The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1875-05-01
II Negro Funeral.
From Hearth and Home

From Hearth and Home.
"Wasn't that beautiful funeral ?" heard
one colored woman say to another.
at certainly were lovely funeral was the
enthusiastic reply.
Soon after some friends of mine lost faith
full and valued colored servant, and was in
duced to accompany them to the obsequies.
When we entered the little church we found
about hundred negroes bled, who were
making the most dismal sound, something be-
tween singing and wailing.
Nearly every colored man and woman in the
South belongs to at least one secret society
Besides MasOns and Odd Fellows, there are
Sons of Abraham, Israelites, Daughters of Je-
rusalem, Daughters of Rebecca, Lilies of the
Valley, anc many others. In this case the
dead person had been one of the Daughters of
Jerusalem, and the surviving members OF that
society entered in procession, looking very i'm
portant with their dusky faces peering forth
from white shaker bonnets.
In due time the officiating clergyman, tall,
powerful looking African, rose, and announced
his intention "to preach the funeral of our de-
parted sister,"
At the outset, Or as he expressed it, the ION
set" he spoke with great calmness and moder-
alton, urging his hearers to pronounce" their
sins, and not to be given up to the granny
dizements of this world" He summed up the
virtues of "Sster Hannah" by saying: "She
| always minded her own business, and if every
body would do likewise this world might be, if
not the third heaven, at least the second" As
he proceeded his calmness gave way to excite
| ment, and his moderation to vehement haste,
| till he had worked himself into perfect fren-
zy, and stormed about, beating the air like a
madman.
My attention was divided between his extra
ordinary antics and the singular demeanor of
an old man who was trem bling from head 10
E,.Nt Nd rfiv0 haY Of hiof fona in
the most incom prehensiole manner.
Though my friends were sincere mourners,
they could not suppress a smile at the gro
| tesqueness OF the scene.
Suddenly, a piercing shrek rang through
the house. We turned quickly, but no one else
seemed surprised or disturbed, and we saw no
evidence OF an accident, unless it might be
| the limp arm Of a woman hanging over the
railing of the gallery. 1t partly covered
by blue sleeve, and the dark wrist was encir-
| cled by bracelet apparently of gold. The
young woman who displayed this article of
jewelry soon raised her head and sat up in All
| attitude of attentive listening. In few mo
ments she sprang from her seat, loudly scream-
ing oh, glory" and again sank down with
the bracelet arm hung over the railing.
We felt no further alarm; for these sudden
and terrific yells frequently rose above the
frantic shouts of the speaker and the various
EXPLANATIONS of the hearers, proceeding not
only from the wearer of the bracelet but also
from those who seemed to have no other mo-
live than religious enthusiasm.
The negroes give as an excuse for their noisy
meetings that the Bible says "hollered be Thy
name."
The preacher on this occasion certainly did
his best to obey that supposed injunction. The
glories of Heaven formed the principal subject
of his harangus; and he dwelt with great ap-
parent delight on the thought that the blessed
are clothed in white, and have "silver trum-
pets to call them to their regular meals
He reminded his hearers that according to
Scripture Heaven has three gates on the north, ,
three on the south, three on the east, and three
on the west; and he said that "Sister Hannah
went up by the Atlantic gate; )" but if any of
Them should go up by the Pacific gate" she
would be there to meet them.
This funeral sermon lasted about an hour,
and was followed by another of equal duration.
Tnen the congregation, most of them on foot,
some in carriages, and few in tip-carts drawn
by steers, struggled through mile Of Virginia
mud to the cemetery, where they left Sister
Hannah to sleep in peace till "dat great-get-
tin'-up mornin'" DELL DENNIS.