Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-09-13

full to speak rocked to and fro in a
happy embrace, devoutly thanking
God in silence for his blessing in the
dreadful hour.
The trembling and demoralized
colored people, after the hand of
providence had been apparently re-
moved, began to proshesy and to re-
call all they knew in their confused
way of Bible scenes and Bible histo-
ry. otis the night of Sodom and
Gomorrah," shouted one in a frenzy
of apparent delight. ''The city of
St Michael is down to the ground"
yelled another. 81 told you so,''
cried a third. "Ah, how about my
wife's dream now," said fourth.
eLook for the rock of Horeb to split"
said another. ''Pray, my white peo-
pie, why don't you pray" said an
other. For fully five minutes in the
fearful excitement, the colored peo-
pie never ceased to utter what might
be considered torrent of prophetic
interpretations, and unintelliglble
prayers. In the dismal gloom some
woman cried out, sect to the green,
get TO the green" and almost in
twinkling the colored people made
rush for the haven of safety. 1t
seemed as if all Charleston was al
ready there Women hurried along,
dragging their little charges by their
hands, in all kinds of night apparel.
1t was only, however, when the older
class of the colored people arrived
| that a characteristic scene took place.
They ran about in the crowd with
cries of, 'sDown on your face, down
on your knees, miserable sinners ;
pray to God, my sister, my brother:
pray, pray, pray, don't l tell you the
NIGHT is come" Old women began
grooming over snatches of negro re-
lieious melodies and frantlcally selz-
ing each passer-by and inviting them
to join in the ''song of praise TO the
Redeemer." After an hour or so,
prayer meetings were organized and
the singing and screaming was kept
up until daylight. At that time the
watchword was passed around, ''The
battle is over, but the soldiers must
not rest" and this order was carried
out on Wednesday and Thursday
nights. On Thursday night, however
on Marion square the sights and
scenes baffied description. The col
ored people were unrestrained and
committed all manner of riOtous anC
frenzied excess. A report of thell
: actions would perhaps be considered
, blasphemous in such staid and con
sentative city as Charleston. There
+ was a large tent which had been gaily
decorated for some festive occasion
In the door stood very old coloret
= woman swaying backward and for
5 ward, her lips only moving, but ut
e tering no sound. The crowd in from
: of her watched her with intense anXi
4 ETY.. Suddenly she burst out with tn
f hymn, s'Oh, wrastlin' Jacob, let M
= 60" and the crowd joined in tn
, refrain. They swayed their bodie
forward to the right and to the lief
1 alternately, just like sacred dance
: clapping their hands in an ecstasy o
t emotion. Finally one man droppe,
0 to the ground converted. The lam
! was hastily brought from the tent
S and he was surrounded by a crowd @
e women who held his hands. H
s cried aloud for mercy and eventual
e swooned away and was almost a
d rigid as a corpse. The work of cor
: version then went on. and in less tina
# half an hour a dozen men and wome
Il succumbed to the emotional senss
% tons of the occasion. Similar scene
J. were being enacted all over til
If square.