, 1886-01-17

scarcely Degun, the majority OF the
women OF tho congregation began to cali
their minister Uucle Pete. This wa
very strong evidence of a sudden do
lime in his popularity.
That afternoon an irate committee,
composed principally of women, but in.
GLIDING also a few men who had eK-
pressed disbelief in the new doctrine.
arrived at the cabin of their preacher,
but found there only his wife, cross
grained old Aunt Rebecca- She in
formed them hat her husband was not
at home.
Hes done gagged hisse'f," she said,
ter cut and haul wood fur Kunnel
Martin obot on Little mount'n fur do
whole OBJ mex week. It's fourteen or
thirteen mile from h'yar, an of he'd
started termorrer mawnin' he'd los
amos a whole day. Sides dat, / dono
tole him dat of he get dar ternight ho'd
have his supper frowed in. Wot you
all want wild himi Gwine tor pay him
fur %preachin'ip
Amy such intention was i%nstantane-
ously denied, and Aunt Rebocca was in
formed of the subject upon which her
visitors had come to have a very plain
talk with her husband.
NUN ~ OhbhbCA huOm Ill DOuI
dat" she said. Hes done had free
wives, an he amt got rid O. dis ono
yit"
Tho leader OF the indignant church
members was Susan Horny, a mulatto
woman of a very independent turn of
mind. She prided herself that she never
worked in anybody's house but her own,
and this immunity from outside service
gave her a certain pre-eminence among
her sisters. If every woman was pos
sessed of seven devils, then, in this re-
spect, she was no better mol worse than
any of the others; and at this her proud
heart rebelled. II the preacher had
said SOM women had eight devils and
others six, it would have better. Sho
might then have made a mental ar
rangement in regard to her relative po-
sition which would have somewhat CON
soled her. But now there was no chance
for that. Tho words of the preacher
had equally debased all women.
A meeting of the disaffected church
members 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
attend it.
Look h'yarl' cried Susan, at the end
of some energetic remarks, is dar emmy
pusson h'yar who kin count up iggersf'
Inquiries on the subject ran through
the crowd, and in a few months a black
boy, about II, was pushed forward as
an expert in arithmetic.
Now, You Jim," said Susan, ''you's
been to school, an kin count up figgers
'Cordin' ter do chu CHI books dar's forty
cahan uroman b1noufnf - aus ,.ot,nf
IN If each one OBJ dem dar has got sebon
debbils in her, | jus wants you ter tell
me how many debbils como to chu'ch
cherry cl'ar sunday ter hear ole Uncle
Pete preach.
Jim's calculations were made by tho
aid OF n back of an old letter and a
piece of pencil furnished by susan.
Tho result was at last announced MS
30.
Vow, you jus turn dat ober in you
all's minds" said Susan. 'More'n free
hundred debbils in church ebbery sun.
day, an we women fotchin en-. Does
anybody spose Use gwine ter b'ieve dat
fool talkl'
A middle-aged man now lifted up his
voice and said: "Ise been thinkin'
ober dis h'yar matter, and Ise 'cluded
dat p'r'aps de words OBJ de preacher was
used in a flggeratous form o. sense.
P'r'aps dc seben debbils meant chillun" "
These romarks were received with no
favor by the assemblage.
"Oh, you git outr" cried Susan
Your ole woman's got seben chillun,
shore 'nuf, an l s'spec dey's all debbils,
But dem sentiments don apply ter all
de udder women, tic'larly ter dem dar
young uns wot amt married yit."
This was good logic, but the feeling
tho subject proved to be oven stronger,
for the mothers in the company became
so angry at their children being consid-
cred devils that fora 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 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 com
panion and preacher, talked the matter
over among themselves, and afterward
succeeded in gaining the general CON
sent that Uncle Pete should be allowed
n chance to explain himself, and give
his grounds and reasons for his astound-
ing statement in regard to womankind.
If he could show Biblical authority for
this, of course nothing more could be
said. But IL he could not, then he
must get down from the pulpit, and sit
for the rest of his life on a back seat Of
the church
Uncle Pete arrived at home very late
on Saturday night, and retired to his
simple couch, without knowing any
thing of the terrible storm which was
to burst upon him on the morrow. But
the next morning, long before church
time, he received warning of what was
to happen. But the old man possessed
a stubborn soul, not easily to be fright
ened.
"Wot l says in de pulpit" he re-
marked, "rn 'splain in dc pulpit you
all nd better git long to de chu'ch, an
when do time fur do 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 woman being possessed Of
seven devils was Scripture truth, and
not mere wicked NONSENSE out of his
own brain. II he could not do that.
they wanted no more praying or preach
ing from him.
Uncle Pete made no answer, but,
ascending the little pulpit, he put his
hat on the bench behindhim where II
was used to repose, took out his red
cotton pocket hkudRerohief And.blew his
nose in his accustomed wAyc and looked
about him The house was crowded.
Even Aunt Rebecca was there.