Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-07-15

HIS 6IOhI VI LIN NI0Ohuj LIE LlON3 AMI
DE SHARK"
st. Louis Republican.
But a few more years will have elapsed
before the old time, .uneducated colored
preacher is no more, and with him will die
a class of people who have exerted a pecu-
liar and powerful influence over the igno.
rant, though trusting negroes of the South.
OF all sable diyines in the land, perhaps, a
preacher of Richmond, Va, is the best
known, Oh account of the sermon he has
preached on the subject, ''De sun do move"
He, however, is possessed of fair educa-
and conception. In fact, he is SO smart
that when talking to an educated person
his language is said to be almost faultlessly
proper. but when he addresses his congre-
cation he uses the dialect, and SO perfectly
in accord that one who did not know of his
tactics would put him down as man who
had no education whatever. He seems to
have more control over his flock by acting
and talking as one of them when in their
presence.
All through the South, though, there are
numbers of crude negro preachers. In the
river counties of Virginia there are oddly
original ones, and while at the White Sui
phur Springs on one occasion a version of a
sermon was obtained by the writer that is
perhaps as forcible an illustration OF the
point the preacher wished to make as if it
had been couched in the fiowery, logical
language of some of the eminent and Gull
tured divines of the anglo-saxon race.
The old darkey in question had a church
of the rudest construction, located near the
banks of the James river, and his congrega-
ton was made up of colored people, who
came every Sunday afternoon for miles and
Every commuiips expognd shs se Sc rrreeon
and every negro settlement has it's banjo
pickers, who, to cling to this amusement, are
anti-church people-for with the colored
religious enthusiasts the RULES that banjo
picker is too light-hearted to belong to the
flock. 1t was at these nom praying, non
worshipping people that the old preacher
aimed his discourse In his argument to
prove that man was d weak vessel and needs
help from above lie used the following Ian
guage, proceeding in the high pitched,
sing song key So generally heard in colored
churches of the South.
"What's all dis / hear bout people who
say dey need'n put no truss in de lawd P
Sech people is weak and dey knows it, yit
de debil got sech a hol' on 'em dey think
dey mighty smart, but you wait and See
what comes of EN- Hits no use ter talk,
man is erbleedged to have he p, and de man,
niger or white man, what say he kin paddle
his own kinnoo is sure to git lef' Always
put your pennunce in de Lawd. Nebbe1
b'leeve you kin do anything 'cepin' you S
got de grace OBJ de Sperrit. Now, I heerd
Nv niger once what thought hissef a
mighty big man, jes as niggers does desc
days. Hit was IN ole times when de gospel
ships useter make reg lar trips to de promis'
lam. A great load was gwine ober, and
while de ship was layin' gin de bank waitin'
ter pull out, de happy bredrn an sisters
was er singin', an er shoutin', an all was
g-l-o-r y hal-le-lu-jah. Dey all say dey was
monstus glad to go to de promis' Lam 'cept-
in one mighty headstrong niger. Dat mig
ger stood dar, he did, er shalzin' Nv his
head, an er battin'.uv his big white eyes,
yelled, he did, dat he didn't want ter 90 on
no gospel ship, an lowed he could swim
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 60. 1t KEEP on dis
way twel bimeby de capin' NV de ship sing
out dat bein's all on bode what want ter 60
to de happy lam of Canaan, he guessed
dey'd pull out. When some Nv de bredin
seed dis headstrong niger an de mule
ways he had, dey call out to him agin an
axed him to repent an come OF bode while
be had chance. But, no indeed he still
lowed he could swim ennywhar he wanted
ter go.
$50 de ship steamed up, and off de ship
went; and de bredren and sisters was a
oh a1 1ya1
as joyful could be and gwine straight to de
happy LAM What did DAT mulish niger
do? Huh? He splashed in de water am
struck out an tell yer he was er mighty
likely swimmer, too. He rolled his eyes an
LATED an laffed, an showed off same as one
or desc yer peacocks what you see strut
about go i'll de barnyard. He amt gone fur
fore one or his kinfolks on de ship call out
to him to ak de cap lin to take him On bode.
But no, indeed. Dat niger got wuss an
wuss as dc water gun ter open de po'es Nv
his black ski. He swim an he swum like
he gwineter split de wa, es.. De singin' an
de sfoutin' was KEEP upat lively rate, de
ole boat she git long faster an faster AFTER
while one NV Gle mates look out III de water.
and what yer reckon he seed? He seed dat
niger just hustlin'. He amt gore fur
fore great big shark fish tackle him
one er deze fish What take off yer arm same
as you bite piece of pie. Hit was fust de
niger dive an den de shark, den de shark
an den de niger. Dey KEEP on dis way
twel putty nigh, an de shark would er had
dat niger for his meat dat day
"Artur lots er strugglin' an some mighty
tall swimmin' dat niger git away, an de
shark dun lost trail un him. Bein's twas
long ways fun sho, de sisters an bred'rin
cali out to him again: ooh brudder, you
better come on de gospel ship!" But no,
dat niger say he gwineter make de promis'
lam on his own hook or bust suspender
So he KEEP on, and 'twant long fore he was
nigh de bank OBJ de golden stream which
take 'em plum to de lam of Canaan. And,
oh! my bred'rin, dat niger did look happy
when he was bout to reach de bank. But
dar whar fresh troubles cotch him. He amt
no sooner by de bank dan dat hungry shark
fish make fer i'm agin, but he soon nigh de
bank he laff, he did, an holler out, not dis
time? But when he git to de bank what do
he see? Hail Great big lion groun', wild
his mouf wide open, an his great big
white teef an big red gums er showin' dar
ready to grab i'm. He look behine, an what |
did he see? DE treat big shark er comm |
at I'm wild his mouf wide open, too. Dat |
'nSSCi woo III CT inlgnJy pickle, ShO4. Oar |
was de lion in front. Oar was de shark
behine.. De gospel ship was jes a pullin' in
too; an. when de happy ones on bode seed
i'm, did dey want i'm ct up kaze he had
fused ter call upon de Lawd? No, dey
didn't. Wild true Christian sperrit, dey
,all out ter him, dey did: "Now, brudder,
even at de lebenth hour call on de cap'in
1b de ship an you shill be be saved. Yo'
'ins may be black as yerskin, but you shall
)e whittier dan snow
4Dat niger seed de jig was up. He