The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-06-14
THE COTTON WOOD DISTRICT.
Mr. Muikittie Emotional Experience
 With an Ardent Congregation.

With an Ardent congregs,ion. The first African church of the cotton wood district, sent a committee to wait upon the Rev. Mir. Mulkittle and request him to deliver, at time which might suit his convenience, one of his impressive sermon, to the ardent congregation and the apPreciative people oi the cotton wood community. The good man re- ceived the committee with cordial cere- mony, and assured the gentlemen that nothing would s;~e him more pleasure than to talk to their congregation. He appointed the following Sunday as the day when he would address the good brethren and sisters, and after giving the committeeman a lunch of home made bread and cold rooster, he sent them away much elAied over their success. The church was crowded when the day arrived. The dingy old brother from the swamps and the fat sister from the kill- side; the smooth young buck and the naPpy-headed girl, all came to hear "de music O dat white man.
 It was MT. Mulkittle's intention, know l ing the intensity of the negro's nature. to speak in quiet manner, entirely stripped of oratorical fiourishes, but shortly after announcing his text, he caught the pre- vailing spirit and found himself being borne away on the majestic wave of emotion. He had looked forward to the delivery of the sermon, desiring to show the colored people that a religious dis quisition could be given in a calm. dis passionate manner; he had thought of telling them how noiselessiy nature ac- complished her work, how quiet and un- obtrusively the spirit announcing the second birth came and took up its eternal abode in the soul of man, but he had not spoken dozen words until he had lost the power of precise reasoning. Theae is something strange about this. The coldest preacher, a man who has never felt the inexplicable warmth of religious enthusiasm, may address a negro congregation and the first thing he knows, despite his determination, he is swaying to the motion of fat brother or nodding in emotional acquiescence to the sister who is on the eve of falling over in a trance
 Mir. Mulkittle forgot his text, forgot his line of thought, forgot everything but the curious fascination inspired by the ebon faces in front of him.
 "Heah dat man CT blowin' O de hon :" exclaimed old Silas Parker, arising and claPping heavy hand on the top of a brothers head. ~Heah dat hon rum de walls q de Jericho. De pigeon fly ter de east an de pigeon fly ter de west, but de dove fly straight ter de throoe." Bless dis sidywaton," cried old Han- nah Miller. aDe new broom is CT sweepin' de crumbs O sin ont de do inter de eberlastin' flood O de fiery torment. Satan's gwine down de hillside while on top, de eharriet wheels roll wid dc thun- der O de heabens."
 "Yer's CT talkin' like CT whipperwill," exclaimed a smooth little negro Debil's stock gwine down ebery mint Pauie in de Wall street O de torment. Bright sun risin' in de east, an de glow O. de redeemed wori' is seed h de vest"
 Mir. Mulkitle stepped from the pulpit and stood on the foor, waving his arms, and asking the people to iorsake the wicked heshpots of Satan, and to turn to the banquet prepared by the saints. This was trife more than the congregation could stand. The mere suggestion of something to eat touched eve-y ons, and the mighty shout which arose, jared cob-vehs from the rafters- It sounded % much like . political shout that the preacher stopped for a momen, and looked around as if to convince himself that he rere not attending a ward meet ing. Gradually he regsiaed his lost reason, and attempted to speak without emotion, but the loud cries of the ferveus brothers and sisters drowned his voice. He began to recognize colored eenflemen whom he knew to be dishouest, ose man especially, whom he knes to have served term in the penitentiav.
 "Les me get out of here," he finally demanded, bat no one seensed to hear him. The fat sister and the dingy