The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-02-06

only few of them would admit of the pos
sibility of any of the others being possessed
by quite so many. Their preachers ex
PLANTATION of the manner in which every
woman came to be possessed of just Sc
many devils appeared to them of little i'm
portance. What they objected to was the
fundamental doctrine of his sermon, which
was based on his assertion that the Bible
declared every woman had seven devils.
Although Sunday afternoon had scarcely
begun, the majority of the women of the
congregation began to call their minister
Uncle Pete. This was very strong evi
dence of sudden decline in his popularity
That afternoon an irate committee, com.
posed principally of women, but including
also few men who had expressed disbe
lief in the new doctrine, arrived at the
cabin of their preacher, but found there
only his wife, cross grained old Aunt Re
becca. She informed them that her hus-
band was not at home.
'sHe's done gagged hisse'f," she said
''ter cut and haul wood fur Kunnel Martin
ober on Little Mount'n fur de whole OF
mex week. It's fourteen or thirteen mile
from h. var, an et he'd started termorrel
mawnin' he'd los "a mos a whole day
Sides dat, 1 done tole him dat eff he gel
dar ternight he'd have his supper frowed
in. Wot you all want wild him? Gwine
ter pay him fur preachin ?"
Any such intention was instantaneously
denied, and Aunt Rebecca was informed Of
the subject upon which her visitors had
come to have very plain talk with her
husband.
"Reck'n he oughter know all bout dat, y
she said "He's done had free wives, an
he amt got rid O. dis one yit.
The leader of the indignant church mem
bers was Susan Henry, mulatto woman
of very Independent turn Of mind. She
prided herself that she never worked in
anybody's house but her own, and this i'm
munity from outside service gave her a
certain pre-eminence among her sisters.
If every woman was possessed OF seven
devils, then, in this respect, she was no
better nor worse than any of the others;
and at this her proud heart rebelled. 1t
the preacher had said some women had
eight devils and others six, it would have
been better. She might then have made
mental arrangement in regard to her rel
ative position which would have somewhat
consoled her. But now there was no chance
for that The words of the preacher had
equally debased all women.
A meeting of the disaffected church MEM
bers was held the next night at Susan
Henry's cabin, or rather in the little yard
about it, for the house was not large enough
to hold the people who attended it.
'sLook h'yar p cried Susan, at the end
of some energetic remarks, ''is dar emmy
pusson h'yar who kin count up fggers p
Inquiries on the subject ran through the
crowd, and in a few moments black boy,
about IA, was pushed forward as an expert
in arithmetic.
'Now, you Jim," said Susan, 'Eyou's
been to school, an kin count up fggers.
'Cordin' ter de chu'ch books dar's forty
seben women b'longin' to our meetin', an
if each one OBJ dem dar has got seben deb
bills in her, 1 JUS wants you ter tell me
how many debbils come to chu'ch ebery
erar Sunday ter hear old 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 319.
"Now, you jus turn dat ober in you all
minds" said Susan. "More'n free hun
dred debbils in chu'ch ebbery Sunday, an
we women fotchin 'em. Does anybody
s'pose Ise gwine ter b'lieve dat fool talk p
A middle-aged man now lifted up his
voice and said: Use been thinkin' ober
dis hyar matter, and Ise 'cluded dat p'r'aps
de words OBJ de preacher was used in fig
geratous form O sense P'r'aps de seben
debbils meant chillun.'
These remarks were received with no
favor by the assemblage.
'Oh, you git out p cried Susan. "Your
old woman's got seben chillun, shore 'nuf,
an s'spec dey's all debbils. But dem
sentiments don apply ter all de udder
women, tic'larly ter dem dar young nns
wot amt married yit."
This was good logic, but the feeling the
subject proved to be even stronger, for the
mothers in the company became SO angry
at their children being considered devils
that for 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.
It. was finally agreed that old Peter should
be unceremoniously ousted from his place
in the pulpit which he had filled so many
years.
As the week passed on some Of the older
men of the congregation, who had friendly
feelings toward their old companion and
preacher, talked the matter over among
themselves, and afterward succeeded In
gaining the general consent that Uncle
Pete should be allowed chance to explain
himself, and give his grounds and reasons
for his astounding statement in regard to
vomapkind. If he could show Biblical
authority for this, of course nothing more
could be said But if he co4ld not, then
he must get down from the pulpit, and slt
for 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 sim
pie couch, without knowing anything Of
the terrible storm which was to burst upon
him on the morrow. But the next morn
ing, long before church time, he received
warning of what was to happen. But the
old man possessed stubborn soul, not cas-
lily to be frightened.
"Wot l says in de pulpit" he remarked,
al 'splaia in de pulpit you all ud better
git long to de chu'ch, an when de time
! fur de service come, I'll be dar."
As soon as he entered the 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 of seven devils was
Scripture truth, and not mere wicked non.
sense out of his own brain. If he could
not do that, they wanted no more praying
or preaching from him.
Uncle Pete made no answer, but, ascend
| l..slo ,,,,1,o,E he mt hic hot nO the