The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-03-07
WHY THE GOSPEL SUFFERED,
\ Raseally colored Gentleman Who Worked in Opposition 10 Paul.

"Wants me ter tell yer why l quit preaching, does yer? said old Ike when the youngster had reminded him of his promise. "Wall, doan know dat wuz much O CT preacher. could make de wimmen shout, but somehow 1 couldn't git up de right sorter noise 'mong de vmea+, D. men folks O de human family, young pusson, is cuis ter de mortal un-
 herstandin'. Er man, in de fust place, is
 er raskil. I doan kere how kine-hesrted
 be may be, doan keie how easy it is ter make him drap tears, he is CT raskil.
 He may not be raskil 'mong sharp men.
 honey, fur he knows dat he's got ter hol'
 hissef down, but 'mong wimmen whut ain't got de foresight. he's allus raskil. Mighty often yer may hesh oman say, [ Mir. So-an'-so is sich CT nice man. lFWhut's de truth erbout dat? De truth is dat MT. So-an'-so is CT slicker raskil den
 de mos O men whut dat oman hab met.
 l doan know why it is, honey, but CT man
 kain't be CT hones' 'mong wimmen e he
 ken 'mong men. say doan know why,
 lessen it am de faSk dat man knows he ken humbug e oman easier den he ken CT man. Desc heah
 observations ain ter gittin' at de lacks in my case, dough. Wall, le'mme see. Yer gwinter bring me dat Ter ham, amt yer O co'se yer is. thought dat had been
 'spired ter preach de gospel-wuz pun ished. CT tole yer, fur not meetin' CT en- gagement. When l fust opened up my tex, de niggers wuz nightly pleased, am thought dat l wuz gwine ter geder 'em all inter de for, but, honey, disappint.
 ment is one O de ole garments whut comes down rum de fodder ter de son.
 tried ter tell lem whut wuz de truth, an l put ez much hallelujah 'roun' my
 mourners' bench CT de naixt man could, still want dat hurrahin' success whut
 had hoped ter be. Oar wuz one thing special whut made my lip hang low. One night arter had called up de mourners, CT black scoundrel whut didn' like mo- how, chile, ceme up ter me an axed me when l wuz gwine ter pay him dat dollar whut owed him. I had borrowed CT
 dollar rum him, but dat want no way fur CT D,an ter talk in CT meetin' house O de Lawd. l looked at him in CT witherin' sort CT accent-accent, dat's de word-cotch it rum yer fodder when he want thinkin'. looked a. him in CT witherin' sorter accent an axed him if he didn' hab no respeck fur Peter an Paul, q hs wanted :c. c--.n Silas am St. John, but he made CT ugly mouf-de hipp<rcnt'-an' said dat ef Paul owed him CT dollar he would ax him
 fur it. couldn' stan no noise like dat,
 honey, fur when CT man talks ter me erbout dunnin' Mars' Paul, it makes me ashy all ober. los sight O de dollar whut l owed him-didn't recolleck no mo de ob'ergation-bu hitched desc heah hans in his wool an danced aroun' ter mighty active tune. Arter dis, de church sorter fell rum grace. De lead crs an de elders an' de scribes cum ter me an said dat had dun CT awful crime. Said dat 1 oughtenter hit de trihin' raskil said dat de wimmin lowed dat he'd done wrong. Wimmin de mischief 1 always sed dat da had been hum- bugged by de scoundrel, but ken yer b1ebe ii, honey, dem berry wimmin turned ergin me in faber O him. Da done it ez sho's yer lib, da did. Said das he wus sich CT nice man. Nice de debill It made me mad ter think q it. He had 1 CT slick coat an CT monstrous neck-tie, 1 dat vuz de matter. Wuxh had him heah now-woala choke de life ousen him. Wall, de bgudes O de 'stablish- | ment said l better put down de gospui l an' ioiler de mule. O. co'se didn' kere, l only didn' hke de daim mule any too l vel. Thought 1t vus mighty hard das i CT christain had ter gin hack fur sicA er volf but couldn' hep it. 'Neber mine,' thinks ter myself sketch ysr ont oos Q l dese days aa' vuk yer fur all yer air wuth.' Twant long till seed him ost h de woods I couldn' keep rum laaghia.. Widout sayin' nnshin' ter him, vsnt sp an' tuck holt Q his collar, d. daim raslil. Whus did hs do7 Ack lie q genlemans Nc, ke didr'. He cAanked me an' |