Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-06-13

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and, by the way, suppose you wear that
new suit you got from New York yes
terdsy."
fairly screamed. had great mind
to faint. "Why, Edward, 1t Is the most
delicate and beautiful thing | ever saw,
and the idea OF wearing it to the Afri.
can church at night! Do you remem-
Der what it cost?"
al remember that it cost so much that
l don't see how / had the nerve to draw
a check for the money. Well, wear
what you like, only hurry up"
We were received, as Edward said,
with perfect courtesy, given pew to
Ourselves, and furnished with hymn
books. And in this connection must
say, that never, except in tobacco
factory, Orwell, yes; perhaps once or
twice when / have run over to Italy to
patroniZe some artist they thought well
Of there-never have / heard sweeter
singing; the female voices clear
and round and full; those Of
the men sonorous and rich; keep
ing perfect time, and articulating
with admirable distinctness. The form
alton Of the nose and mouth Of the negro
gives him great fullness and power Of
tone; and when they take the different
parts of which they are capable, the ef-
feet is peculiarly beautiful. 1t is also
indescribable; and alas no more to be
expressed by the use ofnotes, than is the
perfume after a shower TO be bottled for
the handkerchief A difficulty much to
be lsmented, for the negro is fast re-
nouncing his own melodies for "white
peoples tunes" little aware how ex-
quisitely adapted are the quaint imagery
and wild rhythm OF his songs to the
broad peculisrities Of his natural voice.
After the singing came prayer, which
we followed with reverence, for Uncle
Charles was a sincere christian and q
good old man, and had knelt with us at
home many and many time during
the war, praying, l believe, with all
honesty, for the safety OF our absent
boys. And truth to tell, Uncle Charles
prayed more effectively than a great
many people who allow their flowers of
rhetoric to be nipped in the bud by the
frost Of Blair's rules. AS remember,
this is what he said that night:
"Led us pray" The immense crowd
fell on their knees, and there was short
pause, and then Uncle Charles COM
menced in the peculiar sing song tone Of
the negro preacher: ode dew mercy
is fallin sof as cotton on dis dy people, o
Lord, an we is come togedder agin dis
night to thank HIM. A gret many cryin
souls is croWdin rouD de cross, good
Lord, but dere is room for all. An some
is hOldin orn till der nails is bleedin, an
der hands is tore, an der sperrit is farin
out like de dyin wick Nv candle, an
dey is ormos ready-er-to fall back in
ter de ObeHassin pit voice in the con-
lrVrn oil pfy, DILL
sinner! Don't gin out ~ but de grease
o Cords patience will heal up 20 hands
I-er-9nd de light His smile will shine
orn de darkness and show you Whar to
ketch holt! Come up, breddren! Come
rOun de bleedin cross! Don't mind no.
body! Don't stan on monners-er!
| Don't wait for nobody! Don't wait tell
dis one goes and dat one goes! Goyosef.
MOnners gives you heap advantage
in dis wOrl, but-er-dey amt no use in
hell! Oh, no, my w-bredren-er
| Climb ODER de benehes-er. Drop down
from de gslry-er Bus open de win
deTs-er! Come down de chimbly-er
but you lOiU git in, and come straight
up here, and tromple on de feet-er-Ot
dem STAINS in de way! Two women
pressed through the crowd and threw
| themselves on the mOurner's bench.
OATS right, sisters! OATS right! Dere's
room for all-eT! Hongry souls kin all
git filled-er; no mOtter whedder dey
comes and sets down in computes fif-
ties or hundreds or hundreds o thou
sands! Yes, bless de LOrd-er! De cross
gifts bigger an bigger, an dere's place
for you and a place for me more
mourners press forward, and from all
parts OF the house arise eXclamatiOns-
"GiOTy to GOdW ''COme up sister, come
upW ode Lords calm you; don't
keep him waitin. 'l-an place for all
dat's jes only willin to cep de Outstretch
arm Jesus! Oh, my pc feller-beinsI
Kin you bar to stan and see do sweet face
0 Jesus Whar knowed no sorrer for His
sef, do he didn't have nothin but soTrer
kin you bar to see dat Iovin
face all runnin down wild tears for you,
an you a singin sn dancin, an turnin
away yo eyes like you didn't keer?
Kin you bar to see dem pc hands what
nuvvur was stretched cut cepin blessin
full de marks nails, al de flesh all
tored away, an de blood ruDnin down
!-er-kin you bar to see EN- strecbin out
to you an fergetIin his own SET, a
reachin out an ketchin holt of you to
save you from istruckshun, an you q
pullin an jerkin an tar-rin open OF
his Wounds-er? De times a comm
when you can't aing no mo, an you
can't dance no mo, an you can't take yO
fine cloZe to de new jeruzalim dout you
dips EN- in de blood o de lamb OATS
de Lords libery, an ef you is his servant
you got to war it. De ship is Waitin
De greet ship Zion! An de captin is
stannin an Begin you to come on bode
pV1f on JIH MI o1-f
AL he axes is for you jes to be 1UjlIin to
come! An you all is floatin about in de
water, and de pleasures of sin is bar-rin |
you up like bladders-er-but presny de
hebens is bOun to git black by Fiction or
death, or ole age, an you gwine ter hit
up ginst de sharp rock truble, an de
pint s0rrer's gWine ter punch hole
in bladders, an down, down you's all
gWine inter eberlassin mizery-er-
down! down! down! o Lord, save EN- |
O Lord, let down de life-boats chen Of |
death-bed erpentancew "Lord, hearw
"Come down, Jesusw Lord, turn emu
"Come up, sinners! Come up! Come |
upw cried voices in the congregation,
while numbers, young and old, male |
and female, came pressing through the |
crowd, and threw themselves frantically |
before the altar and the mourners' |
benches. "ComeuuW "Look to de
crossW "Come now, sinner! TO,mOr- |
row amt mine, an it amt yourn ~
Groans and signs arose from all parts |
of the house; the elders were moving |
about from one to another OF the |
mOulners, some praying in subdued |
tones; some eXhOrting; some cOnsoling; |
occasionally some shouting; while above |
all, in tones that had become accents of |
anguished entreaty, accompanied by all |
the gestures of pathOs, rose the voice of
the preacher: 80 Lord, save dy PEG.
pleW
During the subsequent exercises, the !
excitement became intense, and when |
the time came for giving in of their ex.
perience, the negroes had reached that |
abnormal state most favorable to the !
occasion.
Two or three bad talked" and taken |
their seats, and l was getting a little |
tired, when my attention was suddenly !
rearrested by the sound of familiar |
voice, and turning my eyes in that |
direction, who do you suppose saw? |
Caroline! But aOhGt do you suppose l |
saw? Caroline with my new suit on /;
psniers and fleunces, plaitings and frills, |
ostrich plumes, laces and all! / moved |
uneasily in my seat commenced cough |
ing, land gave Edward a violent pinch just |
above the knee. He looked steadily be- |
fore him, and suppressed me by slight |
expansion of the nOstril, while he |
smOothed his mustache with his fore
finger and thumb. Caroline stood be- |
fore the congregation giving in her ex-
perlence, her voice every moment !
oh