preacher cowbell (standard:Inspirational stories, 2633 words)
Author: stanley mcqueen kentucky backwoods writer	Added: Apr 19 2007	Views/Reads: 3382/2473	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
backwood theme with some humor

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

was quick to react on the subject of her faith.. Her and pa never seen 
things equal about the lord and things and that never set well to them 
getting along..    I was glad when things cool down some and ma comes 
to herself and paw got up and went and retrieve his supper plate that 
was laying across the creek, maw then gets Cow bell a rag to wipe the 
soap bean off his head..And it was looking like things would returning 
to normal..  Seem like I had lost my appetite with all this fuss, that 
the first time in my life I was anointed with soap beans but I guess 
there is a first time for everything..cow bell declares” then laughter 
broke out and even old stern faced pa joined in the humor,, our supper 
was finished and we all took a setting spell on the porch stoop and 
enjoyed the rest of the evening. after everything got back to normal” 
ma asked? cowbell when his first night of preaching was to be and he 
told her tomorrow night , and she seem please at his answer.. We all 
better head off to bed and get  some shut eye pa suggest , so we all 
settled in for a night sleep, and the next day me and pa had some corn 
planting on a peace of ground that was in site of the shack, and Uncle 
Cow bell takes a chair out under the big oak tree that stand in the 
middle of the yard of our shack, with his big black Bible in his hand , 
pa and me can see him plain from where we are working,, look at that 
lazy uncle of yours ain,t he a site for sore eyes setting there and 
want ever offer  to help us plant corn, I tell you son some men don't 
deserve the grub that slides down there necks. Pa cant stand to see a 
lazy person and he thinks preacher are just not work brickle ..and that 
men who claim to be preacher are men who uses the good book to shun 
work... we notice that his head is slumped some and pa says he has fell 
off to sleep and dropped his bible on the ground beside him, now a days 
work and a cool drink of water would kill that uncle of your graveyard 
dead” pa chuckled” well after tonight meeting we want have to worry 
about him any more because old hank will as sure shoot him as the sun 
shines ‘declared pa” I hope not... he ain.t so bad of person pa he is a 
good preacher and all and has rode that old mule all over the place 
spreading the word to the lord and has done it nigh all his life” I 
remind pa” yes that true but son but that just proves that he is too 
lazy to use them two hands that the lord give him to labor for his grub 
“pa blurts”if I had my way about him I seek the dogs on him and run him 
our of the country , but him being my brother-in-law that has me bound 
“.pa said” pa make out like he hates uncle cow bell but really he just 
goes on and on about him that just how pa is .. He likes to fuss and me 
and ma are use to his ways of being.. The day wore on and we finished 
the corn planting and it come time to get ready for the revival meeting 
and ma got a early supper and we eat and I hitched the mules to the 
corn wagons and put our Sunday go to meeting clothes on and went off 
down the wagon road that leads to the little goose chapel church...pa 
refused to go along because he so mad at Uncle cow bell, and to be 
honest I was sort of scared to go knowing old Hank had threaten uncle 
cow bell.. When we arrive at the church house, many wagon were 
assembled  along side our little slab church that was not much bigger 
than a corn crib,, it would hold about forty people if they all held 
their breaths.. It had a home made build pine alter where cowbells 
would stand and preach and had home made slab benches that was as hard 
as flint stone to set on ..People shook hands and were friendly in the 
lord way and soon we were all seated and the meeting was underway.. My 
slim uncle graced that little pulpit wearing that old black suit coat 
that had been washed so many time in the creek along his way that it 
was slick looking like a ribbon, its good to be here again at little 
good chapel church he begin . Now saints I want you all to just relax 
and listen to the gospel tonight he said, I must warn you that I was 
threaten last spring by a fellow living in these parts that makes 
moonshine whisky and he as promised to kill me if I return to this 
place to preach the Gospel, he says that I have reined his living with 
preaching the gospel .. I am told not to fear what man can do to me he 
explained” I ask for your prayers concerning  this problem .. As you 
set before me this night you are each in danger , the rage and anger of 
this man would cause any good saint to waver his faith ...so at any 
moment he could come threw that door back yonder with a hog rifle and 
began shooting at me ... so if you want you can get up now and 
leave..but I ask you this night where is your faith he asked the 
people? Several people gathered there children and leaf and I cannot 
say I blame them out of fear for there kids and own lives, after the 
lot of the people that left he continues to preach ,, gory be to God he 
shouts some have kept the faith some have believe that God can keep 
them from harm. Some have trusted the almighty for his glory and power 
and the people said amen amen preach on preacher.. I have been chased 
by the mighty bear of these old Kentucky mountain , I have been robbed 
and left for dead on the trail of my ministry..but never have I been 
forsaken by the lord God ... I was tar and feathered on the road from 
little creek county and drove from the mist of whisky making wicked 
men, but I was saved alive by the mighty power of the all mighty 
God..so why should I fear one little old mean moonshiner he asked the 
crowd.?.amen amen comes from the now excited listeners it was on his 
last words that the door of the church was busted open and in staggered 
the meanest looking man I have ever seen ..it was Hank and he was 
wearing buckskins and was carrying a hog rifle and his hair was greasy 
and long and weighty,, he was drunk and mad and the folks was 
astonished at the very look of him... I come to kill you shouted the 
wavering drunken man .. Right where you stand he shouted ... you have 
caused me to lose whiskey sales and I don't take kindly to you hell 
fire preaching and scaring men out of drinking whiskey.. Uncle cow bell 
don't move or run he stand there and tell the man who has walked closer 
to the pulpit to go ahead and shoot .. I m not running im not running 
he repeats..the big mean ugly greasy man raised the big bore gun and 
take careful aiming it right between the eyes of uncle cowbell,, and he 
pull the trigger the big gun fires and a blaze come from the muzzle , 
and the smoke clears and cow bell is still standing alive and well...  
“ Mercy sakes alive hanks said” your not dead.”. Nope im trusting God 
and you can't kill me said cowbell lest the lord allow you to folks 
scattered like quail would that was jumped by a bird hunter,, after the 
sound of that blast of that powerful gun I can't say that I blame nary 
one of them..me and ma and cowbell and hanks was all that was left and 
then Hank reloads the gun and aim again and then another blast breaks 
the silence .. And just as before cowbell is not harmed and still 
standing... mean old hank see him still standing afer the smoke clears 
and him still standing ,,, and he can't stand no more of this knowing 
that cowbell should be shot laying dead, and he become sober like in 
his mind and runs like a turkey out of the church house and flees into 
the woodland....how could you be alive I ask my calm preaching uncle.?  
 Then paw suddenly come into the church house as says let me answer 
that question son ... here is how he is still standing son and paw show 
me five live rounds that fits the hog rifle hank was carrying.....hanks 
was passed out down there near the church he had gotten  drunk waiting 
for the meeting to start and I slipped and traded blanks for his live 
shells.. And they why your goose neck uncle is still standing there 
before you son pa chuckled.... the lord does work in strange way 
declared uncle cowbell ...glory be to God he repeat and repeats 
.......the end hope you enjoyed my little backwoods story... 


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