The Deacon of Dobbinsville | Page 8

ain't fit to run
at large. Why, he told Aunt Sally Perkins that he was wholly sanctified
and that his heart was just as pure as that of his little baby that died
years ago when Jake lived over on Persimmon Ridge. He talks a whole
lot now about goin' to meet his baby and his mother and he seems to
get so happy every time he talks about it." Jones's voice trembled
slightly as he went on to say, "But brethering, it makes me feel most
wonderfully queer when I hear Jake talk about meetin' his little girl. He
seems to have no doubt at all about meetin' her, and say, you remember
my little boy died the same fall as Jake's little girl, and to tell the truth
I'm just a little fearful at times about bein' ready to meet little George."
Deacon Gramps listened to all of this from Jones rather restlessly. He
spoke next with great gravity. "Brethering, since I am president of this
Board of Deacons I feel it my duty to take steps to see that this new
religion is stopped and that Mount Olivet Church is not torn to pieces.
As I said, I have been deacon here for many years and I have never
seen the church so in danger. Something must be done. I'll tell you
what we need, we need a preacher--one of our very best ones to come
here and fight this devilish holiness stuff."
"That's what we need, we must wipe holiness out," responded Brown,
as he let go a sluice of tobacco juice.
Gramps continued, "Just today I had a letter from a cousin of mine back
in Kentucky. He says they have a wonderful preacher back there by the
name of Preacher Bonds. He says this Preacher Bonds feels a special
call to fight holiness. I tell you, brethering, if we could get him here we
would make it hot for old Benton and his bunch."
"We would that," Jones chimed in.

"Brother Gramps, why don't you write and ask Preacher Bonds to
come?" suggested Brown. "Although the other two members of the
Board are not here, I think we just as well go ahead."
"Better bring it before the church," said Gramps, "because we've got to
raise some money to get him."
Brown and Jones both agreed that Gramps was right in this respect.
With the understanding that Deacon Gramps was to call a meeting of
the church at the earliest possible date, the three men separated.
Gramps spent the entire following day riding about the community
giving every member of Mount Olivet a personal notification that a
special meeting of the church would be held on the following
Wednesday evening for the purpose of considering grave problems
concerning the church. Wednesday evening came; practically the whole
church responded. When the appointed hour arrived, Gramps was on
the spot. On every face was written expectancy. Deacon Gramps
presided of course. He arose from his seat, flung his quid of tobacco out
of the window, squared himself against the pulpit, adjusted his
eyeglasses near the point of his nose, and looking over them he
addressed the assembly thus: "My brethering and sistern, we have met
as members of the grand old Mount Olivet Church. Here in this church
our fathers met. Here in this church our mothers met. Here in this
church our grandfathers met. Here in this church our grandmothers met.
Here in this church, my brethering, we have met. And let me say to you,
my dear people, that we have met here tonight in this church for a
purpose. There are certain people in this community whose aim is to
tear up this church; certain people, I say, whose aim is to tear down this
church. There is a certain doctring--the doctring of holiness--getting
into this community. This holiness doctring, my friends, is a devilish
doctring, my brethering, and must be wiped out." (Amens all over the
house.)
All this the Deacon said, and much more. He began his speech with
considerable warmth of utterance, but as he progressed in praises of
Mount Olivet and her faith he waxed hotter and hotter until his
spellbound hearers were fairly deluged in a mighty avalanche of his

rustic oratory, and he wound up with the sweeping statement that the
doctrine of holiness must be abolished from the face of the earth.
When the Deacon had finished, and regained breath enough to put the
matter to a vote, it was unanimously voted that Preacher Bonds should
be secured at the earliest date possible.
CHAPTER VI
A year had rolled around since Jake Benton had been converted down
in the hills. By this time it was plain to all unbiased minds that Benton
was indeed earnest. Even his most