repli ed, "is yer dun los all yer sense? Dat 'spres- sion wuz CT parable"
 "i doan like no sicher parable e dat, an ain' gvineter put up vid it. Bruder Heny," Ike continued, turning to the nyez~ha~ e ef die h~.h ~~>~y;.;~.I .....~-