Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-22
DARKEYs SERMON.
zsfs story. Of "De Niger, de Lion and de
shark

huE q lev more years " III El4fH ia l1t1s
saws the Philadelphia Times. before the
old-tme. 7lneducated colored preacher is
no more, and with him VIII die class Of
people who have exerted a peculiar and
powerful influence over the ignorant,
though trusting negroes Of the South. Of
an sable divines in the land, perhaps, a
preacher OF Richmond "a, is the best
known. on account Of the sermon he has
preached on the subject, DE sun do
moye.u He, however, is possessed Of a
fair education in addition to his natural
F. shrewdness and conception. In fact, he
is so smart that when talking to an edu-
Gated person his language is said TO be
almost faultlessly proper, but when he
addresses his congregation he uses the
dialect, and so perfectly in accord, that
one who did not know Of his tactics
would put him down as a man who had no
education whatever. He seems 70 have
more control over his flock by acting and
talking as one Of them when in their pres
ence.
AM through the South, Oh, there
are numbers Of crude negro preachers. In
the river counties Of Virginia there are
oddly original ones, and while az the White
sulphur 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 II IT had been cOuched in the fiowery,
logical language Of some Of the eminent
and cultured dfrines Of the -ADglo-SaNOn
race.
HIS CHURCH.
The old darkey in question had church
Of the rudest construction, located near
the banks Of James river, and his congre-
cation was made up Of cOlOred people,
who came every Sunday afternoon for
miles and miles to hear him eNpound the
scriptures. Every community has its
scOders at religion, and every negro set
Element has its banjo pickers, who, to
cling to this amusement, are anti-church
peOple-fOr with the cOlOTed religious en-
tbusiasts the rule is that banjO-piekeri is
too light-hearted to belong to the flock. 1t
was at these nOn-praying, nOn-wOrshlp-
ing people that the old preacher aimed
his discourse In his argument TO prove
that man is a weak vessel and needs help
from above. he used the following Ian
guage. proceeding in the high-pitched,
sing-sOng key so generally heard in the
cUIOred churches Of the South:
THE SERMON.
whats all dis hear bout people who
say dey need'n put no truss in de LaWd.
Sech people is weak and dey knows 1t,
Wit de debil got seeh a hOP on 'em dey
think dey mighty smart, but you wait and
see what come of 'em. Hits no use ter
talk. man is erbleedged to have hep, and
de man. niger er white man, what say he
kin paddle his own kinnOO, is sure 70 git
lef. Always put your pennunee In de
Lawd. Nebber b'leeve you kin do any
thing 'ceptin' yOu's got de grace OBJ de
Sperrit. Now, / heerd NV a Niger once
what thought hissef a mighty big man,
les as niggers does desc days. Hit was
i'm ole times when de gospel ships useter
make regular trips 10 de prOmls' Ian. A
great load was gWiue ODER, ana Wnlle de
shin was LAWN gin de bank Waltin' ter
pulI out, de happy bred'Tin an sisters was
or siugins an er shoutin', an all was
g-l-O-r-v hal-Ie-lu-;ah! Dey all say dey
was monstus glad to go to de promis' Ian
'cepin' one mighty headstrOng Niger. Dat
Niger stood dar, he did, er shakin' NV his
head an er battin' NV his big white eyes,
am yelled. he did. dat he didn't want ter
20 on no gospel ship, and lowed he could
swim anywhar he wanted ter go. 1t KEEP
ON dis way twel bimeby de Cap'in NV de
ship sing out dat bein's all on bode what
want ter go to de happy lam Of Canaan,
he guessed dev'd pull out. When some
NV de bredrin seed dis headstrOng Niger
an de mule ways he had, dey call out to
him agin, an aXeG him tOrepent an come
on bOde while he had chance. But, no In
deed: he still lowed he could swim emmy
whar he wanted ter go.
DE SHIP STARTS.
$50 de ship steamed up, and of de ship
went: and de bredrin and sisters was
shOutin' and er clappin' kaze dey was
joyful as joyful could be, and gwlne
straight to de happy lam. What did dat
muIish niger dof Huh9 He splushed in
de water and struck out. and / tell yer
he was mighty likely swimmer, too. He
rolled his ewes and lated and LATED, and
showed of same as one Ter desc yer pea
cocks what YOU see strut about so IN de
barn-yard. He amt gone fur fore one
'er his KinfOlks ON de ship call out to him
10 ak de Cap'in to take him
on bOde. But no, indeed. Dat
Niger cot wuss and wuss as de water
'eUn ter omen de pose Of his black skin.
He swum an he swum like
he gwineter split de waves De singin'
and de shoutin' was KEEP up at lively rate;
de ole boat she git long faster an faster.
AFTER while one NV de mates look out IN
de water, and what yer reckon be seedS
He seed dat Niger Just hustlin'. He
amt gone fur fore a great big shark
fish tackle him-One er deZe fish what take
OF yer arm same as you bite piece er
pie. Hit was fust de niger dive, an den
De shark. den the shark an den de niger.
Dey KEEP on dis way twel putty nigh an
de shark would er had dat niger fer his
meat dat day.
"Arter lots er strugglin' an some
mighty tall swimmin' dat niger git away,
an de shark dun loss trail un him. Beln's
twas long ways fun shO', de sisters an
bred'rin call out to him agin: oh! brud-
der. YOU better come on de gospel shipP
But no, dat niger still say he gwineter
make de prOmis' Ian on his own hook or
bust a suspender. So he KEEP on; and
'twaut long fore he was nigh de bank oh
de golden stream which take dem plum to
lie Ian NV Canaan. And, oh! my BRED
rim, dat Niger did look happy when he
was bout to reach de bank. But dar
whar fresh troubles ketch him. He amt
no sooner by de bank dan dat hungry
shark fish make fer i'm agin, but he so
nigh de bank he laff, he did, and hOller
out. Not dis timer But when he git to
de bank, what do he see? Huh? Great
big lion standin' dar on de bank lashin'
his tail on de lgrOUn', wild his mOuf wide
open an his great big white teef and
big red gums er shOwin' dar ready TO grab
i'm. He look behIne, and what did he
sees De great big shark er comm at
i'm wild his mOuf wide open, too. Dat
Niger was in er mighty pickle, sho'. Oar
was de lion i'm front. Oar was de shark
1ehine. De gospel ship was jess pullin'
in, too; AM when de happy ones on bOde
seed i'm, did dey want i'm ct up kaZe he
aad fused ter call on de Lawd. No, dey
didn't. Wild true Christian sperrit, dey
call out ter I'm dey did: Now, brudder,
even ut de 'leEenth hour, cal on de Cap'n
Oh de ship and YOU shall be saved. YO'
sins may be black as yer skin, but you
shill be whittier dan snow
THE ZIG WAS UP.
ssDat niger seed de jig was up. He
knOw'd 'tWan't no use any longer, and he
sing out, he did, i want ter git on de Cos
pei ship. too He Sc skeered an got so
weak dat his bad heart done melt his
mule ways done lef I'm. and spite his
sinful ways, he was keered for by de
Cap'n in de gospel ship. Re was lifted up,
and jes as de shark made & pass fur i'm. (
Alr. Shark jump right spraHg on de bank |
and into de lions mOuf, and was ct up /
quicker'n you could say Jack Robertson" !
'Yaas, Lawd, deed he was" cried out /
several sisters who had listened breath !
lesslp at the discourse until the climax 4
was reached.
THE MORAL.
Lowering his voice and speaking from /
away down in his chest, the old darkey 4
preacher drew his moral from the above |
OOfNfS. maxine a LASTING fu1rtrnccior, ~,