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Show SERMONS IN HIS SEEP. j Are Better Than the Average From . the Pulpit. (Cincinnati Enquirer.) Columbus, S. C. Reputable citizens of Saluda county, including several physicians, who have visited the home of Maior Perrv. a mulatto about 4C years of age, unite in indorsing the i following remarkable story of the j "sleeping p;eather." The man lives ', some distance in the country, far from a railroad and telegraph line, and, while his powers have been well known j in the community, they have but rc-' rc-' cently become known to the outside world. . I The story is that Perry, when a i young man, felt a "call" to preach, but j this was disregarded. He but seldom ! attends church. Each night, Friday alone excepted, and that not always, about fifteen or twenty minutes after retiring (about 8 o'clock is his rule), he begins to preach. He first announces his text, chapter and verse or verses in the Bible correctly, cor-rectly, after whioli he reads the text, always just as it is in the Word. He I then "lines out" and sings a hymn and j prays, after which the sermon proper begins. This sermon is better than the average, above the reach of the average negro preacher at least. It is grammatical and logical, and lasts from forty-five to sixty minutes. Sometimes Some-times during the delivery of the sermon ser-mon the muscles of the body, especially especial-ly the arms and neck, contract, producing pro-ducing a cataleptic condition. This stops the sermon. The attacks last for a minute or so, and are driven away by his wife, who strokes with her hand the parts af- I frcted. When the tendency to catalepsy catalep-sy is vanished he resumes his discourse, beginning exactly where he left oft", even though it was in the middle of a sentence. During the summer, about a certain tim? each year, he holds his protracted services, sometimes getting pretty "loud," a characteristic of his race. At these special times he delivers two sermons and invites "mourners" to come to the altar; sometimes he will cease and go through the motions of drinking water. He takes a short recess re-cess between the delivery of his sermons. ser-mons. Perry when awake is irreligious. He cannot be convinced that he preaches in his sleep. The best class of white citizens for miles around visit Perry's cabin to hear him. Leading physicians of the coun ty have vainly endeavored to awaken him while in this abnormal state. After Aft-er finishing the sermon he is easily aroused. They have pierced his muscles mus-cles with sharp instruments, made loud noises, even placed cotton between his naked toes and burned it (causing him 1 great pain after returning to con-j con-j sciousness). but without avail. During the time of preaching"it is an impossi- ! i bility to stop him. Occasionally, while j driving aiong the public road, Perry-enters Perry-enters this involuntary trance and delivers de-livers a sermon, or if he happens to go j inside, a church he is liable to fall asleep' and to begin a sermon himself, , in which case the preacher in the pul- j I pit desists. Major Perry is certainly a psychological marvel |