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

4 ColOred ThcOtogiRa Demonstrates
His Deductions from the Bible.

The negro cnurc0 winch stood In TN
pine woods near the little village OF OK
ford cross roads, In one of the lower ooun
ties of Virginia, was presided over boy
Uncle Pete; but on Sundays the members
Of his congregation addressed him as
Brudder Peter. He was an earnest anC
energetic man, and, although he could
neither read nor write, he had for many
years expounded the Scriptures 70 the
satisfaction OF his hearers. His memory
was good, and those portions Of the Bible
which from time TO time he had heard
read were used by him, and frequently
with powerful effect in his sermons. His
interpretations of the Scriptures were
generally entirely original, and were
made TO suit the needs, or what he sup
posed TO be the needs, of his congrega-
fiOn.
He enjoyed the good opinion of every
body excepting one person, and that was
his wife. She was high-tempered, and
had conceived the idea that her husband
was in the habit Of giving too much time
TO the church. and too little to the ac-
QUESTION of corn bread and pork. She
gave him a tremendous scOlding, which
so affected the spirits of the good man
that it influenced his decision in regard
10 the selection of the subject for his SER
mon the next day.
de did not take any particular text, for
this was not his custom, but he boldly
stated that the Bible declared that every
woman in this world was possessed by
seven devils, and the evils which this
state of things had brought upon the
world he showed forth with much warmth
and feeling. If his deductions could have
been proved TO be correct all women were
creatures who, by reason Of their seven
fold diabolic possession, were not capable
of Independent thought or action, and who
should in tears and humility place them
selves absolutely under the authority OF
the other sex.
When he approach the conclusion of
bis sermon. Brother Peter closed with a
bang, the B BILE, which. although he could
not read word of it.. always lay open be-
fore him while he preached, and delivered
the concluding eXh0rtatlon of his sermon:
SNOW, my dear brey'Ten OBJ dis cOngre-
cation, ! want you to understan' dat dar's
muffin in dis yer sarmOn wOt you've JUS
heerd TO make YOU think yOusets angels.
BY no means, brev'ren; you was all bruDg
up by wimmen, an you've got TO lib wild
'em, an eff anythin' in dis yer worp is
ketchin, my dear brev'ren, it's habin deb
Ullts al llfilu WUl l. We Ettu 90 bUUlH We Nt
men OBJ dis wOrl 'spect dey is persest oh
'bout all de debbils dey got room fur. But
de Bible dom say muffin p'intedly on de
subiec' OBJ de number oh debbis in man,
an l spec dose dat's got 'em-an' we
ought ter feel pOw'ful thankful, my dear
breY'ren, dat de Bible dom say we alrs
got 'em-has ZEN 'cOrdn' to sarcum-
stances. But wild de wimmin it's diPrent;
dey's got JUS sebin, an bless my soul,
brev'ren, think OATS 'nuff.
"Wnile | was a-turnin' Ober in my
min de subjec' OO dis sarmon, dere
come ter me a bit ob Scrlpter wot | heerd
at big preachin' and baptizin' at Kyar-
ter's mills bout ten year ago. One OBJ de
preachers was a-tellin' about ole mudder
Ebe a-eatin' de apple, and says he. De
sarpint fus' come along wild a red apple,
an, says he: You GID dis yer to your
husban', an he think it 80 mighty good
dat when he done eat it be glib you any
thing you ak him tur, efyou tell him whar
de tree is. Ebe, she took one bite, an den
she frew dat apple away. Wot you mean,
you trifln' sarpint, says she, a-fOtchin'
me dat apple wot amt good fur nuthin'
but ter make cider widS Den de sarpint
he 90 fOtch her WALLER apple, an she took
one bite an den says she, 20 long wild ye,
you fool sarpint, wOt you fotch me dat
June apple wot amt got no taste to it?
Den de sarpint be think she like sumpin'
sharp, an be fOtch her a green apple.
She takes one bite on it, an den she frOws
1t at his head an sings out. Is you
'spectin' me to glib dat apple to yer uncle
Adam an glib him de coliog Den de deb
bill he fotch her lady apple, but she say
she won't take no SIGH trlflin' nubbns as
dat to her husban', and she took one bite
OBJ it an frew it away. Den be 90 fotch
her two udder kline ob apples, one yaller
wild red stripes am de udder one red on
one side an green on de udder-mighty
good lOOkin' apples, toO--de kim you git
two dollars a bar'l fur at the store. But
Ebe, she wouldn't hab neider OBJ 'em, an
when she done took one bite out of each
one, she trOw 1t away. Den de old debbil
Earpint be scratch he head, an he say TO
hese'f: Dis yer Ebe, she pOw'ful ticklar
'bout her apples. Reckln' Pll have ter
wait till after fros'. and fotch her real
good one, AN he done wait till after
fros'. an den he fotch her a. Albermarle
pippin. am when she took one bite OBJ dat,
she JUS 90 long an eat it all up, core,
seeds, and all. Look h'yar. sarpInt. saws
she. hab you got anudder OBJ dem apples
IN your pocket? An den he tax one out
an glib IL 10 her. 'Cuse me, says she, Us
Rwine ter look up Adam, an eff he don't
want ter know whar de tree is wot desc
apples grow on, you kin hab him fur a
cawnfep ham.
AN now, my dear brev'ren, while
was a-turnin' dis subjec' ODER in my min,
an wonderin' how de wimmin come TO
hab JUS seben debbils apiece, | done
recKerleck dat bit ob Scripter wOt heerd
at kyaTter's Mills, an / reckin dat
'splains how de debbils got inter woman.
De sarpint he done fotch Mudder Ebe
seben apples, an cherry one she take a bit
out OF glib her debbil."
As might have been expected, this SER
mon produced great sensation, and
made deep Impression on the cOngrega-
tion. As rule the men were tOlerably
well satisfied with it: and when the SER
Vices we're over made il the occasion of
shy but very plainly pointed remarks 20
their female friends and relatives.
But the women did not like IL at all.
Feelings OF indignation soon spread
among all the sisters Of the church. Each
one OF them knew she had not seven
devils, and only few Of them would ad-
NIT OF the possibility Of any OF the others
being possessed by quite so many. Their
preachers explanation OF the manner In
which every woman came TO he possessed
OF just 50 many devils appeared 70 them
Of little importance. What they Objected
20 was the fundamental doctrine OF his
sermon. which was tased on his assertion
that the Bible declared every woman had
seven devils.
Although Sunday afternoon had scarce.
~ begun, the majority Of the women Of
the congregation began 70 call their min.
lister Uncle Pete. This was very strong
evidence OF q sudden decline In his popu.