The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-12-25

! shuddered anil exclaimed: "Jcsus,
Nlar$tcr, TEX me way frum blue gum
niggcr!'
'Rut tne' Ned sho' kin beat him
Ter all dat,' said Aunt Keziah to an
attentive thrcn%, for Aunt Keziah
was kn"wn tn have powers herself,
and had even been suspected of put
ting "kunGcr halls' in other women s
beds to cause them to lose the affec-
tons of their husbands.
A platform had been erected in the
midst of the log seats and the "sacra-
mentious nigger,' by courtesy, came
first. The pickaninnies had sucked
themselves to sleep, and the congre-
CATION held its breath. The stranger
looked in pity upon the assembled
happy people, then rose in the dignity
of his mysterious and iIl-boding blue
gums, he swayed them with allegorical
illusions, which they did not under
stand, pompously citing book and
page; then long and unfamiliar words
rolled off his tongue rs easily as
from a newly-oiled pendulum. The
audience was carried beyond itself.
That it did not understand, it was all
the more charmed.
"Philosophy," shouted the spirited
orator, "shall encircle the universal
plan! There is no depth it shall not
reach. nor mystery it shall not
fathom! Wonder-workers shall sink
away in the sunlight of it's day and
their works shall die with them!'
And Aunt Keziah exclaimed: "Dis
eddicated niggcr he call Unc' Ned
wunderer wucker. What dat7 You
knows bredderin an sistcrin dat Unc'
Ned amt no wunderer-wuckcr. Dat
wusscr den kunjurcr!'
The hoodocs in the back ground
snorcd. for they understood enough
to know that this smnoth-tungucd,
bluc.2nmmcd stranger WAS striving to
sweep away their strun9hclds.
Time was called rn t!c eloquent
kun jurcr. and the great man took his
seat. But alas! in tie grandeur of
"nr s"lf-im!'orlancc the preacher had
forgotten The main thin"---to impress
"thc mnurncrs. And "thc mourn
crs' SET like stncks. gaping in open
mnuthcd and fri2id wander. The new
preacher had not even cxhnrted them
not to "kick AGAINST the pricks' nor
tn "qucnch the spirit" Too late the
bluc-9ummcd orator saw that the
monrncrs' benches were empty. for
the mourncrs did not understand.
The Brcr Enik and Brcr Lige-I
Amt Kcziah said they we're named
after EDEN two mems in de scripter
dat was trancclatcred "-rose up and
called up Uncle Ned.
Uncle Ned, overcome by the gran
diloquencc of the stranger, felt that
this was the occasion of his life. These
were his chosen people; here he was
born and bred: cold Marse" trusted
him like he was white. and "Miss'
had given him cold Marse IS" broad
cloht suit. And should limberton-
gucd blue-gummcd stranger-"a
common free nigger''-wrest his hon
ors from him without a mighty ef-
fort ? Uncle Ned knew his people. Re-
mcmbcrine the victories Of the past,
won without question, he placed his
Bible lin which he could read no let
tor or linc) under his arm before
mounting the platform, and drew the
mysterious Ito the nc"rocs) little blue
book from out Of his BOSOM.
"Dat plce-tckkcd free nieecr got
cr bigger Bible den Vnc' Ned" whis-
pcrcd Aunt KcZiah to mauma and
Rrcr Enik and Brcr Lice. "but Unc'
Ned sho. gwi' narlizc i'm wild dc lit
Tie blue book.'
"Dc stranoc ni""cr hc mck or
powerful showdown" whispered
Rrcr Fnik to mHuma behind the rude
nrl"it. "hut TTnc' Mods little blue
hook. shn' nwi' strnn"l" Dis sacrament
iious ni"orr. Fur hain't Tnr' Ned
dun rrnwcd "lc an1' frchlc etcddvin
Nv hit 80
Rnt Irnclc Nod had lai1 his Bible
unon The sIand with 'hc 'i'tlc blue
book upon it. orcn at The first PAGE.
BE il far from tie chronirlcr Of
those simple aNnals in this tim" of nm
belief. scoffinm. and doubt Of every
thing, to analyzc or even question the
theology OF Uncle Ncd~alheit his