The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-04-03
A REVIVAL NETTING IN VIRGINIA.

AASSCAbhy VIC dHAlfcO dG ldL &c
frame building, much like a coun-
try school-house, save that it was
neither ceiled nor plastered, and
therein the revivalists were gath
cred. A powerful spiritual wave
had swept over the colored popu-
lation, and dozens of carts, loaded
with dusky searchers for truth,
came rolling along the rough
roads, and stopped before the
primitive door. Entering, we
found every shade OF color, from
the coal-black full-blood to the
octoroon, elegantly dressed and
gracious in manners. The con-
gregation was not large. Owing
to the excitement which had pre-
vailed for several previous Sab
baths, many had retired, worn out,
from the spiritual feast. The
women sat on the left side, the
men on the right of a broad aisle,
running to a plain wooden pulpit,
in which were three moon-faced
negroes, two of them preachers,
and the third q State Senator.
In front of the pulpit, behind a
little table, stood an olive-colored
elderly man, neatly dressed, and
with a wilderness in his eyes, and
an intensity written upon his lips
which reminded me of what / had
read of the "Convulsionists of St.
Medard." The audience was
breathless with attention as the
preacher, a strolling missionary,
supported by Quakers in Louisi-
ana, took up the great Bible, and,
posing it on his lean, nervous
hand, poured forth such an i'm
FASHIONED appeal that I fairly
trembled. I was not prepared for
such vehemence. Never, in the
history of New England revival
ism, was there such a scene. The
preacher stood with many of his
hearers well around him; one OF
the deacons and exhorters, q
black giant in spectacles, was his
point Tdppui, and to him he ap-
pealed from time to time, shaking
him roughly by the shoulder, and
Kissing his words in his ear with
fiery vehemence. The proportion
with which he started was some
what incomprehensible to US, viz.
"Christ is the creating power Of
God;" but the proposition was Of
no consequence, because every
few moments he would burst into
paroxysm of exhortation, before
which the emotional audience
rocked and trembled like reeds in
a wind. He had q peculiar way
of addressing himself suddenly
and in q startling manner to some
individual in the congregation
and in the agony OF his exhorta
ton to that person, would pound
the table furiously with boil
hands, and dance vigorously will
his feet. From time to time h
would draw in his breath will
great force, as if REFRESHING a sob
and, when speaking of love anC
salvation, he inevitably fell into 1
chant, or monotone, which wa
very effective. Under the hurri
. canes of his appeal, the fury o
( his shouting, the magnetic in
iuence of his song, one of the oil
deacOns went into an actua
spasm of religious fervor, an,
E now and then yelled vociferously
/ A milder brother Ventured to re
monstrate, where-upon the Quak
E er preacher turned upon him, say
5 ing loudly:
"Let dat brudder shout, Al
e tend TO dine own business
Then he began preachin
against hypocrisy. He SCENE
: especially 70 chide the women fc
becoming converted with to
: great ease. GWoep he cries
"woe unto dat woman what goC
> down into de water befo' st
ready; woe unto hefr' with q lon,
: singing descent on the last wordl
e and then he added, sotto Uoc
"Dat what make SO many. Wome
It come up stranglin' an vomitil
II an pukin' outen de water; de de-
y bill dat still in 'em git hole on 'er
3. an shake 'em an choke 'em u
l. der de water! Let no WomC
% shout for Jesus what don't kno
d bout Jesusl It's one thing
b git to Heaven, but it's anudder
II git in! Dom you know VIII
Is Heaven is1 Heavens God! Y
1t must know what We is preachi
e. about an eff we don't we ought