The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-03-11
Singular Revival in a School.room.
From the indianapolis Journal


A weird and remarkable scene was
witnessed in one of the schools for
cOlored children in this city, one day
last week. The school is situated in the
immediate vicinity of church in which
weeks, and deep religious feeling per-
meates the colored community therea-
bouts. Many of the pupils have become
converts, and they devote themselves to
the cause with the fervid enthusiasm of
their race, never pausing'to consider
time or place. The converts work Justify
for the salvation of their schoolmates
who wander about the fascinating pas
lures of sin and iniquity, and in one of
the rooms concentrated their efforts upon
a boy who had remained impervious to
all solicitations and stiff-backed in his
determination to travel the downward
path if he wanted to. Suddenly, one
recess, the teacher was astonished and
frightened by the sound of grooming
coming from the direction of the unre-
generated boys desk. She went over to
his side and inquired the nature of the
attack that was giving him such acute
pain. The poor fellow only rocked him
self harder and groaned with increased
vigOr, and said nothing, when girl
volunteered the information, and whis-
pered in an awe-struck tone,
misses, he's mourni'n."
The teacher endeavOred to quiet the
boy, but he would not be quiet The
piOus epidemic spread, and soon the
children began to cluster around the
"mouwin one. The excitement in
,roooo1 onl fha ,,upiIo np,p,an,aI 4,
series Of contortions accompanied by
gesticulations and groans. Then with
one accord the inky assemblage burst out
singing one of their favorite hymns.
Headed by big girl, they began per-
ambulating the aisles in single file, keep
ing time TO melodious walk-around
chant, and swaying their bodies with
that peculiar undulating motion so IA
miliar in plantation life in the sunny
South.
The teacher was at loss what step to
take, whether it would be best to call in
assistance or to let matters take their
course. She was joined in few mo-
ments by the teacher who presided over
school in an adjoining room. Her
children, too, had caught the contagion,
and from indications it seemed more
than likely that she was fated to witness
another scene similar to the one Just
described. A hurried consultation en-
sued, and it was decided that since the
children were determined to have
prayer-meeting then and there, they
should have one in proper form. Ac-
cordingly minister, living block or
two away, was called in, and he took
charge of the revival. The excitement
begun at IL o'clock in the morning and
was not subdued until o'clock in the
afternoon.
Among the students in one of the
rooms was man some twenty-five or
thirty years old, who was taking ad.
vantage of dull times to acquire the
rudiments of an education. This man
affected to sheer at the spiritual NANTES
tations, and even ventured to chide his
teacher for the passive part she had taken.
When the rooms were emptied one into
the other, he loftily declared his inten-
ton of pursuing his studies in the room
vacated, privilege that was willingly
granted. Ere many minutes the devOtees
in the next room were thrown into
state of great CONSERVATION by fright
full noise, succeeded by heavy fall which
Jared the whole building. On opening
the door the studous scofer was seen
groveliDg about on the floor uttering
the most abject prayers and generally
conducting himself like one demented.
He was too "a mourni'n," and speedily
joined the throng in the other apart
ment, and is now regarded as n most
promising convert by his colored breth-
rem.
To prevent repetition of the scene
make and rigidly enforce rule forbidding
the children to sing during recess or at
any time about the building.