The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-01-31

for regular prayer meeting services
in the little Baptist church in a GER
tain cotton mill ,,illage in South Ca~-
DINA. Just lew yards away was
a handsome school building with a
large hall upstairs, which was used
for various purposes. On this par
ticular night the Devil mad it rented
and had made great preparations for
a fashionable dance.
For long time he had been plot
ting and planning how he might best
manage the little band of worshipe-:s
who so faithfully attended the little
church every Wednesday night. He
had been trying with all his might to
disband them, but while there We're
some whom he could approach with
impunity, there we're a few-two or
three good sisters, two or three
brethren and especially one old gray
haired deacon, whom the Devil was
actually afraid to tackle.
This old dea'on was one Of the
Devils most powerful enemies. For
wears and years he had been night
watchman for the mill and seldom
missed a church service. Many Of
the church members could be tempt
ed to stay at home, and were often
absent from services, offering the
fimsiest kind Of excuses. But this
old mal who had mora reasonable
excuses, offered none, and nearly al
ways and at his own expense hired
some one to take his place an hour
or two, whenever the Baptist church
bell rang for services.
Tonight the Devil had prepared
for a great display Of his power. He
had exa~ted all his energies to make
the dance a great success, his one
chief ambition being to so disturb
the church services that any thing
like worship would simply be impos-
sible,
He had been all over the village
with invitations to the dance; some
we're a little backward at first about
accepting, but having left his hoofs,
horns and tail at home and being in
the guise of handsome young man,
the Devil soon persuaded them that
a little recreation was absolutely nee
essary to their we'll being; that if
they persisted in dragging out such
a dull slow, dead existence all work
and no play-that they would soon
be physical wrecks and fill premature
graves. "To live long, one must en-
joy living,' he argued.
In this way members Of the diff
~ferent churches were caught like flies
in a SPIDERS web, and persuaded to
sanction the dance by their presence,
while the Devil laughed triumphant
". All! wouldn't he show these
canting Christians who had most pow
er on earth, light or darknessY
Wouldn't he elothe the churches IN
sack cloth and ashes and make that
sanity parson across the street hang
his head in shame? Ha! ha! Would
MT it be nice if prayer should hap
pen to he offered by that stubbor
old deacon, to drown his voice in the
noise of fildling and dancing and the
calls for cotillion.
But. In his great ambition to
make the dance crownlng success
and to make himself recognized as
the greatest power on earth. the Devil
made the very common mistake OF
over reaching himself. He had dis:
tributed lots Of medicine that was
labeled "O-be-joyful,' a well-k1own,
tried and true remedy, recommended
for faint heants and pricking conscl-
ences; in his haste ne failed to give
proper directions for use, with the
result that the fddlers took an over
dose and instead Of playing the part
assigned them, were quietly sleeping
at home: while the Devil in his rage
and disappointment used some very
indiscreet language Many left the
hall thoroughly disguised and went
back home. or to church, thankful
for a narrow escape: while some
stayed On, not caring to Go either.
Recognizing his defeat, the Devil
decided to attend prayer meeting
himself. 1t might be that he could
find something to do there, and he
was anxious to know what would be
said about him, any way. So he
started to the church soliloquizlng:
eff it had all turned out as [ had
planned; if those fool fiddlers had
not gone beyond the bounds Of reas-