Litchfield enquirer., 1875-10-14
A Negro Revival Meeting.

A Negro Revival Meeting.
 l A shiny black preacher, glossy as a var
 n1shed beaver, gave us q characteristic
 exhibition. Beginning his prayer in g
 low and reverential voice he headdressed the
 Deity as ''Thou" and 'fYou" indiserimi.
 nately. Soon his words were uttered in a
 walling chant. with prolonged sound in higher key on emphatic words and sylla
 Dies. The peculiar intonation had a strange influence, especially when the con- gregation would catch the key from. the piaintive sounds, unite with the preacher Tn piteOus moan, between the words gliding down from the dominant note to the minor third below, and dying through dlmlnuendoes into sObs and signs. Im- aglne the effect of such sentences as the following. which we copied down as they fell from his hps, the words and parts of words hyphened indicating the wild vail ing of the prayer:-
 70, thou pressed Jesus, who has met wid dy h-i--n so many times befo', come dis way jus one time mo'-ius' on. c time mo. Pull away de curtains of dy majesty, an fop back de depths of dy great glory, an come down dis way jus one time-jus' one time mo-. You knows de poor peniten's is trenholm in dare sins, like de leaves a-tremblin' ln de sto m. You knows how dey's a-cryin' an a-weepin Tn de dark midnight of dare gloom; you knows de moon turn into blackness an de stahs al blowin' out in de pref of de tempus' sweepin' roun' de sky ob sin. O thou great light of the wori', DOT the floods ob de mohnin' upon dare trouble souls. You see de back slidah triDpin' and tumblin' on his way to hell-O Mas t-a-h, come one time mo-; put on dy gahments, an come a-trampin' down on de clouds of dy majesty, an stan one time mo'.upon de wave as you done gone an stan on old Gal-il-e-e long time ago; come an put dat han where de. nail was driv' an bleedin' an a-hurtin' sore on come an put dat ham on the back slihah's shoulder dis night. Did'n you say you'd save de m-o-u-n-h? Did'n you promise to wipe away his drippin' teahs? You heahs de moun-ahs cry; you sees his drppln teahs. O turn r-o-n-n' Zion's wheel jus one time mo-, and open a little wl-dah de heavens do on let down de glOryi When the poor maunah call to- nlght-when he come creepin' an a. weep in to de altah, Save, Save. O-h-m-nn- m-m Ca wailing chant by alb save by de blood of de Lamb. (The people respond, Save by the blood.'O Turn de wicked | clar roun'. Tell him whar to go wid his | troublemin; show him what to do wld his pore broken heart. Comfort de weepin' Rachels; let de weary Johns lean on dy bras; hush de stormy seas of sin; bloc k-a-d-e de road to hell; save, Mastah. oh ave by de blood of de Lamb. When you hears de wailin' Mary's, tell dem dare dead brodders shall come out'n de grave an live; tell the pore chil'n dare sins is all forgiven; tell de angels to take up de harps an trumpets of glory; fro wide open de manshions of de New Jerusalem for de jubi-l e-e oyer de one sinner who turns to de Lord tonight
 A prolonged and chanting intonation of the words we have spaced is indescribabIe. The effect was at times thrilling. Some parts of an exhortation to winch we listen ed, however, were less eloquent. were cer. tainly very practical. The preacher struck nails aQnaro ca che haad aa hn hannnorod away. For instance:-
 "Now. bradren and sisters, we wants mounahs heah. tonight. No fooIin'. Elf you can't moulin for you sins, don't come fool1n rOun dis altah. knows ye. You's tryin' mighty ha'hd to be convarted 't'hout 6ein' hurt. The Lord 'spises mockery. Sometimes you sinnah's come foh'rd and holds your heads too high a comin'. You come foah you's ready. You starts too soon. You don't repent; you's no noun ah. You's foolin' wid de Lord. You come struttin' mp to the altah; you fops down on your knees, an you peeps through you fngahs. dis way, and you cocks up you eahs to see who's maxim de best pray'r. You's tireiy too peart for peni- tens. You's no mOunahs. Elf you comes here to fool yon bettah stay away. Bet tah to go to hell from de pew a-sleepin'. or from your cabin a-swearing, dan from de mounah' bench a-foolin'. Elf you's not III airnes keep away from he'eh; don't bodder us. Do you want us to make our selves hoarse an weah out ouah lungs a prayln for you, when you knows you's only foolin' wid de Lord? tells you to be mighty cahfuL want to see you comin' so buhdened by de weight ob you' sins. dat you can't hold up your heads. l want to see you SO heart broke dat your knees knock togedder when you walk. You must be low minded. De Bible laws great stress on de low. You's got to 9it low down in dust. De good book says Low! [Loil in the vollem ob de book it is writ Now, min dat an be Iow.''
 Then addressing the members of the church more particularly, he said {: 'Brederen in the ford, you mus be air nes, preyin' foh desc pore sinnahs. You mus wake up. In dis spring time of de yeah, when de leaves is comin,' an de dowahs IS twinklin,' an & bloomin.' what does de leaves and howahs say {? Dey says, Git up.'" C'Amen, dat's so;' sad an old brother in the corner.) sIt is nothing the day is breakin.' Git up. Wake up in de mornin.'" (''Amen, wake 'em up Brudder Clinton" from the cor ner 'Too many ob youah fessahs ob nglon has been sleepin on de wheel ob lime. Get up and put youah shoulder to de wheel. Den when you kneel aroun' dls altah to comfoht de mounahs, don't hoiler. ("Amen. halleluyab," yelled a sister from the womans side) "Eyery time you hollers, de debble puts another thought in yo' heart. You'd bettah whis pah to de Lord dan to holler at the deb bel. Talk low. Let the mounahs pray for themselves. You boder dem wid yon' hollerin.' Git down lon side 'em dem. an 'struct dem when dey ax, but don't vast bref ober any who's peepin' roun' llstenln' for nice talk. Don't tell the mounah to watch for visions an wait for maricles. Jus show dem how to res' on de wohd an resk de promises"
 The singing, interspersed through the other exercises, was unlike anything we had ever heard. The Tennesseeans and Jubilee singers who travel through the country give but approximations of the original. No select troupe can render the sublime effect of five hundred or thous- and unrestrained singers, when their full souls sweep along in the current of the song. -,
 The one is for entertainment the other IS worship. The one is necessarily. some. what artificial the other is free as the wind, and full-tided as the sea- Led by a single voice for line or two, until the hymn and time are ascertained, the inn mense congregation joined in the chorus. circle of men and women standing. touching. close around the prone mourneSs at the altar, the words of song become the expression of a faith strong enough to move mountains. In pulsing rhythm with the music the whole body of singers tn arxz fwn o,s Al