The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-09-03

at the expense of the church, got an extra
ordinary programme printed. 1t was posted
in all the resorts of fashion along the coast.
1t combined twelve entertainments, any one
of which would have suficed for any colored
meeting ever held in Riceville. 1t promised
bell ringing, a ladies' chalk-line walk, live
pigeon to fly out of a cake, Punch and Judy,
the browning of the prettiest lady with
gold crown, and addresses, marches and
plantation scenes of many sorts. Finally,
''the famous Mr.. Lion OF France, the great
balloonist, was to go up on Wednesday so
high that he will be out of sight, and shoot
off cannon while passing through the
Clouds"
well, sab" said the Deacon, resuming
his tale, 1--WE had a 'normous crowd; but
when Dominic Brown seen de balloon
(which had trimmed de trees for to let it
fly outen de woods) he flowed it were a
fraud. 1t were jist little common tissue
paper bag. De Dominic said he couldn't
hab de face to charge folks ten cents fer to
see it. Brother Christian he said dey wasn't
no system in de whole business. De Domi-
ME he flowed eff dey warn't no system de
bizness mus git long widout no system; ;
and whites such words was passing betwixt
us all der balloon went up. and nobody
knew any mo- dan what some says to one
mother Der balloon has went up Broth
err Christian, d. d. NJ. L. p. P. he skipped
out. He's gone, and we're heah, and OATS
all dare is about it,"
Ladies' and gentlemen" said Dominic
Brown from the platform, ''this here is a
Meth dis meetin' and the Methodist is ia
nous for wanting money. so while the band
plays the collectors will step around and
wait on you."
The scene was weird. People of every
sort and condition in numbers sufficient to
form considerable congregation, were as
sembled on the crown of hill in hickory
forest so dense that its boughs hid the star
lit sky completely. Women in silks from
the sea shore, romping country girls from
the village near by, New York merchants,
walters from the waterside hotels, extrava,
gantly tired colored women, and barefoot
children both white and black, sat on long
pine boards amid the trees. Oil lamps hung
here and there sent out broad beams of vel
low light, bathing the people in front of
them, but leaving as many Others in dark
ness. Behind the assemblage was the tiny
chapel, surrounded by oarryalls, stages and
buggies, whose horses were hitched to the
trees. In front of the people was rude
platform, on which sat the Naves.nk brass
band, whose members both looked and per-
formed as if they had suddenly exchanged
farming tools for musical instruments, and
without having had time to alter their cloth
ing. They performed the Sweet BY and
By as if each man was bound to get the
utmost noise out of his instrument regard
less of the others.
The Rev. j. I. Rex of Fair Haven, who
presides over the Fisk Chapel at Rumson
the best and most costly church in New Jer-
sey, delivered long address on int mper-
ance, which he said was 'always in order"
.'Once," said he, ga sister said to me.
Brother Rex, if you're goin' to preach on
such subjects you'll drive us all out of
church. / said to her if intemperance will
Pm goin' to preach il. A brother said. I've
got medicine thall cure anything. 1t
never misses. It's sure to cure He told
me it was rum. How curious that is. They
drink it in the winter to keep 'em warm, in
the spring fo' fear it's agoin' to be warm, in
the summer cause it's warm, and in the fall
fo' fear they are goin' to get the cramps.
And it never misses. 1t fetches 'em all, by
and by. Do you know what say? say il
it takes two glasses to make me drunk,
when drink half glass, why then you
know how drunk ! am; and when drink a
whole glass then Pm half drunk"
He said that the ladies had prepared a
nice large handsome cake, and it was to be
walked for. There were four men at equal
distances apart, and the walkers were to
carry flag. Every time the one with flag
passed one of the sentinels the sentinel
would take the flag and pass it to the next
couple in the ranks, and at certain mo-
ment the marching would cease, and who
ever had the flag at that moment would get
the cake.
'We've failed in some things,n said Dom
inie Rex; 1--WE amt a-goin' to fail in this.
4 IT, lsro h,,< -. 1t
this ourselves, and amt dependin' on any
man with long string Of letters to his
name"
"Hor on Hol onl Don't go too far
said Dominic Brown.
''Well, there amt no harm in havin' a
long string of letters to your name," said
Dominic Rex; shut this walk amt goin' to
end in balloon to catch fire above the trees.
Well surely let you have the cake.''
''We've settled on the time; it's fifteen
minutes" said Dominic Brown; ''and we We
settled on the price also. We must have
fifteen couples at twenty cents couple or
we can't let the cake CO."
There was much confusion. The band
played Marching Through Georgia" every
musician starting the tune in his own time,
and playing it to the end independent of the
Others The fife finished last The city
people sal stiffiy in their seats; the country
girls and boys romped, ate peanuts, and
bought soda at the booth near the church
the wind sighed in the trees, and the clergy
urged the couples to come forward.
Don't let me interrupt the collections"
said Dominic Brown. "The money amt 60
in to be spent for rum. We have some
thing better than that. It's sinking
fund"
By and by the price was lowered to ten
couples at fifteen cents couple, and even
tually, as this had no result, young man
from the city contributed sixty-fve cents,
three colered men, each with dusky part
ner, raised thirty-fiye cents more, and the
stately march proceeded to the tune of ''pll
Meet You When the Sun Goe Down. 1t
sounded like medley of six tunes, one for
each of the players. Unfortunately, when
the time was up the flag was in the hands of
one of the sentinels, and great confusion
reigne( again until the march was repeated
and the most graceful couple succeeded in
winning the cake. Then two young coun-
trymen, Mr.. Ed. Layton and Mr.. ireland,
bought another cake outright and walked for
it to the tune of Marching Through Geor-
gia,' to the delight of the congregation.
1t was IL o'clock when the meeting broke
up and the wagons were driven down the
hill, while the forest resounded with the
quaint camp hymn of the coioIed people.