hed, and rather liked
it, but never before had their minds received such a shock as when the
preacher announced the subject of his discourse. He did not take any
particular text, for this was not his custom, but he boldly stated that
the Bible declared that every woman in this world was possessed by seven
devils; and the evils which this state of things had brought upon the
world he showed forth with much warmth and feeling. Subject-matter,
principally from his own experience, crowded in upon his mind, and he
served it out to his audience hot and strong. If his deductions could
have been proved to be correct, all women were creatures who, by reason
of their seven-fold diabolic possession, were not capable of independent
thought or action, and who should in tears and humility place themselves
absolutely under the direction and authority of the other sex.

When he approached the conclusion of his sermon, Brother Peter closed
with a bang the Bible, which, although he could not read a word of it,
always lay open before him while he preached, and delivered the
concluding exhortation of his sermon.

"Now, my dear brev'ren ob dis congregation," he said, "I want you to
understan' dat dar's nuffin in dis yer sarmon wot you've jus' heerd ter
make you think yousefs angels. By no means, brev'ren; you was all brung
up by women, an' you've got ter lib wid' em, an ef anythin' in dis yer
worl' is ketchin', my dear brev'ren, it's habin debbils, an' from wot
I've seen ob some ob de men ob dis worl' I 'spect dey is persest ob
'bout all de debbils dey got room fur. But de Bible don' say nuffin
p'intedly on de subjec' ob de number ob debbils in man, an' I 'spec'
dose dat's got 'em--an' we ought ter feel pow'ful thankful, my dear
brev'ren, dat de Bible don' say we all's got 'em--has 'em 'cordin to
sarcumstances. But wid de women it's dif'rent; dey's got jus' sebin, an'
bless my soul, brev'ren, I think dat's 'nuff.

"While I was a-turnin' ober in my min' de subjec' ob dis sarmon, dere
come ter me a bit ob Scripter wot I heerd at a big preachin' an'
baptizin' at Kyarter's Mills, 'bout ten year' ago. One ob de preachers
was a-tellin' about ole mudder Ebe a-eatin' de apple, and says he: De
sarpint fus' come along wid a red apple, an' says he: You gib dis yer to
your husban', an' he think it so mighty good dat when he done eat it he
gib you anything you ax him fur, ef you tell him whar de tree is. Ebe,
she took one bite, an' den she frew dat ap