Imperium in Imperio: A Study of the Negro Race Problem | Page 6

a camel to git through de eye of a cambric needle den
fur a rich man to enter de kingdom of heben."
This was one of the parson's favorite texts, and the members all settled
themselves back to have a good "speritual" time.
The preacher began his sermon in a somewhat quiet way, but the
members knew that he would "warm up bye and bye." He pictured all
rich men as trying to get into heaven, but, he asserted, they invariably
found themselves with Dives. He exhorted his hearers to stick to Jesus.
Here he pulled off his collar, and the sisters stirred and looked about
them. A little later on, the preacher getting "warmer," pulled off his
cuffs. The brethren laughed with a sort of joyous jumping up and down
all the while--one crying "Gib me Jesus," another "Oh I am gwine
home," and so on.
One sister who had a white lady's baby in her arms got happy and flung
it entirely across the room, it falling into Mrs. Piedmont's lap, while the
frenzied woman who threw the child climbed over benches, rushed into
the pulpit, and swung to the preacher's neck, crying--"Glory! Glory!
Glory!" In the meanwhile Belton had dropped down under one of the
benches and was watching the proceedings with an eye of terror.
The sermon over and quiet restored, a collection was taken and given to
the pastor. Mrs. Piedmont went forward to put some money on the table
and took occasion to step to the pulpit and invite the pastor to dinner.
Knowing that this meant chicken, the pastor unhesitatingly accepted the
invitation, and when church was over accompanied Mrs. Piedmont and

her family home.
The preacher caught hold of Belton's hand as they walked along. This
mark of attention, esteemed by Belton as a signal honor, filled his little
soul with joy. As he thought of the manner in which the preacher
stirred up the people, the amount of the collection that had been given
him, and the biscuits and chicken that now awaited him, Belton decided
that he, too, would like to become a preacher.
Just before reaching home, according to a preconcerted plan, Belton
and James Henry broke from the group and ran into the house. When
the others appeared a little later on, these two were not to be seen.
However, no question was asked and no search made. All things were
ready and the parson sat down to eat, while the three girls stood about,
glancing now and then at the table. The preacher was very voracious
and began his meal as though he "meant business."
We can now reveal the whereabouts of Belton and James Henry. They
had clambered into the loft for the purpose of watching the progress of
the preacher's meal, calculating at each step how much he would
probably leave. James Henry found a little hole in the loft directly over
the table, and through this hole he did his spying. Belton took his
position at the larger entrance hole, lying flat on his stomach. He poked
his head down far enough to see the preacher, but held it in readiness to
be snatched back, if the preacher's eyes seemed to be about to wander
his way.
He was kept in a state of feverish excitement, on the one hand, by fear
of detection, and on the other, by a desire to watch the meal. When
about half of the biscuits were gone, and the preacher seemed as fresh
as ever, Belton began to be afraid for his promised biscuit and piece of
chicken. He crawled to James Henry and said hastily--"James, dees haf
gone," and hurriedly resumed his watch. A moment later he called out
in a whisper, "He's tuck anudder." Down goes Belton's head to resume
his watch. Every time the preacher took another biscuit Belton called
out the fact to James.
All of the chicken was at last destroyed and only one biscuit remained;

and Belton's whole soul was now centered on that biscuit. In his
eagerness to watch he leaned a good distance out, and when the
preacher reached forth his hand to take the last one Belton was so
overcome that he lost his balance and tumbled out of his hole on the
floor, kicking, and crying over and over again: "I knowed I wuzunt
goin' to git naren dem biscuits."
The startled preacher hastily arose from the table and gazed on the little
fellow in bewilderment. As soon as it dawned upon him what the
trouble was, he hastily got the remaining biscuit and gave it to Belton.
He also discovered that his voracity had made enemies of the rest of the
children, and he very adroitly passed a five cent piece around to each.
James Henry, forgetting his altitude