The Washington herald., 1912-12-22

gatherin' there ben nigh a hundred, big
an little. presint-"
And she gave US all cake and can
dy and lemonade with ice in it, a
wOman's mellow voice called out.
The heads OF the congregation went
round IN the direction of the voice. and
a large number of rolling black eyes
stared at the school teacher. whose
comely brown face showed that deepen
ing Of tint which is the same as an
ARglo-SaXon's blush. Teacher" had
been educated at Tuskegee and was sus-
pected Of being "biggity."
The chairman gave her a gloomy nod.
No doubt, my sistah, hankerin' ayfter
de flesh-pots of Egypt done fotch some
po' sinnahs t de altar. I amt compIf:~ =
in of de carnil an CarniferoUs food she
done give us, but of de spitichul nu'ish-
ment ! new did see a mo'ner Tollin' on
dis flo whist Sist Humphreys ben yere
Veal ben thirstin' an famishin To- a
good OI-time revival. But We enjured
ontwel one day de glory come on Br'er
Pope. an he hOllered-tryIn to HC us
all up-'Amen. Amen, Let de sinner quit
sinnin' an he shall be saved An dat ar
woman she call out. Yes: let i'm, quit
sinnin. Let i'm quit sellin' of aiEs to
hen" Dat ar remark incinerated faI-c
an wicked notions bout Inc AIiCk g.
who lives nigh de cunneIs chicken-yard.
a solitary siggle from the school-mis-
tressJ she done fa'Iy rar an charge
bout. chicken-stealin Dat amt pro
motin' edderfication nor good feeIin'"
'Groans Of assent from deeply interest
cd audienceD But mex Sabbath come
wuss. She done announce she ben
ng.WU#
on de Ten Comma ndments Well. we-aIl
done look dem commandments up
an study on dem a heap. We felt
tol'ablc 50 ure on de Fust an Second.
she lumnin dem togedder 20 one out at
preachin: an we sat back easy. hopin'
70 grace an true religion: but she jes
slued roun' on to con njure-cha' ms an
such. invagin' aE'in' dem twell We got
all de devotional feelin' plumb squoze
outen US. Third Commandmint We
natchelly didn't eEpec' no harm Of; but
ayfter de fust godly words bout profane
sw arin' ef she didn't git on to false
swarm beco' -.e gran jury. bout crap
shootin', ct git Is all terrible oncomfort-
able. Mex command she didn't ben
sound on. sayin a heap bout washin'
up in tubs Satiddy nights. an tew little
bout de spitiChUI ovservat ton OF the
holy day: an come down hard on
respected brother who sayd once, I
isn't to wash in winter an sayd bad
wuds bout sisters dat went visitin' Sat
tidy evenins. stidder washin up ready
TO de holy day: sayd some sisters ne
did wash de po' little tricks shirts, ies'
taken a new hour-saCk an cut holes
in it. She talked like dat ontwel
it ben righ ondeccnt and onchristian: an
one sister dat'S sUbjrC' 10 fits DrOvlden-
Chelly done rOwed on an bruk uD de
meetin'. But veal surter done sDunk
up on de Fif Comma ndment: looked lax
hit ben sho' harmless: an VIC done fotCh
de chillen 10 learn deir juty to DER
parents. Well. dey sho' got 4, But den
she done scorched de PARENTS nightly
bout de 'Z4mple dey ben 'blecged to set
de chillen. Dat ar ben a fearful. suf-
ferin hour. an I new did see dis yo
congregation so dry an havin' to = II
out de pump so often. Dcy went by
whole families: an befo' she BEN frow
mighty nigh ever las chill ben taken
outside We didn't dast let EN- see how
it, (Groans all over the house) 'She
nigh bust de -iu'ch on de Sixth Com
mandmint wild outrageous rema'ks on
razors. An next Sunday comes de
Seventh Commandmint, an we amt 40
wise willin' to enjure her handlin' f
dat nohow." deep groans of assent from
brothers and sisters aIike.) Nor de
Eight neider." CNo, no." from the seat
of Uncle Alexander Popel 'wust is. de
Ongodly outside. de Methodists an de
cullud folks from dc Ridge, is fixin' to
come over an see we-all ripped up. De
chuich house ben plumb full over Sab
hath. an we-aIl don dast stay way, not
KNOWN what sCandillous stories will be
circumlated." C'Dats so!'' ''Holp,
Lord!'' from earnest souls in the audi
ence) IAN de chu'ch is losin' Of mem
bers. Bruddah Dan Williams done moved
away" Ono, sab, no, he amt; he ben
sent to de pen.'O Il didn't say how come
he moved, Brudder Carroll; he are gone.
Unc' Jim Hollis done 'baBdon his crop.
Aunt Caledonia Ray Ief' las week count
of injur'us reflections bout a mince pie
she done mix UP by mistake wild de
weeks wash she taken fun de big house
We done pied wild Sist' Humphreys to
quit; but she won't quit Now de cues
tiOn am: How shill We git saved fom
Sist Humphreys an git n preacher will
preach religion-an' muffin else?"
Amid deep hum of applause Broth
er Morrow sat down. Half dozen
voices begged for attention: but the
chair recognized Sister Susannah Belle
Coffin. Sister Susannah was OF exceed
ing comeliness and light brown COM
plexion. II report spake truly there was
no one in Zion who had more reason
to dread a fearless and minute exposi-
tion OF the demands of the Seventh COM
mandment. She had started her career
as a destroyer of domestic peace with
a capital of good looks, a gift for cook
cry, a voice of silver. and two small un-
children. a single pusson
like me wild no chillen," would be her
plaiutiye excuse for demanding the good