Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-01-28
The leader of the indignant church men,

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. If the preacher had
said some women had eight devils and 9TH
ers six it would have been better. She
might then have made mental arrange
ment in regard to her relative 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 men,
bers was held the next night at Susan Hen
rys cabin, or rather in the little yard about
| it, for the house was not large enough to
hold the people who attended it,
"LOok h'yar!' cried Susan, at the end OF
.some energetic remarks, "is dar emmy pus-
son h'yar who can count up fggers"
Inquiries on the subject ran through the
crowd, and in a few moments black boy,
about fourteen, was pushed forward as an
expert in arithmetic.
"Now, you Jim," said Susan, "you's been
to school, an kin countup fggers. 'Cordin'
blOngin' to our meetin', an if each one OBJ
dem dar has got seben debbls in her, l JUS
wants you ter tell me how many debbils
come to chu'ch cherry cl'ar Sunday ter hear
Uncle Pete preach"
Jim's calculations were made by the aid
of back of an old letter and piece of a
pencil furnished by Susan. The result was
at last announced as319, which, although not
precisely correct was near enough to satisfy
the company.
"Now, you JUS turn dat ober in you all's
minds" said Susan. "More'n free hundred
debbils in chu'ch ebbery Sunday, an we
women fotchin 'em. Does anybody s'pose
I'se gwine ter b'lieve dat fool TALK"
A middle-aged man now lifted up his
voice and said "Ise been thinkin' Ober
dis h'yar matter and Use 'cluded dat pr
aps de word OBJ de preacher was used in
fggeratous form o. sense. P'raps de seben
debbils meant chillun."
These remarks were received with no
favor by the assembage.
"Oh, you git OUT" cried Susan. "Your
old woman's got seben chillun, shore huff,
an l spec dey's all debbils. But dem sem
timents don't apply to all odder women,
'ticlarly ter dem dar young uns what 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 a 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
|
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 atterward succeeded in
gaining the general consent that uncle Pete
should be allowed chance to explain him
self, and give his grounds and reasons for
his astonishing. statements in regard to
womankind. If he could show Biblical
authority for this, of course nothing more
could be said But if he could not, then he
must get down from the pulpit and sit for
the rest of his life on q back seat OF the
church.
Uncle Pete arrived at home very late on
Saturday night, and retired to his simple
couch, without knowing anything of the
terrible storm which was to burst upon him
on the morrow. But the next morning,
long before church time, he received warn
ing of what was going to happen. But the
old man possessed Il stubborn soul not eaSl-
ly to be frightened.
"WOt l says in de pulpit" he remarked,
"l'll 'splain in de pulpitw You all I'D bet
ter git along to de chu'ch, an when de time
for de service come, I'll be dar."
"As soon as he entered the church he was
formally instructed by 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 Ofseren devils was Scripture
truth, and not mere wicked nonsense 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
ing the little pulpit, he put his hat on the
bench behind him where it was used to re-
pose, took out his red cotton pocket banker
chief and blew his nose in his accustomed
way, and looked about him. The house was
crowded. Even Aunt Rebecca was there.
After deliberate survey of the audience
the preacher spoke. "Brevren and sisters,
l sec afore me Brudder Bill Hines, who kin
read de Bible an has got one. Ain'tdatso,
brudder?"
Bill Hines having nodded and modestly
grunted assent, the preacher continued:
San dar's Aun' Priscilla's boy Jake, who
ant brudder yet, though he's plenty old
'nuf min l tell ye; an he kin read de BIZ
BILE fus' rate, an has read it to me Ober and
ober ag'n. Amt that so, Jake ?'
Jake grinned, nodded and hung his head,
very uncomfortably at being thus publicly
pointed out.
can dar's good old Aun' Patty, who
knows mo- Scripter dan anybuddy h'yar,
hayin' been teached by de little gals from
Kunnel Jasper's an by dere mudders afore
em. 1 reckon she know de hull Bible
straight froo, from de Garden of Eden to de
New jerusalem. And dar are udders h'yar
who knows de Scripters some one part and
some anudder. Now l axes ebry one Ob
you all what know de Scripters eff he don't
member how de Bible tells how our Lor'
when he was on dis yearth cas- seben deb
lis out o. Mary Magdalum."
A murmur of assent came from the con-
gregaton. Most Of them remembered that
"But did emmy oh you ebber read, or hab
read to you, dat he ebber cas- 'em out of
emmy udder Woman?'.
Negative grunts and shakes Of the head
signified that nobody had ever heard of
this.
"Well, den," said the preacher, gazing
around, "all de udder women got 'em yt."
A deep silence fell upon the assembly,
and in few moments on elderly member
arose. "Brudder Peter" he said, 81 reck-
in you mought as well glib out dc hymn"
RED ISD1ANs.-They were originally
doubtless from Canada, coming by the
have belonged to the Algonquin branch.
There is now in the museum of st. Johns a
human skull, the last taken ola once power
full but now extinct tribe. tissaid Cabot on
his second voyage brought away three ofthe
aborigines, and they were kept by the king
in the palace of Westminster They grad
ually melted away on the approach of civil
iZation. In 1904 a female was taken by a
fisherman, kindly treated and sent back