An', sah, I feels mighty penitent an'
promisin', I does; I'm gwine to make a stick of it dis time. It's
resky to go changin' about from one fold to the other like I'se been
doin'; a man might die between, an' then where is he?'
"'But how about this swap to the Baptist church?' I asks. 'I thought
you tells me how the Methodist religion is full of sunshine that a-
way.'
"'So I does, sah,' says Tom; 'so I does, word for word, like you
remembers it. But I don't know d' entire story then. The objections
I has to d' Mefodis' is them 'sperience meetin's they holds. They
'spects you to stan' up an' tell 'em about all yo' sins, an 'fess
all you've been guilty of endoorin' yo' life! Now, sech doin's tu'ns
out mighty embarrassin' for a boy like Tom, who's been a-livin' sort
o' loose an' lively for a likely numbah of years, sah, an' I
couldn't stan' it, sah! I'm too modes' to be a Mefodis'. So I
explains an' 'pologizes to d' elders, then I shins out for d'
Baptis' folks next door. An' it's all right. I'm at peace now: I'm
in d' Baptis' chu'ch, sah. You go inter d' watah, kersause! an' that
sets yo' safe in d' love of d' Lamb.'"
Following these revelations of my friend concerning the jaunty
fashion in which the "boy Tom" wore his religion as well as his
name, I maintained a respectful silence for perhaps a minute, and
then ventured to seek a new subject.
Pages:
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351