Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1905-10-20
A Reminiscence.

Years ago, sometime subsequent to
the termination of the war of 1912, we
had best girl, all our own, in the
Buckeye State. We spent most of our
time in the "windy city" striving
for perfection in all that pertained to
the art preservative, occasionally loan =
ing our "posish" to a sub. that we
might pay a short visit to mother and
the other girl.
1t was pleasant Sunday; and a spec
linen Of humanity kown as Pop. Phil
pot, the local preacher from Paradise
swamp. was to "have preachin' at our
schoolhouse," at 2 O'Clock p. m. P. NJ.
stands for postmaster, but in this in
ststance, for that particular Sunday
afternoon. He also announce e d
'preachin 4" at Christian Holler, slant
about two and half miles, three hours
later.
The hest girl on earth lived within
fourth of a mile of that Christian Hollow
school house, and we had an appoint
nent there as well as Pop; and so we
went over together, and when we
reached the house where we had our
appointment, he went on to his-the
school house.
That preacher was a curiosity. The
right one half of him was six inches
longer than the left one half Of that
same preacher. When he began speak
ing he droppen on his short leg. As he
warmed up he alternated; when he
fired up he "rared up" on his right
hind leg, and then his sermon was pow
erful. One could hear him a mile away
The melon.colic days had come and
after the usual sautations our highest
affinity suggested our attendance at the
preachin- after we ate watermelon.
We repaired to the melon patch, put
ourselves outside of the inside of one,
large, juicy, and so delicious and right
there we made the mistake OF our lives.
1t was little late for preachin, when
we left the ruins Of that melon, and in
the school house there we're but two
vacant seats and they were a section OF
the class bench, about four feet from
and directly in front of the speaker
He was down on his shorter half and
had just commenced saying precisely
what we heard him say three hours be
fore: "My brethrin, when | come into
this house hadn't the the least ideC
what my sarmon would be about, but
while you was singin, the sperit seemed
to direct my mind to the follerin pass
age Of scripture" Then he read hi
two O'Clock text and preached the sam,
"sarmon" word for word. In jus
about an hour, with the same finally
lastly and in conclusion, he sagged 81,
inches and closed as he did at the schoO
house.
my hrethrin, when | begun this sar
mon | was frustrated turrible, but an
happy to say that during the entir
sarmon my mind has been very cam an,
fruitful" D."
And right there was a "change o
program" He chanced to look directl
at "Jerusha and me, " noticed the water
melon juice running out of our eyes
mistook the overflow for penitentia
tears, suddenly raised himself to hi
full height, and for fifteen minute
poured and roared the gospel according
to Pop Philpot into our ears.
He finally sagged and closed by say
ing, This may be my last exhOrtin I
you, and | hope you will remember m
and what | have said to my dyin' day,
Wedid. And Of that Sunday afternoon
that overdose of sarmon and that over
dose of watermelon, memory is still
faithful To her trust