The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-07-24
bred: A Tale of the Great Dismal Swamp.
ICOYTINrED FRoM THE rIRsr PAGE. |

CONFINED FROM THE FIRST PAGE
The scene at the camp meeting on our first
page was closed rather abruptly, in consequence
OF the blunder of the printer in not forwarding
the sheets In continuation. The scene again
opens in the evening.-Ed. Fra
la the evening, the scene Oh the camp-ground
was still more picturesque and impressive
Those who conduct camp meetings are gener
ally men who, without much reasoning upon
the subject, fall into sort OF t-ct in influencing
masses of mind, and pressing iuto the service
all the great life forces and Influences of nature.
A kind of rude poetry pervades their minds,
colors their dialect, and influences their arrange
inents. The solemn and harmonious grandeur
of night, with all its mysterious power of exalt-
ing the passions and intensifying the emotions.
has ever been appreciated, and used by them
with even poetic skill. The day had been a
glorious one in June; the sky of that firm, clear
blue, the atmosphere of that crystalline clear
ness, which often gives to the American land
scape such sharply defined outline, and to the
human system such an intense consciousness
OF life. The evening sun went down in broad
sea OF Light, and, even after il had sunk below
the purple horizon, flashed back flood of
tremulous rose-colored radiance, which, taken
up 10y thousand filmy Clouds made the whole
sky above like glowing tent of the most ethe-
real brightness. The shadows of the forest
aisles were pierced by the rose colored rays
and, a. they gradually faded, star after star
twlnkled out, and a broad moon, ample and
round, rose in the purple zone of the sky.
When she had risen above the horizon but a
short space, her light was so resplendent, and
30 profase, that it WAS decided to conduct the
evening service by that alone; and when, at
the sound OF the hymn, the assembly poured
IN and arranged themselves before the preach
ing-stand, it is probable that the rudest heart
present was somewhat impressed with the silent
magnhcence by which God was speaking to
them through his works. AS the hymn closed.
father Bonnie, advancing to the front of the
stage, lifted his hands, and, pointing to the pur-
pie sky, and in deep and not ,unmelodious
voice, repeated the words Of the Psslmist:
The heavens declare the glory of God and
the armament showeth his handy-work day
unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night
showeth knowledge"
40, ye sinners!" he exclaimed. "look I'D at
the moon, there, walking in her brightness. and
think over your oaths, and your cursings. and
your drinkings Think over your backbitings,
and your cheatings! think over your quarrel
lings and your fghtingsl How do they look
TO you now, with that blessed moon shining
down upon you? Don't you see the beauty OF
our Lord God upon her? Don't YOU see how the
saints walk in white with the Lord, like her I?
dare say some of you, now, have had pious
mother, or pious wife, or pious sister, that $
gone to glory; and there they are walking with
the Lordi-walking with the Lord, through the
sky, and looking down on you, sinners, Just as
that moon looks down. And what does she
see you dOing-your wife, or your mother, or
sister, that's in glory? Does she see all YOUR
swearings, and your drinkings, and your fight
ings, and your hankerings after money. and
your horse-racings, and your cock. fightings?
u, sinners, but you are a bad set | tell YOU
the Lord is looking now down on YOU, out of
that mooni He is looking down in mercy |,
But, tell you, he'll look down quite another
way, one of these days o, there'll be a time
OF wrath, by and by, if you don't repentl O..
what time there was at Sinai, years ago. when
the voice OF the trumpet waxed louder and
louder, and the mountain was all of a smoke.
and there were thunderings and lightnings, and
the Lord descended on Small That's nothing
20 what you'll see, by and BY No more moon
looking down on yen! No more stars, but the
heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and
the elements shall melt with fervent heat! Ali
did you ever see fire in the woods? have
and I've seen the fire on the prairies, and il
rolled like tempest, aud men aud horses, and
everything, had TO run before it. | have seen
It roaring and cracking through the woods, and
great trees shriveled in minute like finder
have seen it flash over trees seventy-fve and
a hundred feet high. and in minute they'd be
standing pillars of FIRE, and the heavens were
all blaze, and the cracking and roaring was
like the sea in storm. There's Judgment
day for you'll o, sinner, what will become Of
You in that day? Never cry, Lord, Lord
lar LOTT tI,ft ell
mercy when it was offered, and now you shall
have wrath No place to hidel The heaven
and earth are passing away, and there shall be
no more sea! There's no place for you now in
Gods universe
By this time there were tumutuous respon.
SEES from the audience, Of groans cries, clapping
of hands, and mingled shouts of glory and
aineni
The electric shout Of the multitude acted on
the preacher again, as he went on, with a yet
fiercer energy. "Now Is your time, sinners
Nov il your timei Come unto the altar, and
Gods people will pray for you'll Now is the
day of graceI Come upi Come up, you tina,
have got pious fathers and mothers in glory
Come up, father come up, mother! come up
broSheri Come, young man we want you to
comet All, there's hardened sinner, off there
] ser. his lofty looksi Come up, come up
Come mp, you rich sinners! You'll be poor
enough in the day of the Lord, | can tell you
Come up, you young woneni You daughters
of Jerusalem, with your tinkling ornaments
C ,me, saints of the Lord, and labor with me in
prayer. Strike up hymn, brethren, strike up
the hymnl" And a thousand voices com
menced the hymn,
Stop poor sinner. stop and Think
Before you further go"
4 ybsla ministers And elders moved