Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-08-17
osEpIAH PooRDEvIL's PRAYER
Wanted Explanation Of Things He
Could Not Understand.

Wanted Explanation Of Things He
Could Not Understand.
Obediah Poordevil was n of those
easy going people who attended to
his own business and had but little to
say to anyone. His education was
acquired by jerks in n Of the little
| old fashioned log sc~hoolhouses. a
sample Of which we find yet in some
of the new settlements Of the south
western states. He seldom attended
church, but when he did he wore such
q solemn look that 1t excited the sus-
/ picion that he possessed religion. Act
ing upon this suspicion n day old
Deacon Twentypercent invited him to
pray. Obediah said he didn't have
words enough to pray and they must
excuse him. But old Deacon Twenty
percent and Deacon Skinfint told him
he didn't have to a words, the
Lord would furnish them; all he had
to do was to get down on his knees
and open his heart and the Lord would
put words in his mouth to express his
feelings.
For out Of the abundance Of the
heart the mouth %speaketh," said Twen-
typercent. Obediah said he'd try 1t a
lick anyhow and having placed him.
self in the proper attitude he poured
out his heart in the following man
ner:
"Oh, Lord, they tell me that you
will give me words to express the
feelings Of my heart. o. Lord. send
'em down right now for I've got a lot
to say. o, Lord, I'll tell you who I
am and maybe you won't want to lis
ten to me, for l am poor and haven't
got much education, I'm just plain
| Obediah Poordevil. l haven't been a
very bad sinner nor a very good Chris
tian. o, Lord, maybe I'm wrong;
nearly everybody is going to the devil
or else l am. Maybe l haven't got the
| right kind of Bible, but it's just like old
Deacon Twentypercent's. o. Lord, l
want to know about a whole lot Of
things; I want to know who you made
this earth for anyhow? My Bible says
this earth Is the Lords Inc the full
ness thereof" but old Deacon Twenty
percent claims to own half Of this
township and us P~oordevils that do the
work have to pay them for the fullness
thereof. o, Lord, l want to know II
he pays it over to you? l don't think
he does, for l seer him sell it and put
the money in the bank where he loans
1t out for a percent. o, Lord, / want
to know If you didn't make a mistake
when you commanded the people not
to collect usury from their brethren.
| Somebody is mistaken and IL you
mean what you said, some people who
| stand mighty high in this community
are going t o hell sure and this church
will lose some Of it's mighty pillars.
o, Lord, I want to know If you made
some people to work and some to play;
some to wear fine clothes and some to
go nearly naked; some to drive in fine
| coaches and some to work in the hot
sun every day. I want to know if you
done this on purpose or if these fell
lows are running a bluff on US?
o, Lord, I want to know why we
have to divide up with the fellows that
don't work. 1 want to know why
Deacon Twentypercent lives in a fine
house which he didn't make and have
to live in an old shanty which / had
to make. l want to know why his gals
can go off on excursions with a lot Of
fine haired dudes and not be talked
about, while If mine happens to speak
to a man they are bad medicine. i
want to know, o, Lord, If you meant
what you said when you declared h a
it Is easier for a camel to go through
a needles eye than for a rich man to
enter the kingdom Of heaven? II you
| did I'll tell Sal when I get home. It'll
do her a lot of good. II it is so, there'll
be some disappointed people in this
n%eighborhood, and o, Lord, I want to
know If you have got the same opin-
ion Of lawyers that you had when you
was down here, I don't think they are
any better than they were then
worse If anything.
o, Lord, it's awful hard to serve you
and the deacon both, for your minds
don't seem to run in the same channel,
but I'm going to try it If it busts a
gallus.
And now, o Lord, that haint near all,
but 1 can see the deacon getting rest
less and I amt much on praying any
how, but If they want me TO do 1t again
next month I'll try. I wish you would
send plenty Of rain SO as to help me a
little on that note l owe the deacon for
1 want to get it payed before we both
go to heaven, so therell be no hard
feelings about it and the gals can't
throw it up to me.
o, Lord, I don't know how this is
for a prayer, but they said you would
give me words to say what was in my
heart, and I have just said what
thought, and l hope I haven't hurt no.
body's feelings. Amen.-Greenwood
Index.