The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-02-27

er, who was lining the hymn from the
pulpit, suddenly stopped, and declared
he would not sing another line until he
saw bill put into the hat. Whereat,
the hat-bearer was more pressing In his
solicitations and, some misguided
youth, having, finally, dropped in a
counterfeit note, the singing was re-
newed with increased spirit. When the
lord of the treasury neared my stage
acquaintance, they wished me to re-
quest the singing of certain camp
greund melody. Accordingly I made
the proposition to the pnrse-bearer, that
I would place 80 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
ised that it should be done. The pieces
oil silver were paid over, and, with many
bows and smiles, on moved the dusky
treasurer. For an hour or more longer,
the preaching and exhorting continued
prayers were uttered and hymns sung
but my request was unattended to.
/ feared I should not get the worth of
my money, and I thought my fair neigh
bors looked on it as bad investment.
At last prayer-meeting was called, and
/ was about to remind my colored friend
of his promise, when saw him ascend
the pulpit in very dignified manner,
and make proclamation in these words
Dear brethren and sisters,-a dear
brother in the audience has given US
some money to 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 at all like the
"harp of thousand strings" for if it
were she should not care about hearing
it.
I said it was not. Then I continued:
There must have been fifty verses, at
least, of this popular. melody, of which
the following verse is specimen:
"If you want to make old Satan run,
Play on the golden harp!
just shoot him with the gospel gun,
Play on the golden harp
Play OF, the golden harp! play on the golden
harpi
want 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 and
bodies, as they marched, as if they were
passing through a whirlwind. One her
culean African required two raen to hold
him, so triumphantly was be borne
on the tide of song. Bass, tenor, fall
settO, Soprano, numbers one, two, three,
up to a dozen, all commingled in one
accord, was poured forth, till every leaf
of the forest trembled on its topmost
spray. The fifty verses were finally
accomplished, and fully satisfied with
my investment, we reluctantly the
Shanghai's driver was blowing his horn
by the roadside-bade adieu to this
primitive church in the woods, and, by
bright starlight, were again on the
homeward road. Long after the camp
fires had disappeared, we heard the
sound of singing, as it came rolling
over the green meadows that interviewed
between us and the camp ground. By
and-by the singing ceased, and then we,
in the Shanghai, told stories, and
laughed, and the solemn bachelor uncle
reproved us, and went to sleep in his
seat in the corner and just as he had
got in the middle of his first dream,
the driver footed on his great tin horn,
which so frightened our UNCLE that
he suddenly awoke, and, rising on his
feet, asked where was Gabriel. There
upon his nieces, and, all in the Shang
Lai, laughed at him; and then, much
elated, we drove into the village"