Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-03-09
THE RELIGION Or THE DARKEY.

I-LLIGAON We AsA'f
When IN mid summer. - use ia
miliar expression on Southern plan
tatiunS, the crap is laid by" and the
biz neetins" are in full blast. the
colored brethren leave off work for
the full exercise fthcir religion. ana
50 enthusiastic are the temperamcnts
that tuis worship might be called
fanatici-m Noone can properly Nh
der4tani their queer and superstl-
tious ideas of religion until he has
witnessed the proceedings Of 4 camp
meeting. Last summer, while spend
ia season in the country. | at
tended regularly an unusually inter
esting revival The darkies poured
in from the surrounding country III
nultirudeS To the camp ground. which
was located around a country church.
convenient to a cold spring, and t.
the church house WAS attached bush
arbor sha ling half an acre. Under
this temporary tabernacje We're con
gr..g;ited a dense mass of dark forms,
old and :oung. of both sexes, with
every hue Of complexion, from the
coal black African to the bright niU
latto. The favorite dress OF the adult
male is Il pair Of dark panta!oons
draped over by long linen buster
and a calico shirt front, or coiored
handkerchief. Services begun, the
minister, whose education usually
consists in knowing how to read,
write and figger,' announces his text
aud directs his words of warning
upon his "dyin' congregation. ah."
the old brethren and sisters sitting
with closed eyes and upturned faces,
leisurely tanning away at the gnats
with their broad "Permeter" fans
(which they never use save on SIM
day. and waiting patiently for that
portion of the discourse at which the
'sparet" begins to move them.
Warming both bodily aud mentally
into his work, the African evangelist
gives full play to the imagination, as
he lifts the cover of the burning pit
OF birthstone. exposing the writhing
forms of the lost. with gAastly and
iiendish forms dancing around, armed
with forks of red hot iron and giving
other such features of the PlutoniGn
dominion. which he declares he has
seen "wid his own eyes" until the
calm, clear night becomes awful with
the mournful groans that are drawn
! from the congregation.
Suddenly his descriptive fancy
scars aloft to the regions of the blest,
turns its flight from the lake of de-
spair to the golden street, where de
culled mans crown is bright as de
white mans No more work, no trials
and tribulations'
just at this period L witnessed 4
scene that battles description, heads
bobbing, hands clasping, feet patting
to the glad hosannah, one passage of
which l caught as follows:
Way up in dc hebbins. wh,r my soul gwine
to shine.
Eatin' NV dc milk and de honey and dc wine.
The songs of triumph gave way to
a frantic motion of the legs which, to
the sacriliglous eyes of the writer,
looked very much like dancing a jig;
the influence spread from one 10 an-
other, until the whole mass was shout
ing: Bless de Lord, l got religion
I'm floating in de air. Farewell, I'm
on my way to glory" Some exerted
themselves SO violently that it was
deemed necessary for two or three to
hold them. and after plunging and
rearing for several minutes would
apparently faint away They were
carried ont and laid out to cool.
This is what they call "fallin' in a
trance" and is always followed by Il
narrative from the victim after re
covering of his descent into hell or
his ascent above. exhorting his com
panions to follow his example and
shun the devil and his angels. 1t
was strange and impressive sight.
Their naturally cxcitable tempera-
ments were worked up to such n pitch
as to make them lose all control of
muscle and reason. and as | looked
at the wild stare in their faces | won
dered if that was religion. Evidently
they think so.