Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-01-16


such thing. Some Of them went so far as
to state it was their opinion that Uncle
Pete had got this fool notion from some of
the lawyers at the court house when he
was on a jury month or so before. 1t
was quite noticeable that, although Sun
day afternoon had scarcely begun, the
majority of the women of the congregation
called their minister Uncle Pete. This
was very strong evidence of sudden de-
cline in his popularity.
Some of the more vigorous minded
women, not seeing their minister among
the other people in the clearing in front of
the log church, went to look for him, hut
he was not to be found. His wife had
ordered him to be home early, and soon
after the congregation had been dismissed
he departed by short cut through the
woods. That afternoon an irate COM
mittee, composed principally of women,
but including also few men who had ex-
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 info ned them
that her husband was not at home.
Hes done gagged hisse'f," she said
''ter cut an haul-wood fur Kunnel Martin
ober on Little Mount'n fur de whole OBJ
mex week. It's fourteen or thirteen mile
from h'yar, an eff he'd started ter-morrer
mawnin', he'd los amos whole day
'GiIac Iof T toIo A. l.
dere ter night he'd have his supper frowed
in. Wot you all want wild himi Gwine
ter pay him fur preaehin'f"
Any such intention as this was instan-
informed of the subject upon which her
visitors had come to have very plain talk
with her husband.
Strange to say, the announcement of the
new and startling dogma had apparently
no disturbing effect upon Aunt Rebecca.
On the contrary, the old woman seemed
rather to enjoy the news.
''Reckin he oughter know all bout dat"
she said. "He's done had free wives, an
he amt got rid O dis one yit."
Judging from her chuckIes and waggings
of the head when she made this remark, it
might be imagined that Aunt Rebecca was
rather proud of the fact that her husband
thought her capable of exhibiting differ
ent kind of diabolism every day in the
week.
The leader of the indignant church
members was Susan Henry, 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.
Not only did: Susan share the general
resentment with which the startling state
ment of old Peter had been received, but
she felt that its PRONUNCIATION had affected
her position in the community. If every
woman was possessed by 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 others six, it would. have been
better. She might then have made a
mental arrangement in regard to her
relative position, which would have some
what consoled her. But now there was no
chance for that. The words of the preacher
had equally debased all women.
A meeting of the disafected 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 attended
it. The meeting was not regularly
organized, but everybody said what he or
she had to say, and the result was great
deal of clamor, and general increase of
indignation against Uncle Pete.
"Look h'yar" cried Susan, at the end of
some energetic remarks, sis dar emmy
pusson h'yar who kin count up fggersi"
Inquiries on the subject ran through the
crowd, and in 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 you kin count up
fggers. 'Cordin' ter de chu'ch books dars
forty- -seben women b'longin' to our meetin',
an eff each one oh dem has got seben
debbils in her, JUS wants you ter tell me
how many debbils come to chu'ch ebery
cl'ar Sunday ter hear dat ole Uncle Pete
preach"
This view of the case created sem
sation, and much interest was shown in
the result of Jim's calculations, which
were made by the aid of back of an old
letter and a piece of pencil furnished by
Susan. The result was at last announced
as three hundred and nineteen, 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 ebery Sunday, an we
women fotchin 'em. Does anybody s'pose
Use gwine ter b'lieve dat fool talkf"
A middle-aged man now lifted up his
voice and said: Else been thinkin' .ober
dis h'yar matter, and Ise 'cluded dat
p'r'aps de words OBJ de preacher was used
in fggerato 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!' cried Susan. "Your
ole woman's seben chillun, shore 'nuff, an
1 spec dey's all debbils. But dem sent
ments dom apply ter all de udder women
h'yar, 'tic'larly ter dem dar young uns wot
amt married yit."
This was good logic, but the feeling on
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. This was averted,
but great deal of uproar now ensued, and
it was the general feeling that something
ought to be done to show the deep seated |
resentment with which the horrible charge |
against the mothers and sisters of the |
congregation had been met. 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, quite unanimously, that old Peter |
should be 1nceremoniously 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