Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-02-20
AST0EY OF SEVEN DEVILS.

pine woods near the little village Of OA-
ford Cross Roads, in one of the lower
counties OF Virginia, was presided over
Is ncle Pete; but on Sundays the
members of his congregation addressed
him as Brudder Peter. lie 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-
lions 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 en- Dyed 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 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 tremendous scold-
ing, which so affected the spirits of the
good man that it influenced his decis-
ion in re.lrd to the selection of the SUBJ
ject 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 seyenfold diabolic
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 bitle, which, although
he could not read word of it, always
lay open lefcre him while he preached,
And delivered the concluding exhorta.
ton of his sermon:
Now, my dear brev'ren OBJ this con-
gregation, want you to understan' dat
dar's Hufn il dis yer sarmon wot
you've us beerd TO make You think
yoursefs angels. By no means, brev'ren:
you was all brung up by wimmen, an
you've got ter lib wild EN-, an Of any
thin in dis yer worr is ketchin, my dear
brev'ren, it's habin debbils, and from
wot I've seen OBJ some oh de men OBJ dis
worl 'spect dey is persest Oh bout all
de debbils dey got room fur But de
Bible don say muffin p'intedly on de
sub &c Oh de number of debbils in man,
an | 'spect dose OATS got 'em-an' we
ought ter feel pow'ful thankful, my
dear brev'ren, dat de Bible don say we
alls got 'em-has 'em 'cording to sar-
cumstances. But wild de wimmen it's
diff rent; dey's got Just sebin, an bless
my soul, brev rem, think that's huff.
While was turnin' ober in my min
de subiec' ob dis sarmon, dere come ter
me bit oh seripter wot heerd at a
big preaehin' and baptizin' at kyarter's
Mills, bout ten year ago. Cne OBJ de
preachers was a-tellin' about ole mudder
Ebe a-eatin' de apple, and says he: ode
sarpint fus come along wild red apple,
an says he, 'iou glib dis yer to your
husban', an he think it so mighty good
dat when he done eat it he glib you any
thing you ak him fur, eff you tell him
whar de tree is Lbe, she took one
bite, an den she frew dat apple away.
'Wot you mean, you triflin sarpint,
saws she, 'a.fotchin' me dat apple wot
ain good fur muffin but ter make cider
widf Den de sarpint he go fotch her a
WALLER apple, an she took one bite an
den says she, Go long wild We, you fool
sarpint, wot you foteh me dat June ap-
pie wot amt got no taste to it, uen de
sarpint he think she like sumpin sharp,
an he fetched her green apple She
takes one bite OBJ it, an den she irows il
at his head an sings out, is you
'spectin' me to glib dat apple to your
Uncle Adam an glib him de collie Den
de debbil he fotch her a lady apple, but
she say she won take no such triflin
nubbins as dat to her husban', an she
took one tie of it an frew it away
Den he 20 fetch her two udder kin oil
apples one yaller with red stripes an
de udder one red on one side an greer
ON de udder-mighty good lookin' ap
Piles, too ri de kin you git 81 a bari ful
at the store But Lbe, she wouldn't hal
neider kind EN-, an when she done
took one bite out ob each on, she frev
it away. en- de old debbil sarpint he
scratch he head, an he say 10 hese'f
dis yer r.be, she pow'ful 'ticklar 'bout
her apples. Peckin Ill have ter wal
till after fros', an fotch her a real gooC
one. An he done wait till after fros'
an den he fotch a Albemarle pippin
an when she took one bite OBJ dat, sh
she jus go long an eat it all up, core
seeds, an all. Look hyar, sarpint
says she, 'hab you got anudder OBJ deI
apples in your pocket An den he tn
one out ali glib it to her. ''Cuse me
says she, Use gwine ter look up Adam
an eff he don't want ter know whar d
tree is wot desc apples grow on you XII
hab him fur a cawnfiel' ham,
An now, dear brev'ren, while wa
o turnin' dis subjec' ober in my min
an wonderin' how de wimmin come {,
hab JUS seben debbils apiece, don
rockerleck dat bit oh Scripter wot
heerd at Kyarter's Mills, an reckil
dat splains how de debbils got int
woman. De sarpint he done fotcl
Nudder Ebe seben apples, an cherry on
she take a bit out Of glib her debbil.
AS might have been expected, thi
sermon produced great sensation, an
made deep impression on the congrs
cation. AS rule the men were tolers
IA.