The Opelousas courier., 1884-11-15
AMONG THE ~DRUNkARDs.

The church was divided down the
center by a long table, and this table
was divided in the center to allow pas.
sage between. At. one end the men
sat on benches arranged along the ia
BILE. The other end or division OF the
. table was in like manner occupied by
the women. Astrip of plank with
pegs in it was over the mems table
and was hung full of their immense
hats. A staircase in one corner went
UP into the loft above, where all the
congregation who have tocome any
distance sleep on the floor and in
hunks. They bring their bedding
with them, and, as they do not insist
upon a separation of the sexes, a great
many can be accommodated in this
garrett People acquaintedwith theil
habits said that they slept in
sackcloth and ashes while here fol
several nights. A door at the foot O.
the stairs led into the kitchen, in
which a tremendous fle cracked utI-
der a great iron pot, hanging on a
crane in a spacious chimney that
would easily burn a cord of wood I'm.
cut. From this pot a sayory steam
escaped and made its way through the
open door, pervading the atmosphere
with a most appetizing odor of beef,
Soon there were prayers from first
one andthen another of the men, al.
ternated with exceedingly brief and
crude addresses. Hymns were also
lined out and sang to very monoto.
nous tunes. During all the time the
men and women at their respective la
bles were embracing and kissing each
other. It looked rather strange to
see two men with Esau-like boards
kissing each other. There were sever
al negroes at the table who were en-
braced and kissel just the same as the
other members. and bestowed their
kisses equally as freely.
After these addresses, prayers and
hymns had gone on for an hour or
more, some of the men and women
brought little wooden tubs and tow
ais. Then one man, or one woman, as
the case might be, washed the feet Of
another, after their boots or shoes and
wooden stockings were removed. kiss
ing them both before and after it.
Another. with his coat removed (if
. man and a towel about the waist,
wiped the feet after bestowing the kiss
Of brotherly love, as it IS called; then
gave up the towel and tub to some one
else, who performed the same Office
for them in turn. This custom, as one
Of the preachers explained "was to
show their humility and brotherly
love-" and also to follow Christ at the
last supper. After th Office had
been concluded, praying, singing and
speaking went on as before. A man
now entered bearing a great basket of
bread, a slice of which, about nine
inches long, Ave wide, and Of indefinite
thickness, was laid in front of each
person; next a spoon was put to each
place; then dishes of soup, with
square bits of bread broken in it, were
placed 81 that there was one for ev-
cry four persons; then appeared huge
pieces of boiled beef. Everything
being thus prepared, one of the preach
srs explained that according to their
reading of the scriptures the commu-
MON did not mean simply the taking
of the elements of bread and wine.
but that the Last supper Of Christ was
d feast, and their aim was to initiate
him exactly. After a blessing had
been asked in the ordinary way, with
all standing around, they began to eat
heartily. Without waiting to clear
up the table they proceeded to com
plete their communion, by taking the
latter part of the feast. This consist
ed Of what appeared to be unleavened
bread, made into long. thin strips,
eight inches long, an inch wide, and
about the thickness of a newspaper
when folded. An explanation of the
ceremony was made-by a minister. and
q sort Of informal blessing of the ele.
ments was pronounced. The slices Of
bread were lying in a napkin, while
the vine was In two patent medicine
bottles labeled oliver corrector."
The bread was distribute |, one per-
son taking a strip with two of his
companions, and breaking it into three
thus again following out their
Idea of d preservation of the trinity, as
thsy do on every possible occasion.
The wine or oliver ~corrector" was
next poured into thin cups. and like
wise distributed, both among women
and men, as the bread had been. Dur
ing and after the ceremony there was
much kissing and embracing, and af-
ter the communion singing, praying
and speaking were again resumed.
Washington Star.