The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1883-03-29
Phases of Negro Life.


Writing from Lakeport, Chicot
county, Arkansas. correspondent OF
the New York Evening Post says
Judging outwardly, the negro is the
most religious Of mankind. His meet
ings take place two or three times q
week, besides Sundays, and often last
all night. So exhausting are they
in fact, that a revival season is
dreaded by the planters, as it so seri-
ously impairs the work of their hands
in the fields. Along with every large
plantation for hundred of miles
through the Bend region goes the in
evitable negro church. Let US take
one here near the Lakeport landing
as a specimen structure. It is of
rough, barn-like exterior, whitewash-
ed, and with seating capacity for per-
haps hundred auditors. Within are
coarse benches, cobwebbed, board
walls, long desk and platform made
of unfinished lumber, a dingy kero-
sene chandelier with one or two lights,
and behind the so-called pulpit line
of tawdy-colored prints pasted on the
boards depicting scriptural subjects
like Moses and the burning bush, the
ark on Ararat, and Daniel with the
lions. The men sit on one side, the
women on the other, with huge
stove as a dividing mark between.
One Of the thick loose boards forming
a bench projects far beyond its proper
equilibrium at one end. This partic-
ular board is huge delight for the
youngsters of the congregation, who
watch it as they would rabbit trap;
for every now and then some big ne
gro incautiously sits down on the
overhanging extremity, the other end
rises high, then descends with loud
slam when the victim has been spill
ed" off. 1t seems never to have oc-
Cured to the sexton to saw off the su-
perhuous extremity, or, more likely,
he lets it stay because it gives him a
chance for officious rebuke Of the gig
Cling youngsters. This edifce, more
over, has bell, which most of its
fellows lack; and in one case | have
seen as substitute, rusty broken
buzz-saw hung by rope, and, when
struck by stone, giving ludicrous
cracked note to summon the worship
pers.
One may well despair by any verbal
description to picture even the COM
monest absurdities of negro worship
here. But let me make the effort.
The services usually open with long,
monotonous hymn, chanted through
twenty stanzas. A brief address from
one of the deacons follows, in which
he gives summary of the services
that are to come, and exhorts his au-
ditors to behave themselves. Then
come from other deacons several wild
and incoherent prayers, accompanied
by the swaying sisters with a low
hymn, after the fashion of the slow
music of the theatrical stage. Some
times one of the sisters prays, and
recently heard one of them, in the
excitement of her appeal, say: 20
Lord, kno' dat Daniel tookNde fast
express for heaven; | prays yer send
down dat train for me too, and glib
me free ticket" It is noteworthy,
by the way, that much of the religious
imagery Of the blacks here is taken
from railroads, and some of it's appli-
cations are very amusing.
Next comes the sermon. The elder
almost always opens in an apologetic
tone, deprecating his own physical
condition. He is either ''drefful hoarse
from good deal of preachin'," or "a
mighty bad cold got into" his lung;
mule has kicked him." or some other
ailment has made him feel so badly
that his auditors 'musn't 'spect much
dis time" Then he chooses his text,
usually from Job or from "de Book of
de Rebelations," the fiery imagery of
which is an inexhaustible mine for the
negro exhorters. Usually the sermon
consists Of a review of some Of the
metaphorical pictures of the Scrip
ture, which the preacher describes
himself as seeing. As the emotion
grows on him he becomes louder in
utterance and more demonstrative in
movement. He prances back and
forth from edge to edge of the plat
form, now with hands in air, now
bending forward or leaping as high
as he can toward the roof to express
his soaring exaltation. Perspiration
pours in streams down his dusky skin.
At the end of every sentence he makes
a loud, indescribable noise, halfway
between snort and groan. or drops
his voice into sort of parenthetical
chant, made up of set phrases like 80,
what sight," or he gives tremen-
dous snort, followed by kissing ex-
pectoration. When | first saw this
amazing expectoration [ supposed it
due to a genuine cold, but since then
[ have discovered that 1T is a studied
establishment of negro oratory in the
bends. All through the sermon the
preacher is stimulated by the chants
of the sisters, the shouts of the breth-
rem, and a swaying, rhythmical move
ment which swings the whole con-
gregation in unison. Particularly if
the elder describes some figurative
combat in his own with Satan, the
shouts Of "Gib it to him. "Shoot him
down" and once "Cut him wild big
razor" urge on the preacher to COM
bat and almost lift the roof. His SER
mon usually lasts a full hour, with a
short intervaLabout the middle of the
discourse for rest, during which the
congregation chant hymn. Instead
OF closing with peroratlon the SER
mon is finished off with sort Of anti
climax, the preachers voice sinking
suddenly from yell to a few colo
quial words, thanking his congrega
ton for their attention and hoping his
words will ''benefciate' them Words
must fail utterly to depict the absurd
effect of this closing apology, or of
the combination of shouts, splitting.
chants, and pastoral contortions which
/ 10 &C Il,a-a ,,.,cr,.c,