Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-03-11
"He's a Mournin'. :"
A Rather Peculiar Revival in a
Negro School at indianapolis.
indianapolis Journal.

, for colored children in this city
one day last week. The school is
; situated in the immediate vicini.
ty of a Church in which a great
revival has been in progress for
weeks, and a deep religious feel.
ing permeates the cOlored com
munity thereabouts. Many of.
the pupils have become converts,
and they devote themselves to
the cause with the fervid enthu,
siasm of their race, never pausing
to consider time nor place. The
converts work Justify for the sal.
yEtion of their schoolmates who
wander about the fascinating pas
lures of sin and inquity, and in
one of the rooms concentrated
their efforts upon a boy who bad
remained impervious to all sollcl,
tations and stiffbacked in his de-
termination to travel the down
ward path if he wanted to. Sud-
denly one recess the teacher was
astonished and frightened by the
sound of groaning coming from the
direction of the unregenerate boy S
desk. She went over to his side,
and inquired the nature of the at
tack that was giving him such a.
cute pain. The poor fellow only
rocked himself harder and groaned
with increased vigor, and said
nothing, when girl volunteered
the Information, whispered in an
awe, struck tone:
"Misses, he's a mournin'." "
Toe teacher endeayored to
quiet the boy, but he would not be
quoted. The pious epidemic
spread, and soon the children be-
gan to cluster around the ''mOurn
In" one. The excitement in.
creased, and the pupils COM
menced a series of contOrtions,
accompanied by gesticulatious and
groans. Then, with one accord,
the inkey assemblage burst out
singing one of their favorite
hymns. Headed by a big girl,
they began perambulating the
aisle in single file, keeping time TO
metodious walk around chant, and
swaying their bodies with that pc.
cuIiar undulating mo'ion SO IA
miIiar in plantation life In the
sunny South.
The teacher was at a 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 moments by
the teacher who presided over a
school in an adjoining room. Her
children, too, had caught the con-
tagion, and from indications it
seemed more than likely that che
was fated to witness another scene
similar to the one just described,
A hurried consultation ensued,
and it was decided that since the
children were determined to have
a prayer-meeting then end there,
they should have one in proper
form. Accordingly, a minister,
living a block or two away, was
called in and he took charge of I
the revival. The excitement be-
gun at eleven O'clock in the morn
ing and was not subdued until
two o'clock in afternoon.
Among the students in one OF
the rooms was a man some twen.
ty. five or thirty years old, who was
taking advantage of dull times
to acquire the rudiments of an ed
ucation. This man affected to
Sneer at the spiritual manifesto
tions, and even ventured to Glide
his teacher for the passive parts
she had taken. When the rooms
were emptied one into the other
he loftily' declared his intention
Of pursuing his studies in the
room vacated, a privilege that was !
willingly granted. Ere many |
minutes the devotees in the next !
room were thrown into a state of
great CONSERVATION by a frightfuI
noise, succeeded by a heavy fall, Y
which Jared the whole building. Y
On opening the door the studious i
scofter was seen groveling about r
On the floor uttering the most ab. {
Jet prayers and generally con- /
lucting himself like one dement, \
ID. He was, too, ga mournin'," .
and speedily joined the throng in y
he other apartment, and is now
regarded as most prominent con-
vert by his colored brethren. C
To prevent a repetition of theli
iceue the teachers have found it L
necessary to make and rigidly en- h
orce a rule firbiddiug the chill t
lren TO sing during recess or at %
my time about the building, C