Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1880-05-13
NEGRO WORSHIP DOWN SOUTH.
A Days Service in. Georgia--The Ne
groes Religious Status.

Savannah Coz. Boston CongregationaliSt.
The people were gathering about
the Methodist church as we arrived.
They rumbled along, whole families
Of them in diminutive carts of their
own manufacture drawn by a single
animal, usually an OK, or what at the
. North would be calleda small steer,
with every bone sticking out and ev-
cry hair standing or end. The meet
i4g house was the rudest kind Of a
structure, and so-small that half the
seven hundred churche members
stood outside, which was just as well
SImgsslng themarvelous Evolutionary
ps@ers of the minister. The service
began before IL and never Stacked
anihstant till 4. Every brother as he
came in shook hands all round, and
every sister made a courtesy. Many
of them were so black you could not
see them but for their fashy turbans
and white aprons. They sang up
roariously, keeping time with their
feet, till the minister appeared, when
thesinging grew louder still and wild
er, and their bodies rocked more
and more. He gave out a hymn.
Everybody sang-it was enough to
lift The roof-the strangest melody
and music. They have a harmony
all their own, very many parts, and
no corresponding to our harmony and
usually minor. They stood, and as
the music swelled, their powerful
bodies. swayed and rolled in a mass
and the billowy roar was like unto
the sea. 1t was magnificent. Sud-
denly it ceased, and the entire fem
mime crowd dropped acourtesy. Then
aprayer by Ole of the deacons who
wound them up to a shouting pitch
and heminister read another hymn :
"God moves in a miSchievous way"
and another line, Judge not the
Lord by feeble saints"
Negro preaching is usually a fer
7i@ description of heaven and hell,
the resurrection and judgment; of
sin and salvation, too, in a general
way, but with. nothing practical. and
a few either Of preachers or hearers
know what sin or salvation mean.
This was the farewell sermon, and
most narrowing, and as the preacher
kindled and glowedthe FIRE caught and
blazed like thepine knots they burn
the sisters began to wall and scream, the
brothers to shout tears and moans
and groans were on every hand they
wrung and clasped and clapped sheir
hands, swung their bodies. leaped
and, danced, ainging out their arms
they whistled and yelled, crooned,
eheered, chirruped, tattooed, and
howled, and at short intervals came
a sharp report, possibly at your very
ear, like d loud pistol, till the whole
was in the widest tumult. But a
close observer could see through all a
certain order, a melody ever it was
a scrt of natural symphony, and con-
troled by one hand and will, and at
the will of the preacher, inferior as
he looked in comparison with many
of his hearers, the blast softened, the
rumble ceased, and all was still as the
grave. Theminister who was consump-
tive, declared thathe wasalmost dead,
but he prayed with undlmlnlshed
force, and thus: 20 Lord, we do be-
seech dee to sen de locomotive of dy
Holy Spirit down into de camp Of de
Philistines an convert all de sin
lers."
Next came the contribution, when,
or, three quarters of an hour they
iang and danced, while the people
deposited their tickets-very slowly,
orthey have little money and less
III those that receive it
Atlength the minister became impa-
.aJ ,bortad uWa hos ont IN