The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-02-26
THE CAMP-MEETING.
BY BARRY GRAY.

BY BARRY GRAY.
Nv friend Frank went to a camp
meeting during the past summer. Ii
was under the control of the sable sons
of Africa. do not know why Frank
went. I am inclined, however, to be-
lieve it was out of respect to his wash
erwoman, whose husband is a colored
preacher, and who, doubtless, figured
Mt the meeting aforesaid. Ii | bad a
washerwoman who owned a preacher
for a husband, I should feel it my boun
den duty to attend all the camp-meet-
ings he did. Not having Il washerwo-
man thus situated in life, however, |
have nev,r been to such meetings
Therefore, when Frank informed me
that he had seen the whole affair, and
had thereby been much edited, re-
qucste him. in very polite manner
after having first invited him to partake
of bottle of Scotch alo-tO write for
me an account of the same. After many
urging aud remindings ON my part, ac'
companving the same with sundry bot
ties of ale | obtained, at last, from my
modest friend the following doscrip'
tion-which | read aloud TO Mrs.
Gray Of
THE Mp,MEErGNG.
" | heard there was II negro camp
meeting in Vans woods, and, never
having seen sable conventlcIc, | de-
termined to 60 The camp was five or
I,. ,,titb ,,l,r al tyUI
convoyances, to-wit; on foot, or in the
Shanghai STAGE The Shanghai stage
is great institution in capacity, some
what over Nolh's ark. 1t lies between
our village and the noighboring town,
ireightod with all sorts of animate and
inanimato burdens. 1t is as proyerb al
for regularity III its departures and re-
turns rs the town clock. My boarding
house-keeper depends on it Instead of
tho clock which. being around several
corners, cannot be seen from our house,
aud call us to breakfast, dinner and
tea, Just when it goes by. Once the
Shanghai stage broke down. and was
two hours behind time and, though
dinner was quite ready, yet our land-
lady wouldn't allow the bell to be rlmg
till the stage came along. If that stage
shonld cease running, think our board
ing-houso would have to be closed.
Mrs. Gray interrupted me at this
point in my reading, by rcmarking that
she til ught nv friend Frank boarded
at the Spread ,Epglo tavern.
| answered Mrs. G., that she was
right "but in the height of the sum.
mer's travel, Frank is obliged to 90 into
other quarters, so that the transient
guests Of the Spread Eagle may be ac
commolatcd. L." Theroupon, my wife
CALCULATED "Oh !" and proceeded with
Frank narrative, as follows:
"It was at the faded end of Il sum
mer evenings twilight that | plunged
into the unknown abyss of the Shang
hal, heard the driver sing ont All right!
from the bow of our craft, and went
rolling through clouds of dust to the
ground The vehicle started be-
fore had fairly gotten my seat conse
quently, I found myself, much to my
surprise and secret delight, pumped
bodily into the arms OF half-a-dozer
gay-heartel damseIs, occupying the sea-
fronting mine. The introduction being
of rather pleasant nature all around
latter being extricated from the en-
tanglement in viii III had iallen--sand
wiched myself between two fat men il
my seat proper, and proceeded to pros
ecute with ardor the acquaintance thus
happily commenced. found the dam
sells we some of the +. +. VS., (tirs
families of the village and were b)unt
to the camp-ground, under the superin
tendence of solemn bachelor uncle tt
three of them, who sat with the driver
for fear of sea-sickness.
Considering the fact hat we are go
ing to meeting we were, think, rathe
lively. Wait for the wagon may hav,
been applicable to the Shanghai, but i
did not then, nor does it now, seem t.
me altogether an appropriate hymn
with which to open the exercises. Ii
due time howev r, w"rcHaEed the camp
ground-a pretty piece OF woods, witt
stream running through one corner o
it. The tout eScmbtc, as we entered tn
area of the camp, was exceedingly pic
turesque. Vehicles of every descrip
ton, from the elegant carriage to th
'coarsest WAGON box, filled the Quite
circle. The horses were, many OF them
'unhitchcd' from the wagons, and wer
cilhcrtied 10 some neighboring trees, o
else were sccurly hitched to the wagon
themselves. Passing this cquestra
circle, through which the ycnders G
peanuts and candies were apparentl
doing thriving trade with the outs
ders, we came to what might be consid
cred the camp proper-a collection {
sheds, forming the arc of the circle, en-
closed the spot where the service wer
held. These sheds, or tents, as tn
preac 'ers termed them, we're for the ns
and convenience of the assembly. an
comprised the preachers tent. the 81,
ters' teat, and the kitchen and dinin
tents. Within this penetralia. seal
formed from rough boards, held a po
tion of the audience the remainde
either sat On the ground, or else we,
perched amid tha trees. Between the,
seats and the preachers stand was a
open space where the brethren could n
semble for the closer exercises of
prayer-meeting.
"The evening services had con
menced, when the bachelor uncle ar
myself, accompanied by the light bi
ga OF damsels, entered The can
grounds. Having, after some difficult
ohfaineI desirable seats we turned M