The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-03-22
OLD CLU|B=AX DAVIS.
"A Backwoods Sermon Preached Fifty
Issoc;otc Reformed Presbyterian.
Years Ago.

ping by an elderly lady Of Phlladel-
phia. She says she has preserved 1t
for about twenty years, and that a
number Of people have requested Its
republication. It is an account OF a
sermon said to have been heard IN
Georgia nearly half century ago.
The preacher was apparently about
sfty years Of age, large, muscular and
we'll proportioned. On entering the
pulpit he took off his coat and hung
it on a nail behind him, then opened
his collar and wristbands and wiped
the perspiration from his face, neck
and hands. He was clad in striped
cotton homespun and his shirt was OF
the same material. He had travelled
several miles that morning, and seem
ed almost overcome by the heat. But
the brethren sung couple Of hymns
while he was tanning and cooling of,
and when herose he looked comforta-
BILE and good-natured.
he had preached there once or
twice before, but to most OF the audi
ence he was stranger. Hence he
thought it necessary to announce
himself, which he did as :'old Club
Az Davis, from Scriyen county,
Half-Hard and Half-Soft Shell Bap-
tist.
1sI have given myself that name,
he said, "because I believe the Lord
elected me, from eternity, to go ahead
in the backwoods and grub out path
and blaze the way for other men to
follow. After the thickest of it is
cut away, good, warm Methodist
brother will make things little
smoother and a good deal noisier.
After all the underbrush is cleaned
out, and the owls and wolves are
skeered back, and the rattlesnakes is
killed off, Presbyterian brother, IN
black broadcloth and white cravat,
will come along and cry for decency
and order. And they'll both do good
in their sphere. I don't despise
a larnt man, even when he doesn't
dress and think as I do. You
couldn't pay me enough to wear
broadcloth, summer nor winter, and
you couldn't pay a Presbyterian
brother enough to go without it in
dogdays.
.God didn't make us all alike, my
brethren, but every man has his own
sphere. VIXEN God has place to fill
He makes a man and puts him in it.
When he wanted General Jackson,
He made him and sets him to fghtin
Injuns and the English; when He
wanted George Whitfield, He made
him for to blow the Gospel trumpet as
no other man has ever blowed it; and
when He wanted Old Club-Ax Davis,
He made him, and set him to grubbin
in the backwoods.
"But my shell isn't SO hard but |
can see pints in everybody; and as
for the Presbyterian, they are long
way ahead Of us Baptist and Nletho-
dist in some things. They raise their
children better than any.other people
on the face of the earth. Only a few
days ago Methodist class-leadersaid
to me: sBrother Club-Ax, | was born
Methodist, and by the grace of God
I hope to die Methodist: but, thank
God, I've got Presbyterian wife to
raise my children And believe,
my brethren. if the Lord should open
the way for me to marry again, I d try
my best to find Presbyterian woman,
and run my chances Of breakin her
into the saving doctrines Of feet wash
in and immersion afterwards
Just at this moment he was inter
rupted by two spotted hounds that
had been continually running up and
down the pulpit stairs. One OF them
Jumped up on his seat and began to
gnaw his coat tail, u which was some
thing he had brought along for lunch.
He turned slowly around and took
him by the ears and tail and threw
him out of the window behind him as
easily as if he had been young kit
ten. The other took warning and got
out as rapidly as possible, though not
without bowling as if he had been half
killed. Hc then turned to the audi
encc and said, smilingly: "St. Paul
exborted the brethren to Beware of
dogs | wonder what he would do il
he were in my place this morning. 1t
appears as i'll am compasscd about
with dogs as David said he was.
He had scarcely commenced preach
ing again before there was terrible
squealing and kicking among the