The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-02-26

we will trust that they 'who camo to
mock, remained to pray
eve saw before ls, the long bench
in the pulpit with row of ebony st.
Pauls one of whom was discoursing
to the people below. The ground was
lighted by fires, placed at substantial
intervals, and one might readily
imagine he behcld the turfy altars OF
the Druids, prepared for sacrifice. The
fitful glare of the wood fires had weird
effect on the swart group within the
circle, interspersed with, here and there,
a white face. Though we came not to
laugh or scofF at the worshipers, yet now
and then something would be said or
done of n nature so ludicrous, that gray
ity of demeanor was, for the time, out
of the question. Their eloquencc, II
not Athenian, was, at least, practical,
direct and simple, and seemed fully ap-
preciated by the assembled audience,
MS their oft-repeated 'amens, and yes,
brother, yes, testified But their main
reliance appeared to be in the singing
and their strange hymns filled the wide
woods, and were echoed back from the
hill.sides with wonderful distinctness.
Such hymns and tunes as THE Good
Old Way Well soon have done with
Trouble here, and Mary, ring dem
bells, were the favorites. The felt hat
circulated freely for the odd coin OF the
spectators. Indeed, they seemed to re-
" on their music for obtaining the sim
ews of war and, as one dusky gentle.
man was passing around a borrowed
hat, in his blandest manner, the preach
er, who was lining the hymn from the
pulpit, suddenly stopped, and declared
he would not sing another line until he
saw a bill put into the hat. Whercat,
the hat-boarcr was more pressing IN his
solicitations and, some misguided
youth, having, finally, dropped IN a
counterfeit note, the singing was re-
newcd with increased spirit When the
lord of the treasury neared my stage
acquaintances, they wished me to re-
quest the singing of certain CAMP
ground melody. Accordingly | made
the proposition to the purse-bearer, that
| would place so much silver in his
hand if the company would sing the
suggested piece. With an ivory smile,
that reached from ear to ear, he prom
iscd that it should be done. The pieces
OF silver were paid over, and, with many
bows and smiles, on moved the dusky
treasurer For an hour or more longer,
the preaching and cXhorting continued
prayers wore uttered and hymns sung
but my request was unattended to.
[ feared should not get the worth of
my money, and thought my fair neigh
| hove loo1soi vu ID 40 ii bad investment.
| At last prayer-meetinE was called, ana
| was about to remind my coored friend
Of his promise. when saw him ascend
the pulpit in very dignilicd manner,
and make proclamation i'll these words
Dear brethren and sisters,--a dear
brother in the audience has given us
some money 10 sing one OF the old songs
OF zion. You will, therefore, please to
form two by two, and march round the
camp ground, singing PLAY on the
Golden Harp '"
Here Mrs. Gray asked me if thought
this golden harp was Mt all like the
"harp of a thousand strings for ii it
| were SIG SHOilu uoI Caic "pOuV hO"i'h =
| il.
I said it was not. Then continued
There must have been fifty verses, nt
least, of this popular melody, of whicl
the following verso is specimen:
"If you want to make old Satan run,
PLAY on tho golden harp!
Just shoot him with the gospel gun,
| PLAY m tho upllpn harul
Play Oh the golden harp play on the colder
harp!
Iva to go where Marys gone,
And play on the golden harp
"The enthusiasm of the singers went
beyond description. They leaped and
danced, and swayed their arms ant
bodies, as they marched. as if they were
passing through whirlwind. One her
culean African required two Icn to hole
him, so triumphantly was he hornt
on the tide Of song. Bass, tenor, tai
setto, S prano, numbers one, two, three
up to dozen, all comminglcd IN one
accord, was poured forth, till every lea.
of the forest trembled on its topmos
spray. The fifty verses were finally
accomplished, and fully satisfied will
my investment, we re uctantly - the
Shanghai's driver was blowing his horr
by the roadside-ba adieu to thi'
primitive church in the woods, and, by
bright starlight, were again on thu
homeward road. Long after the camp
fires had disappeared, we heard th'
sound of singing, as it came rolling
over the green meadows that 1ntervenet
between us and the camp ground. BY
and-by the singing ceased, and then we
in the Shanghai, told stories, ant
laughed, and the solemn bachelor uncle
reproved us, AMI went to sleep in hi
seat in the corner; and just as he ha'
got in the middle of his first dream
the driver footed on his great tin horn
which so frightened 'our uncle, tina
he suddenly awole, and, rising on hi
fee', asked where was Gabriel. There
upon his nicces, and all in the ShanG
Lai, laughed at him; and then, mucI
elated, we drove into the village"