Cayton's weekly. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1916-1921, 1918-05-11
THE SNAKE DID 1T

a.
the pigeon wing just as slick as twenty
year-old lad. Round dancing was unknown
to the anti-bellum plantation colored folks of
the South and especially of Mississippi, but
at qlladrilles Old Virginia reel and buck and
wing dancing they were to the manor born
But to see a woman Of Aunt Nancy's age do
ing those dances as charmingly as did a young
gal just sixteen and apparently without tire,
was not only very unusual, but rather miracu-
lolls.
AS generally pleasing as she was young and
old seemed inclined to the belief that she was
possessed of the bad man. when she would
cut some of her most fancy steps at the Satur-
day night hops; and once she almost broke
up the party when she called for a tumbler
filled with water and. after placing it on her
head danced through the first call of the
quadrille without either holding it or vast
ing a drop Of the water Such feats had been
done before by young missus, but never by
one in cOOred circles and g it shO' was great
Uncle Nose. Aunt Nancy's husband, who was
about ten years her senior, had long since
been converted, joined the church, had been
baptized and yet in the faith. Dancing in his
sight was as sinful as fishing on Sunday and
that was saying great deal. Men and wo-
men who attended dances, as he saw it, were
not exactly criminals, but second cousins to
them, and yet he loved his wife very dearly
in spite of her faults. Happening to be pres
cnt on the occasion of her dancing through
part of the quadrle with tumbler of water
on her head he grinned like chessy cat and
turned to their young lady daughter and ex-
claimed, Sis, how Nancy kin dance.'
If there one sin in the eyes Of the
Anticipated colored folks that was absolutely
certain of landing one into that lake of brim-
stone and fire, better known as hell, it was
the sin of dancing and that was especially
true Of the persons so old that they already
had one foot in the grave, fguratively speak
ING. and so when the elders and the Ziden
elders (presidng elders) held their tracted
efforts in the neighborhood where Aunt
Nancy lived, they seemed to choose their texts
and direct their most ''powerful sermons'' at
Aunt Nancy .Johnsing, hoping to throw her
under conviction, for it would be bright
star in the crown of him who brought such
a sinner to the mourners bench and, perhaps,
into the church.
Aunt Nancy was more or less masculine in
her makeup. so much so that she did not even
fear Il mouse on the floor. She however had
weak spot, she was MORALLY afraid of a
snake. and could be run into the river with
slX-lnch dead garter snake in the hands OF
another, and she was frequently imposed upon
by persons who knew of her awful horror Of
a snake But it remained for Elder Hardy,
who had been told of her weakness to preach
a snake sermon, apparently for her especial
benefit. Now Elder Hardy was one Of those
soul stirring preachers who, when he had
thoroughly warmed up to his subject, could
make the old church reel and rock like ship
in choppy sea. He took for text on this
occasion, ''And the serpent tempted Eve and
Eve tempted Adam to eat Of the forbidden
fruit For two hours he depicted the SER
pent as the most repulsive of all living things
and the root of all evil. If man did not bruise
the serpent head he committed sin and
might be punished by great balls of snakes
devouring him. 1t was very apparent that
Aunt Nancy was visibiy affected by the SER
mon and as the tears stole down her cheeks
the Elder put on more steam and the brethren
and sisters bore him up with their amens and
in such plaintive mOurns that it made the