Evening star., 1905-07-30
WORL' FLAT OR ROUN'
COLORED PREACHERS DISCOURSE
ON ABSORBING TOPIC.

Use gwine ter take nah tex ternight,"
said the colored preacher. de berry first
berse oh de berry first chapter oh de berry
first book OBJ de Bible, In de beginnin'
Gawd created de hebin an de earth
Some OBJ yo' niggahs jest stan eroun'
fer hours at er time sputin wild each
udder as ter wedder de earth am roun'
or wedder it am fiat. Dis tex dat 1 hab
'slected doan say dat it am roun' an it
doan say dat 1t am fiat. 1t jes say dat
Gawd created it, an it doan make no diff
funce ter yo' wedder it am roun' or fiat.
Wat yo want ter bother erbout de shape
oh de worI fer enyhow? 1t am none OBJ
yer bizness. De pohtant question for yo'
ter slider is am not wedder de worp am
roun' wedder it am fiat, but wedder yo'
individually am SQuar-Squar in yer libin'
an in yer dealin's wild yer nabors. Yo'
jes look after yer own shape. spirit'al
an de Master will look after de shape OBJ de
worF.
Nah own 'pinion am dat de worl' am
fiat, but I'm not gwine ter git into cry
argument erbout it. De Bible tells us dat
de Lord says de earth am His footstool.
Err footstool am fiat. amt it? Wal, den.
If er footstOol am fiat an de earth am a
footstool, wat yo' gwine ter do erbOut 1t :?
Dat settles it in my mine. but amt gwine
ter vase eny time er 'sputin' erbout it.
Yo all vase too much time er talkin'
bout thinks you doan know muffin erbout.
Wat y'r gain by argifyin' as to der shape
OBJ de earth? Wen yo' steal-er l means
Wen yO' gifts er watermilyun-yo dOan bod
der erbout de shape OBJ 1t. All yo' thinks
erbOut am de good things dat am in IT,.
So 1t am wild de worl. 1t am full OBJ good
things dat de Lord hab placed in it. an
dey am yers ter git in er 'onest an 'giti-
mate way, but yo won't git dem by STAN
in on de corner an 'sputin erbout its
shape.
81 wah talkin' wild one OBJ de brederen
de udder day, an axed him wy he didn't
raise er few vegetables in his gyarden fer
de use OBJ his family. He say he didn't
hab time ter raise muffin. He wah so
tired in de mawnn' dat he cud hardly
raise hisself out OBJ bed, an de berry mex
mawnin dis worthless niggah wah seen out
on de street at five er clock scartin' eroun'
fer snpeS. He hadn't time ter raise some
'taters. an some cabbidge, an some cew
cumbers, an some 'matoes fer his family.
case 1t took all his spar time ter raise
snipes out OBJ de gutter. Now, in de name
make ter er like dis wedder de worl'
am roun' er wedder 1t am fiat.
DE good Lord hab filled die ole worl' wild
good things, but yo' won't fine 'um in er
free lunch counter. You got ter work
fer 'um. If dey were all placed befo' yo'
an yo wah invited up ter help yo'selbes
wouldn't yo' accep de invitation? Oh cos'e
yo' would. Yo' would jes tumile ober each
wat yo' wanted. Fer once in yer libes yo
would unerstan' wat it means ter be stren~
Gus.
"Ah. nah brudder. mad sister. dar am
better things dan eny dis ole worl kin offer
yo' layin' right befo yO' an all yer hab ter
do Is ter reach out an take dem. but yo
won't do It, Ebin de 'fessed Christians am
er little shy in dat 'spect. Dey stan UP in
meeting an tells OBJ all de good things
dat Gawd hab fer dem an, dey say dat dey
wants dem SO much, and dey advises de
sinner man ter come an take dem, an den
dey closes dar marks by saying, I knew
de Lord will glib me enuf grace ter keep
me sinless an l would like ter hab it. but
Use only er poah weak mohtal: de flesh
am weak an I loses nah temper, an L
sw'ars an l sins ebery day.
"Belubed, h,t- me tole yo sumfin-dat am
er mighty poor way ter invite sinners ter
kin keep yo' straight an yo' want ter be
kept straight wy doan yo' let Him do itT
1t amt His fault dat yo' doan lib up ter
yer 'fession. 1t am yer fault an 1t am all
case yo' lack faith in de power OBJ de Lord
ter keep yo' eben in der midst OBJ tempta-
tions. The cracking OBJ er chicken at
twelve er clock on er dark night would
knock wat little faith yo' hab all ter pieces.
Dts so, an yo' know 1t.
"Ah, NAH brudders. we all think we am
smart. We am 'clined ter think dat we
know it all, but we doan'. We am got er
whole lot ter rarn yet, but Use terribly
feard dat some OBJ us will be swallered up
in our ig'rance an be los foreber. In de
words of nah favorite poet
I'VE could learn whole lot of things,
But we won't.
I,eas' we think know 1t all,
But don't;
Some day, some time,
Somewhar, somehow,
Wen know er whole lot Of things
Dat we don't know now.
Vas will"