The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-07-10
A Darky's Sermon.

But few more years will have elaps-
ed before the old-time, uneducated COL
ored preacher is no more, and with him
will die class of people who have ex-
erted peculiar and powerful influence
over the ignorant, though trusting ne
groes of the South. Of all sable divines
in the land, perhaps, preacher of Rich
mond, Va, is the best known, on ac-
count of the sermon he has preached on
the subject, de sun d0 move He,
however, is possessed of a fair education
in addition to his natural shrewdness
and conception. In fact, he is so smart
that when talking to an educated person
his language is said to be almost fault
lessly 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 to have more con-
troll 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 Sulphur Springs on one occa-
sion version of 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 couch
ed in the fowery, logical language of
some of the eminent and cultured divines
OF the Anglo-Saxon race.
HIS CHURCH.
The old darky in question had
church of the rudeSt construction, To-
Gated near the banks of the James River,
ard his congregation was made up of
colored people, who came every Sunday
afternoon for miles and miles to hear
him expound the Scriptures. Every
community has its scofferS at religion,
and every negro settlement has its banjo
lckers, who, to cling to this amusement,
are anti, church people-for with the
colored religious enthusiasts the rule is
that banjo picker is too light hearted
to belong to the flock. 1t was at these
non praying, non-worshipping people
that the old preacher aimed his discourse.
In his argument to prove that man was
aweak vessel and needs help from above
he used the following language, proceed
ing in the high-pitched, singsong key
50 generally heard in colored churches
OF the South.
THE SERMON.
whats all dis l hear bout people
who say dey need'n put no truss in de
Lawd? Sech people is weak and dey
knows it, yit de debil got such holt
on 'em dey think dey mighty smart, but
YOU wait and see what comes of 'em.
Hits no use ter talk, man is erbleeged
to have hep, an de man, niger er white
,nan, what say he kin paddle his own
kinnoo is sure to git lef'. Always put
your pennunce in de Lawd. Nebber
b'leeve you kin do anything 'cepin'
you's got de grace OBJ de Sperrit. Now,
1 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' land. A great
load was gwine ober, and while de ship
was layin' gin de bank waitin' ter pull
out, de happy bred'rin an sisters was
er singin', an er shoutin,' an all was
glory hal-le-lu-jah! Dey all say dey
was monstus glad to 60 to de promis'
lam 'ceptin' one mighty headstrong mig
ger. Dat niger stood dar, he did, er
shakin' un his head, an er battin' NV
his big white eyes, and yelled, he did,
dat he didn't want ter 60 on no gospel
ship, and lowed he could swim emmy
whar 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 dey'd pull out. When some
Nv de bred rim seed dis headstrong mig
ger an de mule ways he had, dey call
out to him agin, an axed him to repent
an come on bode while he had chance:
But, no indeed; he still lowed ne could
swim ennywhar he wanted ter go.
DE SHIP STARTS.
$50 de ship steamed up, and off de
ship went; and de bredren and sisters
was shoutin an er clappin' kaze dey
was joyful as joyful could be and gwine
straight to de happy Ian. What did
dat mulish niger do2 Huh? He esplush.
ed in de water an struck out, an tell
yer he was a mighty likely swimmer,
too. He rolled his eyes an laffed an
laffed, an showed off same as one el
yer peacocks what you see strut about
SO in de barnyard.: He amt gone tul
fore one er his kinfolks on de ship call
out to him to ak de cap'in to take him
on bode. But no, indeed. Dat niggei
got wuss and wuss as de water gun tel
open de po'es of his black skin. ie
swum an he swum like he gwinete1
split de waves. De singin' an de shout
in was KEEP up at lively rate; de olf
boat she git long faster an faster. Artel
while one NV de mates look out in d.
water, an what yer reckon he seed? HI
seed dat niger just a hustliln'. II,
amt gone fur fore great big sharl
fish tackle him-one er deze fish wha
take off yer arm same as you bite piec
er pie. Hit was fust de niger dive an
den de shark, den de shark an den q
niger. Dey KEEP on dis way twei put
ty nigh, an de shark would er had ga
| ,,inoar fer hic pnaot dat daV