The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-05-13
A Negro Revival.

We must give the reader a few specimens of
a prayer and an exhortation we heard in reVi-
val meeting among the colored folks. A black
preacher, glossy as vanished beaver, gave us
a characteristic article in this line. Begin
ming his prayer in low and reverential voice,
he addressed the Deity as "Thou" and "You'
indiscriminately, and sometimes indulging in
the doubtful grammar of "Thou knowetb," )"
and "You knows" Soon his words were ut
tered as kind of wailing chant, with a pro-
longed sound in higher key on emphatic
words and syllabes. The peculiar intonation,
especially when the congregation would catch
the key from the plaintive sounds and unite
with the preacher in piteous moan, between
words, gliding down from the dominant note to
the minor third below, and dying through
diminuendoes into sobs and sighs. The effect
was at times thrilling Some parts of an ex-
hortation to which we listened, however, while
less eloquent, were certainly very practical.
The preacher struck nails square on the head as
he hammered away. For instance:
"Now, brethren and sisters, we want mourn
.ers heah tonight No foolin'. Eff you can't
moulin for your sins, don't come foolin' roun'
dis altah. I knows ye. You's tryin' mighty
ha'hd to be convarted 'thout bein' hurt. The
Lord 'spises mockery. Sometimes you sinnahs
comes forbid an holds your head too high a
comm. You come foah you's ready. You
starts too soon. You don't repent; you's no
mounah. You're foolin' wild de Lord. You
comes struttin' up to de allah you fops down
on your knees, an you peeps fru you fngahs
dis way, an you cocks up you ears to see who's
maxim de bes' pray'r. You's 'tirely too peart
for peniten's. You's no mounahs. Eff you
comes here to fool, you bettah stay away. Bet
tab 90 to hell from de pew asleepin, or from
your cabin swearin', dan from de mounah's
bench foolin'. Eff you's not in earnes', keep
away from heeh, don't bodder us. Do you
want us to make ourselves hoase an weah out
ouah lungs a-prayin' for you when you knows
you's cnly foolin' wild de Lord? tells you to
be mighty cahful I want to see you comm
so buhdened by the weight OBJ you sins dat sou
can't hold up you heads. want to see you SO
heart-broke dat your knees knock togedder
when you walk. You mus be low-minded
De Bible lays great stress on de Ioao. You's
got to get low down in de dus. De good book
says, Low (Lo !! in de vollem of de book it is
writ Now, min dat and be low"
Then addressing the members of the church
more particularly, he said:
"Brederen in de Lord, you mus be airnest
prayin' fob desc pore sinnahs. You mus wake
up. In dis Spring time OBJ year, when the
leaves is comm, an de fowahs is a-winklin'
an a-bloomin', what does de leaves an de
Aowahs say? Dey says, 'GHupP ["Amen
dat's so," from an old brother in the corner.]
''It is mornin, de day is breakin'. Git up.
Wake up in de mornin'" ["Amen wake
'em up, Brudder Clinton" from the corner
Too many OBJ you professahs OBJ 'ligion has
been sleep pin on de wheels OBJ time, Git up
an put youah shouldah to de wheels. Den
when you kneel roun' dis allah to comfoht de
mounahs, don't doller." ["Amen, halleluyah,' u
yelled sister from the women's side. eve
cry time you boilers de debble he put another
thought in you heart You'd bettah whispah
to de Lord dan to hollar at de debble. Talk
low. Let de mounahs pray for demselves
You bodder dem wild your hollerin'. Git down
long side dem, an 'struct dem when dey ak
but don't vast bref ober any who's peepin
round listenin' for nice talk. Don't tell de
mounah to watch for visions an wait for mira.
clcs. Jest show dem how to rest on de woro
and resk de promises"