The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-05-14
A Negro Revival,

Wild de LOrd''-EE Better whisDah to de
| Lord dan HoIIer at de DebbIe."
We must give the reader few speci-
mems of a prayer and an exhortation we
heard in a revival meeting among the
| colered folks. AshiniRg black preacher,
glossy as vanished beaver, gave Us a
characteristic article in this line. Be-
ginning his prayer in a low and reveren-
tial voice, he addressed the Deity as
"Thou" and 60 You" " indiscriminately,
and sometimes indulging in the doubt
full grammar of "Thou knoweth, and
"You knows" Soon his words were
uttered as a kind of wailing chant, with
prolonged sound in a higher key on
emphatic words and syllables. The
peculiar intOnation, especially when the
congregation would catch the key from
the plaintive sounds, and unite with the
preacher in a 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 exhortstiOn
which we listened, however. while less
eloquent were certainly very practical.
The preacher struck nails square On the
head as he hammered away. For in
stance:
"Now, brethren and sisters, we want
mounahs heah tonight. No foolin'.
Eff you can't moulin for your sins, don't
come foolin' roun' dis altah. / knows
ye. You's tryin' mighty ha'hd to be
convarted 'thout bein' hurt. The Lord
'spises mockery. Sometimes you sin
nahs comes foh'rd an holds your head
too high a-comin'. You come foah
yOu's ready. You starts too soon. You
don't repent you's no. monah. Your
foolin' wild de Lord. You comes strut
tin up to de altah ; you fops down on
your knees, an you peeps fru you
fngahs dis way, an you cocks up you |
eahs to see who's maxim de bes' pray'r. |
YoU's 'tirely too peart for peniten's |
You's no mounahs. e. you comes hear |
to fool, yO bettah stay away. Bettah go |
to hell from de pew asleepin', or from |
your cabin a swearin', dan from de |
mounah's bench a foOlin'. Eff you's |
not in earnes', keep away from he'eh |
don't bOdder us. Do you want us to |
make ourselves hoase an weah out ouah
lungs prayin' for you when you knows
yvu's only foolin' wild de Lord? 1 tells
you to be mighty cahful. want to see
you a comm so buhdened by the weight
on you sins dat you can't hold up you
heads. I want to see you so heart
broke dat you knees knock togedder
when you walk. You mus be low
minded. De Bible lays great stress on
le low. You's got to get low down in
lie dus'. De good book says, Low
Lob 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
lirnes' prayin' for desc pore sinnahs.
You mus wake up. In dis spring time
Do yeah, when the leaves is comm, an
lie fowahs is a-winklin' an a-bloomin',
what does de leaves an de fowahs say?
Dey says, Cit upp" [''Amen! dat's
so, " from an old brother IN the corner.
' 1t is mohnin, de day is breakin'. Git
up. Wake up in the mohnin'." Amenl
wake 'em up, Brodder Clinton" from
he corner TOO many OBJ you fessahs
)b 'Igion has been sleepin' on de wheels
b time. Git up an put youah snoul-
lah to de wheels. Den when you kneel
oun' dis altah to comfoht de mounahs,
lOn't holler." "Amen, halleluyah,"
elled a sister from the women's side.
8 Every time you hollers de debble he
,ut another thought in you heart. !
loud better whispah to de Lord dan to
loller at de debble. Talk low. Let de ]
nounahs pray for demselves. You
,odder dem wild your hollerin' Git
Iown lon side dem, an 'struct dem ,,
7hen dey AK, but don't waste breff ober
ny who's peepin' roun' listenin' for
ice talk. Don't tell de mounah to {
7atch for visions an wait for miracles.
us show dem how to res on de wohd
n resk de promises. Mississippi {
letler.