New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-11-26
NEW ORLEANS REPUBLICAN, SUNDAY NOVEMBER g. 1875

he gave notice that, according TO his custom
he would hold in the evening IN 0ld-fssh-
toned revival meeting for such Of the col.
Ored brethren and sisters ~ could obtain
their masters permission to attend.
however little he might Individually care
for religion for himself, always looked upon
it o. Q very good thing for the darkey. II
raised the actual money value of that chat.
tie, inasmuch AZ it tended to make him
sober, docile and honest. For this reason
Q growth in grace among the slaves was al
wsys encouraged, and as, by this time, the
excitement about runaways had pretty
we'll subeided, there was q very gen.
eral permission granted to the col
Ored people in the Witherell neigh.
borhood to attend Brother Blankenship'a
evening revival meeting
Aunt Dinah was among the first to er.
rive, her old face glowing with pleasure in
anticipation of "a gO1d ehoutin' meetin'.'
Each hymn that was sung seemed to in.
crease her felicity, each succeeding prayer
elected louder and more frequent responses
from her. and during the really excellent
exhortatiOn by Brother Blankenship, she
kept up . continuous running fire of excla
nations.
As the meeting progressed several of the
women ''got the power" and the excite
ment among all became intense. A few
white persons we're present, but they were
young people who had come ito see the
finn" rather than 10 participate IN the ex
erciees of the evening. and they found abuu
dsnt amusement in watching the en'huti
asst worshiper who, in the fervor Of theil
zeal were giving IN smselves up wholly tG
their rude and peculiar demonstrations of
devotion.
Aunt Dinah felt herself rapidly approach
ing the point when she too would be mum
bered among those who had received ''the
power" when che became conscious Of
Brother Blankenship leaning over her, hold
ing before her eyes an open hymn book
while he asked:
''Sister, can you read!'
"Lord Iub ye! no, eab!" the old woman
replied in blank astOnishment at the q ues
ton but noticing that he looked at her very
meaningly, and still held the book before
her eyes, she glanced down ut it and there
saw upon the open page, spread ont like q
book mark, the little scrap of chene elk
which Uocle Ben had carried away on the
inside of his jacket. She gave one shrek
which nobody noticed in the prevailing con
fusion-yelliDg people being upon every
hand-and then sank down in o swoon.
Brother Blankenship. closing his book,
passed on, calling converts to the mercy
seat, by turns praying. singing and exhort
ing with such earnestness and electrical
energy Is enabled him to sway At will the
emotions of his congregation 40 the strong
wind drives the clouds.
When Aunt Dinah recovered her sen ses,
they were singing the dear old hymn,
There 10 rest for tho weary"
"Rest for the weary" All! yes, there
was indeed rest and peace for ono loving,
faithful and long suffering heart. Rest for
the weary" her soul was full of devon.
thankfulnese, and she cried aloud: blessed
be he for loving kindness! how infinite are
His mercies to Us His chll'np
Brother Blankenship watched her care
fully, and when he thought her temporary
agitation had subsided, and that she was
intelligently waiting for some further com.
munication from hin, again approached
her and knelt beside her in prayer. BY
state of excitement that mono paid any 1t
tention to what the others were doing-sll
seemed to be in state of positive frenzy
and the white visitors, wearied with the
noise. had taken their departure. Some. of
the colored people, in their wild exultati0n,
shouted, others sang, many wept, numbers
leaped wildly up and down or danced,
while not . few simply shrieked - If in
agony or terror.
When Brother Blankenship began pray
ing. in , loud voice. he combined and led in
one current all these various phases of &C.
stacy. Under the influence of his magnet.
ic force, those men and women were like
children. Each sentence that he uttered
was followed by . very storm of eiacula-
tons. "Yes. Lord" Come right down."
"Mercy, U my Saviour" Like brands from
de burning" "Glory to Him forebber."
Dress de Lamb" etc. Taking advantage
of this fact, he seized the opportunity, each
time when be had set going their chorus of
shouts, to utter few words to Aunt Dinah
in lower tone, heard by none but her.
us your grsndchild. Jenny, with you'"
he asked in this way. Yes, Lord!" shouted
ton.
He pinohed her arm violently, and the
nip made her understand effsctually that,
however he might divide his attention and
carry on . dual performance, che was not
to attempt . similar feat.
''DO you wish to run away, to 60 to
Uncle Ben I" he next asked.
She only trusted herself to an ardent
gesture for reply. He understood her and
gave his directions, broken by the loudly
sentences of his prayer, thus:
'Meet me, then-t0 morrow night-at
the corner of-the old Campbell place
the country road-as soon as you can-
after the horn blows-and bring Jenny with
you. Tell NO one-n0t even b er-that you
arc going away"
and she had nodded her clear understand.
ing of it, he quickly concluded his prayer,
and soon after dismissed the congregation
with a benodiCtion
Brother Blankenship WAS urgently in
vited to remain and take charge of per-
manent church organization in that neigh
borhood, but declined, saying that he was
not yet regularly ordained, but should he
be at the general conference at Cincinnati,
to which he was then going, he might return
at some future time. With this promise he
rode away in the cool of the Monday morn
ing, with his long, threadbare, and unfash-
ionsble blue cloak wrapped closely around
him, and none, among all those who babe
him "farewelp' and "GOdspeed" knew how
we'll he was armed beneath that peaceful
exterior, or imagined that one 80 meek and
lowly could be q man whose very name was
. terror In the South, and for whose head
rewards were offered by many handbills at
dogScies and GROSS roads.
Night came very tardily to the old
WOE N, who sat in her cabin visiting and
watching for the blowing of the horn, which
was the nightly signal, at nine o'clock, for
the inmates of the quarters to retire to rest.
Soon after it had sounded the Overseer went
his rounds to see that all were at home.
When he reached Aunt Dinsh's cabin he
looked in, and saw Jenny asleep on the
floor near the hearth. She was ali he cared
about there. But for her he would not have
himself to see whether the old
woman was in her cabin or not; would, in
deed, have scarcely cared whether she we're
alive or dead, for the day of her usefulness
was past. Jenny, however, was growing
up with every promise of being an unusual.
" handsome, l,ght-colored girl, and was,
market, or at least would be so in
. year or two more. He little imagined
that tha old woman cr0uchinr fhara hY the