Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-03-05
A STORY OF SEVEN DEVILS.

STORY OF SEVEN DEVILS.
The negro church which stood in
the pine woods near the little village Of
Oxford Cross Roads, in one of the lower
counties of Virginia, was presided over
by Uncle Pete; but on Sundays the
members of his congregation addressed
him us Brudder Peter. He was an earn
est and energetic man, and, although
he could neither read nor write, he had
for many years expounded the Script
ures TO the satisfaction of his hearers.
His memory was good, and those por-
tions of the Bible which from time to
time he had heard read were used by
him, and frequently with powerful ef-
feet, in his sermons. His interpreta-
tions Of the Scriptures were generally
entirely original, and were made TO suit
the needs, or, what he supposed to be
the needs. of his congregation.
He enjoyed the good opinion of every
body, excepting one person, and thai
was his wife. She was high-tempered,
and had conceived the idea that her hus-
band was in the habit of giving too
much time TO the church, and too little
to the acquisition of corn bread and
pork. She gave him a tremendous scold-
ing, which so affected the spirits Of the
good man that it Influenced his decision
in regard to the selection Of the subject
for his sermon the next day.
He 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 de-
ductions could have been proved to be
correct, all women were creatures who,
by reason Of their spvenfUld diabolical
possession, were not capable of indie
pendent thought or action, and who
should in tears and humility place them
selves absolutely under the authority of
the other Sex.
When he approached the conclusion
OF his sermon, Brother Peter closed with
a bang the Bible, which, although he
could not read word of it, always lay
open before him while he preached, and
delivered the concluding exhortation of
his sermon:
"Now, my dear brev'ren oh this con-
gregation, want you to understan' dat
dar's muffin in dis yer sarmOn wot
you've JUS heerd to make you think
your SETS angels. By no means, brew 'ren:
you was all brung up by wimmen, an
you've got ter lib wild 'em, an ef ANY
thin il dis yer worl' is ketchin, my dear
brev'ren, its habin debbils, and from
wot I've soeu OBJ some of de men OBJ dis
worl' 'spect dey is persest ob bout all
de debbils dey got room fur. But de
Bible don say muffin p'intedly on de
subic' OBJ de number ob Gebbils in man,
and 'spect dose dat's got 'em-and We
ought ter feel pow'ful thankful, my
dear ev'ren, dat de Bible don say we
all's got 'em-has 'em 'cording to sar-
cumsIanIes. But wild de wimmen it's
dif'rent; dey's got jus se5in, and bless
my soul. brev'ren, think that's nuff.
"While | was a turnin' ober In my
mind de subjec' oh dis sarmon. dere
come ter me bit ob Scripter wot |
heerd at big preachin' and baptizin'
at Kyarter's Mills, about ten years ago.
One OBJ lie preachers was a-tellin' about
ole mudder Ebe a-eatin' de apple, and
says he: "De sarpint fust come along
wild red apple, and says he, You glib
dis yer to your husban', and he think it
so mighty good dat when he done eat it
he glib you anything you AK him fur, ef
you tell him whar de tree is Ebe, she
took one bite, and den she frew dat APP
pie away. 'Wot you mean, you trifing
sarpint,' says she, 'a-fotchin' me DAT ap-
pie wot amt good fur muffin but ter
make cider wii?' Den de sarpint he
go fotch her yaller apple, aud she took
one bite and den says she, Go long wid
We, you fool sarpint, wOt you fotch me
dat June apple wOt amt got no taste to
it?' Den de sarpint he think she like
sumpin' sharp, and he fotched her a
green apple. She takes one bite ob ii,
and den she frows it at his head and
sings out, is you 'specting me TO glib
dat apple to your Uncle Adam and glib
him de collie Den de debbil he fOtch
her lady apple, but she say she won't
take no such trifling nubbins as dat to
her husband, and she took one bite of it
and frew it away. Dea he go fetch her
two udjer kind OBJ apples, one yaller wild
red stripes and de udder one red oil one
side and green on de udder-mighty
good looking apples, too-de kind you