FullReads

As the week passed on, some of the older men of the congregation who had friendly feelings toward their old companion and preacher talked the matter over among themselves, and afterward, with many of their fellow-members, succeeded at last in gaining the general consent that Uncle Pete should be allowed a chance to explain himself, and give his grounds and reasons for his astounding statement in regard to womankind. If he could show biblical authority for this, of course nothing more could be said. But if he could not, then he must get down from the pulpit, and sit for the rest of his life on a back seat of the church. This proposition met with the more favor, because even those who were most indignant had an earnest curiosity to know what the old man would say for himself.

During all this time of angry discussion, good old Peter was quietly and calmly cutting and hauling wood on the Little Mountain. His mind was in a condition of great comfort and peace, for not only had he been able to rid himself, in his last sermon, of many of the hard thoughts concerning women that had been gathering themselves together for years, but his absence from home had given him a holiday from the harassments of Aunt Rebecca’s tongue, so that no new notions of woman’s culpability had risen within him. He had dismissed the subject altogether, and had been thinking over a sermon regarding baptism, which he thought he could make convincing to certain of the younger members of his congregation.

He arrived at home very late on Saturday night, and retired to his simple couch without knowing anything of the terrible storm which had been gathering through the week, and which was to burst upon him on the morrow. But the next morning, long before church time, he received warning enough of what was going to happen. Individuals and deputations gathered in and about his cabin–some to tell him all that had been said and done; some to inform him what was expected of him; some to stand about and look at him; some to scold; some to denounce; but, alas! not one to encourage; nor one to call him “Brudder Pete,” that Sunday appellation dear to his ears. But the old man possessed a stubborn soul, not easily to be frightened.

“Wot I says in de pulpit,” he remarked, “I’ll ‘splain in de pulpit, an’ you all ud better git ‘long to de chu’ch, an’ when de time fur de sarvice come, I’ll be dar.”

This advice was not promptly acted upon, but in the course of half an hour nearly all the villagers and loungers had gone off to the church in the woods; and when Uncle Peter had put on his high black hat, somewhat battered, but still sufficiently clerical looking for that congregation, and had given something of a polish to his cowhide shoes, he betook himself by the accustomed path to the log building where he had so often held forth to his people. As soon as he entered the church he was formally instructed by a committee of the leading members that before he began to open the services, he must make it plain to the congregation that what he had said on the preceding Sunday about every woman being possessed by seven devils was Scripture truth, and not mere wicked nonsense out of his own brain. If he could not do that, they wanted no more praying or preaching from him.

Uncle Peter made no answer, but, ascending the little pulpit, he put his hat on the bench behind him where it was used to repose, took out his red cotton handkerchief and blew his nose in his accustomed way, and looked about him. The house was crowded. Even Aunt Rebecca was there.

After a deliberate survey of his audience, the preacher spoke: “Brev’eren an’ sisters, I see afore me Brudder Bill Hines, who kin read de Bible, an’ has got one. Ain’t dat so, Brudder?”

Bill Hines having nodded and modestly grunted assent, the preacher continued. “An’ dars’ Ann’ Priscilla’s boy, Jake, who ain’t a brudder yit, though he’s plenty old ‘nuf, min’, I tell ye; an’ he kin read de Bible, fus’ rate, an’ has read it ter me ober an’ ober ag’in. Ain’t dat so, Jake?”

Jake grinned, nodded, and hung his head, very uncomfortable at being thus publicly pointed out.

“An’ dar’s good ole Aun’ Patty, who knows more Scripter dan ennybuddy h’yar, havin’ been teached by de little gals from Kunnel Jasper’s an’ by dere mudders afore ’em. I reckin she know’ de hull Bible straight froo, from de Garden of Eden to de New Jerus’lum. An’ dar are udders h’yar who knows de Scripters, some one part an’ some anudder. Now I axes ebery one ob you all wot know de Scripters ef he don’ ‘member how de Bible tells how our Lor’ when he was on dis yearth cas’ seben debbils out o’ Mary Magdalum?”

A murmur of assent came from the congregation, Most of them remembered that.

“But did enny ob you ebber read, or hab read to you, dat he ebber cas’ ’em out o’ enny udder woman?”

Negative grunts and shakes of the head signified that nobody had ever heard of this.

“Well, den,” said the preacher, gazing blandly around, “all de udder women got ’em yit.”

A deep silence fell upon the assembly, and in a few moments an elderly member arose. “Brudder Pete,” he said, “I reckin you mought as well gib out de hyme.”