The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-23
A HOLY DANCE.
A Weird Scene In a Louisiana Village
The Holy Dance OF the Negroes.


The Holy Dance OF the Negroes.
New FORK Mail and Express
Be levue. Louisiana, is a small village and
has an air of decay, but it has history. To
Its size and pulation, more men have died
there with their boots on than in perhaps
any place in the world. The negro pcpula-
ton OF the place is composed of a set " ho
rlay cards for weeks at time and then de-
vote the same period TO church and meetil'.
At these msetins the CO lored people aroond
the country assemble and join in worship
with the gamblers. who pray faster, groal
harder and shout louder than their rural
brethren, who perhaps have rarely com.
mitteo even the trespsss Of coaxing chicken
from its ro0st, much less to manipulate the
paste boards.
revival niestin' was in full blast recent
~ when Mail and Express writer happened
along. The African NJ. E. Church, 5 )uth, is
situated on the outskirts of the village in a
clump OF small pines. On learning that
probably holy dance would take place in
the church at night, the writer resolved 70
witness 1t IL he bad to wait al night. He
went with gentleman who had seen such a
sight before and knew sll the negroes The
moon was out In all its splendor and the
stars added their brilliancy, making the
whiteV asbed church look more like marble
structure than rough edge plank carelessy
put together. Horses mules and OK teams
were tied around to the small pine
bushes. Luke Davis, thick, hesvy-set
negro, was acting as guard pacing around
the church with double barreled gun A
horse or two had been stolen while their
owners were busy praying and so guard
was permanently Established SIS part of the
services. Luke. although young had once
been deacon, but il is said he appropriated
bolt of cheap calico intended TO put
around the pulpit. and was degraded TO the
post of night guard. Giving the ex deacon
= chew OF navy twist, the writer passed to
the door and entered, taking seat silently
in the rear. Services were under Roadway.
Uncle Abe Hawkins, the min is.er had Just
descended from the pulpit, and stood in
front of the mourners bench to exhort sim
ners to come and repent.
Use not a-gwne to line the hymn" be
said, but let yer sing it from yer hearts"
They Gang il from their lungs:
We are gwine to happy Cline
Halle, halle, hallelujah;
And have hifalutin' time
In the new Jarusalam;
Halle, halle, halleluish
Oh, glory, glory, glory
In the new jerusalem:
Saints and sinners ali viii shout
Halle, halle halleujahl
Yslsbsster gates stand sjar.
Halle, halle halleujah.
Nobody's gwine 10 put q bar
To the new Jarusalam:
Halle, halle, hallelujahi
A large hst-nosed negro, known all around
the country as Sick" Isam, led the song.
His body kept in perpetual motion, and in
oroer TO produce a certain sound at the word
Jerusalem, be held his nose All during the
singing, Uncle Abe was shutting back and
form, whining in mournfal voice "You'li
be roastiH' in the dreadful day an FIRE and
birthstone will be your diiHk, oh, my poor
lost souls
Silss A bernathv, a worthy deacon with
four wives, varied the molotony bv shout
ing with a sad falling infe,tion of the voice
You'll be thar too, in that day"
All the sisters and brothers raised their
voices in the great hallelujsh hymn until
rAfters fairly ratified.
An sged woman, bent and twisted, smbled
down the aisle toward the pulpit Her
piping voice could be heard above the others.
she reached the mourners' bench and knelt
down. Uncle Aoe swung around 70 her aud
put his band on her head "5he's ggine
through them yslsbsster gates, but her sun
Peter is gwine to roast "
This allusiOn to Peters probable fate caused
break among the young dsrkles aud soon
the mouTner's bench was crowded Aunt
Jane Hodge, a large copper oclored woman
with unlimited lung power, began TO shout.
This was signal for the holy daace to be:
gin. Jsne, still shouting. advanced
toward the pulpit, followed by other
women equally possessed by the spirit.
From the loud hymn the audience
changed to q blOurDful cadence, q low
chant, in SLOW waltz time Aunt Polly.
q tall dark woman, spd possessing a voice
deep snd sono-ous. darted from the smeD
corner on the right and took the lead of
Jane. Who had commenced slowly bat in
perfect time 10 the chant, to dance around
the mouIneIs, swaying her nOdy aud ga Eing
the air With he--srms & be, all 81 once,
seemed transformed snd stopped his hum-
drum appeal 70 sinners 10 repent Raising
his voice above the rest, he yelled: "Yi-hi.
yi-hi," and seized Aunt Polly's arm. going
around with her. slick" Isam, who had
been doing great lung work in the Hallelu-
jah Hymn, took his finger from his fat nose
and spraDg into the swaying and reeling
~ fba oh;af ~