The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-12-29

under a large oak in Pasquotank county.
and that one Of the rules governing that
body was that the members should wear
shoes, during the sessions thereof, and
that they should not throw their chicken
and other bones under the tree.
We cannot see for the life OF us why
that Assembly required its members to
put on shoes, while in session, urlcss 1t
was to impress the common people with
the dignity OF that body, but, it is easy
to understand why chicken bones were
not allowed to be thrown down under
the oak. 1t was doubtless to keep the
dogs from proWling around after those
bones, and fighting over them, while the
Assembly was engaged IN legislative work;
and, We are bound to admit that the
members of that Assembly We're wise in
their day and generation, for they knew
that dogs were dogs, and that dogs by
instinct, habit and common department
were not fit to be allowed in public meet
ings. Hence, when the legislators ate
their lunches, OF chicken, backbonCs ana
hog jaws, they were required, by law,
to throw the bones outside the legi slative
circle covered by the big oak. Surprising
that each member had a dog We can I'M
agine the scene around, when the bones
were thrown out; the many fights which
occurred among the dogs, Gor dogs, like
men VIII fight over bones,) and tn much
bad feeling engendered when a menober
with shoes on kicked another members
dog.
Some people have a way Of carrying
dogs TO church; and yet it is very we'll
known that dogs have not improved IN
manners since the days OF old J2ZeDel.
Some of the most annoying, as we'll as
some of the most ludicrouS scenes, in
churches, ave been occasioned bv 'iOgs.
In my young days l used to attend preach
ing at old Pleasant Springs, about eight
miles south Of Raleigh. The Christian
denomination worshipped there, and Rev.
Anthony Franks was the pastor The
Sunday OF which | am writing was the
communion OCCASION, and the basket
which contained the bread and vino, sat
on the floor in front of the pulpit. While
Mr.. Franks was preaching, the chidren
over on the mothers side of the church
were eating biscuits, and dropping the
crumbs; and about a half dozen dogs Of
various sizes, colors and classes, We're
pushing and crawling under benches and
the Women's dresses, trying to get the
crumbs, and the whole biscuits as We'll,
that occasionally were dropped by fdsety
children. l noticed one dog, specially.
that seemed to be not only very active
in crumb hunting, but had a ferocious
air about him, and would yprcwi at the
children, now and then. At length he
found the basket, which contained the
sacranental bread, and into it his nose
went; and, but for the very timely inter
ference of a member, who sat near by,
he soon would have devoured it. The
sermon ended, ihe Communion followed,
the white members coming first. Then
10 y tho cn1Oro6 noOnJa ooI oronpr +nnI19
OLD Aunt Prissy Banks" who thought
shouting was always in order when peo-
pie took the communion, and she had as
much right as anybody; 50 she shouted
but, no sooner did she break out than
did that dog, with a ferociOus look, begin
to bark. At first she did not seem to
notice him, but she soon discovered that
he was barking at her, for, turn which
way she might, he was IN her front. bark
ing as if he had freed a coon. She
quoted down long enough to leave the
house; but, as soon as she touched the
ground, and thinking the dog was still
in the church, she began to shout again
III a moment the dog was there, ald, il
possible barking more fiercely han ht
did in the house. For fully five minutes
it was shouting and barking, ana bark
ing and shouting. Aunt Prissy would say
Glory TO God, go way from here.." ''Glor!
to God, go way from here!" But the dos
wouldn't go. He continued to bark unit
some of the colored sisters told Aun
Prissy she'd better stop, and size dd
saying by the way of a Wind-up: "Thanl
the Lord dey amt got no dorgs IN heav
en-; dey all goes to the tother place, anC
l wish dat dorg was dar rite now"
Rev. William l. Langdon was preaching
at the Methodist church, on Fedora
Point, about 1850, when a bench-le8get
fee, the property OF one OF the member
OF that church, made himself very con
spicuous. He would run to the door an'
bark, then he'd run to his master, an
then go round among the boys Who r-oul'
pet him, and in various and nunlcrou
ways he managed to disturb the preacher
while he amused the children. Al las
ne went into the pulpit, hoped up CT
the bench and began to lap water GU
OF the preachers pitcher. The rreache
took in the situation and thinking he hat
a right to the pulpit, and that the DO
was an intruder, he kicked him out. II
went out bowling, and the master, an
all the family, to whom the dog belonged
went out with him; and such was the dis
turbance outside, the preacher bad t
stop; and the church came nigh bein!
broke up. The people were divided upOl
the HIdIlbI. SOluc OI tItIl cGIC I'll
preacher was not to blame; that the do.
had no business in the pulpit drjnl.in:
out of the preachers pitcher; Will
others thought that dogs ought to u
allowed to do as, and 60 where, the,
pleased, so they did not bite people. |
took the church g long time to recoye
from that dog affair.
Away back in the forties there va
a church, in Chatham county which hat
been so rent by d~issensions among 1t
members, as to be left off the circuit
consequently it had no preaching. /
brother Postell, I think it was, then lv
ing in Pittsboro, concluded, IN the earl.
hummer, that he would so out and Dreacl
to those people and try to harmonic tn
discordant elements. He took hrothe
Hanks. an old time Sankey, with h!n I
lead the singing; and went prepared /
say a great many things about brothcri
love and especially loving thy nelghbOc
taking for his text who is my neigh
bor2" Several things happened hat tel