"Now, you Jim," said Susan, "you's been to school, an' you kin count up
figgers. 'Cordin' ter de chu'ch books dar's forty-seben women b'longin'
to our meetin', an' ef each one ob dem dar has got seben debbils in her,
I jus' wants you ter tell me how many debbils come to chu'ch ebery clear
Sunday ter hear dat ole Uncle Pete preach."
This view of the case created a sensation, and much interest was shown
in the result of Jim's calculations, which were made by the aid of a
back of an old letter and a piece of pencil furnished by Susan. The
result was at last announced as three hundred and nineteen, which,
although not precisely correct, was near enough to satisfy the company.
"Now, you jus' turn dat ober in you all's minds," said Susan. "More'n
free hunderd debbils in chu'ch ebery Sunday, an' we women fotchin 'em.
Does anybody s'pose I'se gwine ter b'lieve dat fool talk?"
A middle-aged man now lifted up his voice and said: "Ise been thinkin'
ober dis h'yar matter and Ise 'cluded dat p'r'aps de words ob de
preacher was used in a figgeratous form o' sense. P'r'aps de seben
debbils meant chillun."
These remarks were received with no favor by the assemblage.
"Oh, you git out!" cried Susan. "Your ole woman's got seben chillun,
shore 'nuf, an' I s'pec' dey's all debbils.
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