The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-06-28
A BAYOU BAPTISM.
.opie P. Read. ia Texas sihiars.

oAps Sm have been written by persons whc never witnessed one of these ludi- erously fe-vent performances The idea of heaven and things heavenly enter. tained by ,he true African in America. is as giideo and dazzling as Bcaconsfeld's conception oi pure oriental government, and the negro, unable 10 employ the gli,. ter, supplies its place with the song d in. agery and the awakening of halleleiah of unressrained voice. The colored gen,l<. men and ladies who live in the neigheo hood of e.ties and ,o xns. are suhducd in the execution of their baptismAl ri,es with only an occas,cnall ou;-efoppins the vigorous spirit. bat the negroes sho ] live on remote plantations. preserve ihe with lavish hand. sir them into the religious pot. boiling over the roaring i fire of alrnos; vtoien, enthusiasm. Several days ago witnessed bApas- ing Tn the southern part Of Arkansaw. \ bayou had been selected as the Jordan where the sins should be washed away The assemblage was large. every man. woman and child of the nelghbofhood. il seemed, be.ng present. was told by an carnes, old man ,ha, the day was one of grea, importance, "fur, sad ne, we'se gwine ter wash efi de Satan dir, from ole Tony Miller. He ustet be de aus; man ID all dis heAh country. tster whup his wife. an femme tell yer" con- tinued the old man. shaking his head he'd whup anybody what got in his road
 D,d he ever whip you, old man =
 Dsd de frost eber make de simmons fanYa
 agreed that local tradition sus,a ned such theory.
 i Wall, den,' said he "dai's CT nu,i Blebe wus de las man whu, he whupped, |; want fur de Lawd, an sides dat. he added in an undei,one, "i'se sorter ieerd O him. nohow.'
 The bayou on which the sun was brightly shining, seemed a sheen of gold set m ebon. The crowd along the banks was so dense. tha, with half closed eyes. you could fancy tha; a black cloud was slowly coming from the far otf ho.lIon. Alter swelling song and fetven, prayer. old Anderson Boyle. well known preacher who has never relased his hold on the old-time faith, raised his arms ,o command attention. and said: 1 ' Bruders an sisters O de wheat hei O Natus, VIC hab me; heah on dis. te good Lawds day. fur dc pnppose O snaiehln' stumblin CT sinners CT from dc iuaiin flames O heil hyef Oh, any DO mortal CT what knoas anything ct bout Ina, place. IS anxious Ter grab hol, 0 de coat tails O de gospel e an swing outen de reach o de hyeI. Oh. brudcrs an sis. tres. hab seed ia, place. wen, dar wunst while wus Tn CT trance. an' s,aid ia, three days an nights CT. On dc GAS, dar Ses 4 mighty cry on de yves, dar wuf CT mighty eroan. an de north dsr wul weepin. on de south daf wuz if.bbetiA- ton, an in de middlc dc hell houn $ wez CT snashln daI teeth, CT. Oh Llwd. $ 1, 'whut yer gwine ter do w,d dts awful place. But de La~d spoke not. looked ter one side ar dar wu, CT pit CT hyer you boys down dai qul, CT aippin' da, grabel in dc water ul I'll come do~n dar an do fippin my se1-whar de flames allus roared CT Da, pi, wul full CT sinners, wigglin'. an rasslin' in dar dlspar CT. One man cried wid loud voice. sayin da, he had been dar CT ,housan years, bat the great brass watch whui de debll toa,ed in de ron poeke, O his bfeec hes, showed dat ds , DO feiler hadn been dar ba; ,w~ sccon' $ Bruder ohn,' turning to an influential member of the the church, want da. s : mighty o'iam,,y
 , .ies, indeed. oh Lawd.' tepliee brother John.
 Sister Ann, wan, dat CT mighty sigh {,,v hnrv. h~tr' hnh,.E IV Da, II wuI, da; il wua. oh Lawd. : cried Sister Ann.
 Nov. brudefs an sisters" continues the preacher, !" dc Lawd hab blessed q. water O dis bayou for dis easion. eAs, he wants ter s4be de people rum d stfaction whut am ter come. Let d' canerdases fur dis heah holy bus ness n dasefs fur de receebin O de grace
 Tony Miller appearing very much lik' criminal approaching the hAngman trap, was conducted forward, and as ,h, preacher led him into ,he water, the con grega,ion sang
 Go sr losg slnner nan an gi dr shinln
 gafGslrt
 Oi. de LsxG ii tase sere c ger .oaf
 An rect yer irar, de tson ia, mighty sl
 ssTnlni.
 Oh. te La.d ii iase ksre c yer sosl.
 Oh. Peter tuck de keyl .hpi ee good Sab
 ior gin hifD,
 Oh de La-a Tl take k~re yer soul
 But lad4s ~eni eO4n ~haf de oie dsb
 ss.n kin.
 On, de LaNd r take kete O yer soul. When the preacher and the "caner date reached deep water, the congregA ton ceased shc wierd strain. Tony fac, had no, changed expression. The oil man who had spoken 70 me coneern,ni the sinner. stood with cl~sped hands sszing hsedly into the ~a;er. Tn preacher. seizIng Tony by the shirt col lar with one hand and maiestically way ing blessing wIth the other. said
 ]" 1, hab pleased de La@d 10 teeeIb dis man inter dc for. Bruder, in de nam O de Lavd an de angels ar princerpal ities--ez Paul would s4y--an' things ,el come, an de cup whgi wouldn't pas