The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-01-30

Inc preaonSE was nOld1n forth day
and night in the schoolhouse over at
the Cross Roads. AS for me, 1 was too
tremendous busy with first one thing
and then another to turn out and tend
the meetins to any serious extent. But
the next news l got it would seen like
the preacher talked too free and plenti-
full with his mouth and the war had
bust loose.
1t was on a Tuesday night-which the
weather was clear and pleasant and
the o shinin bright like day-and
the preacher had give it out that he
would preach a seHmont for the good
of everybody, but the children in par
ticular, and from that a pushin big
crowd was put to hear the news. Well,
from what they tell me, the preacher
did have q scandlous bad case of break
in out at the mouth that night. And in
the general run of his scatterin re-
marks he pitched in he did and told the
children a whole long rigamarole in re-
gard to old Santa Claus. He lowed
there never was and never would be
such a man as Santa Claus. He went
on and told the little folks that their
fathers and mothers had been foolin
them every Christmas for 10 these
many years-which accordin to proofs
of holy writ he held that it was a sin
and a shame. He didn't want to hear
nobody talkin about Santa Claus hence
forwards, when everybody knowed
there want no SIGH a livin human bein
in the round discovered world.
But the preacher didn't much more
than git the word outer his mouth be-
fore old man Bunk Weatherford riz up
right there in open meetin and give it
the dadblame lie. Then old man Bunk
and thepreacher they had it in a red hot,
rough-and-tumble argyfication-upand
down and owe and under. Sometimes.
the preacher was in the majority and
sometimes old man Bunk had all the
delegates.
But in the main time Andy Lucas had
left the meetin and rid off on his horse,
and when he returned back to the
s~chooIhouse me and Blev Scroggins we
rid with him-three abreast and in Il
swingin gallop. Old man Bunk had
helt the fort whilst Andy went out
after recruits. When we got there the
meetin was in a riproar of confusion
ment, but soon as Blev could put his
hand into the game he sent up a reso-
luton as follows here below:
Resolved, That the preacher who
says there aint no SIGH a mar as Santa
Claus is az ,bOx-ankled, slew-footed,
double-breastedsliar. and all sorts of a
liar.
The resolution was anonymously
adopted with a standin vote.
Then Andy he put tbs followin resolu-
ton in nominations:
Resolved, That it is the general opin-
ion amongst the people around Rocky
Creek that in regards to Christmas and
Santa Claus the new preacher couldn't
tell the truth with dead rest. Passed.
After that they sung a song, the meet
in broke up and we went out. Then
presently a crowd of us boys Clipped
in together and we didn't do a blame,
blessed thing but rub three quarts of
cuckle burrs into that preachers hair,
and ride him on a three-cornered rail
to little Wolf creek bridge, where we
cut him a fast walkin stick and told
him to burn the wind for parts un-
known. And as he went a scorchin OF
down the big road toards the Missis-
sippi river with every foot up and coat
tails flynn the boys bid him a long
farewell and went on their way re-
joicin.
It don't make a continental bit of diff
ference with is, long-sufferin reader,
what you think about the general cir
conference of the calamitys We think
it was perfectly all right. Everybody
in this country loves a good preacher,
but any man that would stand up and
tell a big crowd of children that there
is no such thing as Santa Claus, will
find no pleasant place to lay his head
or rest his weary feet in the regions
of old Rocky.
Next to the women folks we love the
children, and when a mar stands up and
talks to them he must preach forth the
unwashed truth and nothin but the
truth.