The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-09-13

Streak q lean when / Was Damboozled
by 4 lawyer into buEin' gold mine.
I've KEEP that hole ever since an palo
taxes ont to prove to myself Jest no"
big fool a man can be an live.
1--WE never wronged nobody nor done
much prayin, an when the Almighty
calls ME think I'll stand jest as good
:. chance O. gittin' a harp as those
whose done more ont. The worst
skinnin l ever got was done by this
ere lawyer who never sot down TO
meals 'thout askin' blessin', an meb-
be that's the reason I'm scoffer. I've
observed q good deal since left the
old farm, an have come to the bellef
that thars 4 sucker born every mint
and two ter ketch him. When I was
young took hold O. the big end o the
log an did the liftn', but now take
hold q the little end an do the grunt-
in. Thar's one thing I've larned, an
lancd it for sartin, an that is thar's
few people in this world that cut
ham in the middle. Most on 'em cut
few slices an cut 'em thin
Among the Southport islanders Un-
Gle Terry was considered an odd stick,
and yet one who would so out Of his
way to do a good turn to others. He
was seldom seen at church, though his
wife aIu Telly usually were. AS be
once remarked: "It's good thing for
'em, cause it takes up thar mind an
is more sociable, though prayin' allus
seems to me a good deal like a man
tryin' to lift himself by his boot straps.
1t keeps him busy, though, an It's
healthy exercise"
In spite Of his investment IN mine
he had been frugal and owned most
of the land between the village and
the point ana was also Joint owner,
with two other men, in small trad
ing schooner that made semimonthly
trips between the Cape and Boston.
She carried fish, claD1s, Holsters, hay
and potatoes and fetched an "all sorts
cargo useful to the islanders, from a
naper Of needles to hogshead OF mo-
lasses.
The most pronounced characteristic
Of Uncle Terry was his unfailing good
humor, tinged with a mild sarcasm.
he loved his fellow men and yet en-
loved nuncturing their small conceits,
but so droll was his way Of doing 1t
that no one felt the sting. To Bascom,
who kept the only store and also post
office at the Cape and dearly loved to
hear himself talk, Uncle Terry once
said: you've got the greatest gift OF
CAB ever heerd, Bascom, an you
could "a made your fortin In the show
business. But II you're ever took with
religion the hull island II turn indd-
die"
And, again, when Deacon Oaks, the
leader at all prayer meetings, assured
him how great blessing religion was
and how much he enjoyed divine serV-
ice, Uncle Terry answered: "Your tax
in the lead at meetin's IS blessin' to
the rest, for none Of 'em has to worry
pOuC "uO gum w opS<iA AS-S -A~s
know you're allus ready"
In this connection it must be stated
that the spiritual life Of Southport was
Of primitive description. The small
unpainted church at the Cape, above
which hung dipinutive bell, was the
only place Of worship, and to this every
other Sunday came a minister from the
mainland. 1t was furnished with long
wooden settees, and small cottage Or
gan graced the platform, upon which
an antique desk did duty as pulpit and
a storage place for hymn books. -Four
wall bracket lamps lighted this room
for evening service. and their usually
smoky chimneys lent depressing ef-
feet to all eXhortation. Mandy Oaks
presided at the organ and turned gos-
pei hymns into wheezy and rather long
drawn out melodies. Most Of the audi.
ence tried to chase the tunes along and
imagined they were singing, which per-
haps is all that is necessary. On the
Sundays between the minister's visits
only evening services were held and ev-
cry Thursday evening prayer meet
ing. 1t was on these latter occasions
that Deacon Oaks was in conspicuous
evidence The Widow Leach, a poor
unfortunate woman who had seen bet
ter days and in whose poverty stricken
life religion was the only consolation,
was also prominent, and her testimony,
ulyarying in tenor as the tunes played
by Mandy, helped to fill out the serv-
ice.
Its lucky the widows sure O lots
O happiness in the next world OBJ
served Uncle Terry once. for she amt
gittin' much in this.
Il can't hear Oaks, though, 'thout
thinkin' O Deacon Rogers up in VOL
colt, who never mentioned the ueed O
rain till he'd got his hay in. He was a
sly fox an allus thanked the Lord for
sendin rain nights an Sundays so the
poor hired man could rest.
Il used to have him held up as o
shinin' example, but he opened my eyes
arter I began dickerin' By sellin' me a
lot O eggs that had been sot on two
weeks, an the store man sold 'em to
never trusted me ag'in. Twas case
O. the ungodly sufferin' for the sins O
the righteous that time, which may be
q peryarsion O Scripture. but the truth
just the same.
But got a little comfort finally,
for when the deacon died, by some in
advartance the choir sang Praise God,
From Whom All Blessin's Flow an
want the only one who felt that way
either
In spite Of Uncle Terry's mildly ia
yored shafts Of sarcasm he made no
enemies, and his kind heart and ster-
ling honesty were respected far and
near. He was considered doubter
ond cEontic md thonph seldom seen