The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-15
THE WAYS OF A "PIOUS" LIAR.
BY Rev. r.. I'll. WHITAKER.

Soon after the war, when the color
ed people began to run protracted
meetings, on their own hook, they
had pig revival in Franklin county,
ESQ the story is told) that lasted
week or two, in which time as may be
inferred, the price of chickens went
up nearly or quite hundred per cent.
IN the neighborhood, and eggs could
be had at only fabulous figures. Bue,
IN the language of an old brother,
who reIated the story, they had d
Cd-rouSifiS neetIng, ana, as ne Iur-
lher stated, every niger was there,
'ceptin and saVili Nose Stains,
VINO, although Il member OF that
CHURCH, stayed at home and kept on
at Work, picking out cotton and max
ing sorghum, until the meeting had
well nigh run it's length. Many time
the preacher asked about 'Br'er Mo-
SEES and why he didn't attend
church," but no one seemed to know
anything about him as he lived well
OH from the road. But one night the
preacher went home with 'Br er Pc
ser snow and they concluded they
nieander down toward where Bl' er
Moses" lived, and see what kept him
AT home When they got close to
his cabin they ne4ru the SqdelKing %
IN old cane mill, and slipping up
Title c.oser, Ines saw Or CT Nose,
sister Nose and all the young Moses,
busy at work, grinding cane ana
making sorghum and from the way
"br'er Nose" flew around, the preac.4-
en- conciuded that no niger OF his
age could out-work him.
what a pity" said the preacher to
br'er Peter SNOW, ''bf' Ell Nose goes on
uat way worhin' day an night, ana
and fugettin' hes got to die. L
wouldn't a thought he'd don SO, an
he's so powerful in prayer too, an All
dat"
tioine on home With brother Pc
ter. the matter was further discussed,
..iacii 10 IN dIscrcd.j of 'pr'er Nose.
Next day, the last day of the meet
ing who should drive up TO the meet
ing house but ''br'e: Nose StalllngS
and all the family wagon body fuH
When 'br'er Nose" went into the
nurch he was awkwardly hobbling
on a crutch. made of forked dog
wood. Dropping down on seat as
Heavily as chunk or wood, ana with
a grievance on his face that was IN
tended to impress the brothers ana
sisters with the idea thar he was
81 eat sufferer. he stretched out leg at
lull length, with an "u-m-p-h! :
that would have been heart-rending 10
preacher and congregation had they not
known the old rascal was shammins.
During the sermon the 'u-m-p-h
was frequently repeated, in addition 10
which the old brother went through
the form of shedding tears, when the
terrors of the judgment were REFER
red to. and of putting on sanity smile
when the preacher was speaking of the
beauties and glories of heaven.
After the sermon they had an eXpe-
rience meet ng. When it came time
IL tn or II
witness for the Lord, he reached for
his crutch, placed it firmly on the
floor. groaned piousiy, and then, with
q great effort, arose to his feet. AT
first his feelings so overcame him ne
could not speak, but stood and wiped
his eyes.
Speak out, br'er Stallings,' said the
preacher, and let the brothers and sis
tiers hear how you're getting along.
I'm mighty thankful I'm able to
be here today, brothers and sisters
All de week while de meetin's been
gwine on, and de rest of you's bin
err joicing in de Lawd, Is bin Va rastlin
wild de roomatiZ, in my ole bones. Bul
rs been a prayin' for yer all, and
trustin' i'm de Lawd and rs had de
sweetest time, all to myself, L ever had
in my whole life. Eff / cuddent be
with you here, had de sweetness des
Uc SAINT IOI Ot WI Oiii % iioAf
in me all de week"
HELPING you to bile your 'lasses?'
asked one of the brethren who hap
pened to know that the old brother
had been running his cane mill and
boiling syrup, instead of coming to
church.
The afflicted brother looked as wild
as if he had been shot at from am
bush.
when was you taken wild de roo
matiz br'er Stallins - asked another
brother 81 seed you yistidy mornin
as / was comm to de meetin'- You
was alter some hogs, and from de way
you was runnin / didn't 'spicion you
had de roomatiz.
Dat warnt me, for / Amt been able
to nut one foot fore de other 'dout
my crutch, since last Sunday. But L
see how it is. I'm a poor prosecuted
saint. Somebody's bin tellin' lies on
me-"
THAT may be SO, brother Stallings
you may be prosecuted saint
but as went close home with brother
Peter Snow, last night, said the
preacher, 1--WE passed your house, and
we stopped in the path. almost as
close to your cane mill as am to You,
and we couldn't but notice how spry
you were; and We heard you say you
were maxim the last run and were
coming to meeting today"
Il don't keer if you did hear me say
dat: amt er sham'd of bilin' my las
ses. / made cane. and it had to be
billed. an you had no business havin'
a meetin' de same week | had de bllin,.
I'm gwine to draw outen dis church,
anyhow; for every time 1 cum here i
gifts my feelin's hurt" And out he
marched, forgetting that he had the
'roomatiz' even leaving his dogwood
crutch.
The preacher may not always know
whether excuses which are rendered
by the stay-at-homes, are real and
valid: but the Lord does, and that's
worse for them. s
| once heard an old man say he new
er had-told a lie about staying away
from meeting but he got caught
i'm it, sooner or later. He said the
truth, if turned over and over was
just the same on all sides. but lie
had but one good side, and it was SO
twisting it would turn over and ex-
pose itself.
That's how come brother Stallllngs
to get caught. His "roomatiz' his old
crutch and his Dious talk might have
done very well, if the other side of the
affair had not turned up.