The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-10-03


ms wss great day ous at the ne
gro Baptist camp Getting. which :
being held in grove near this village.
he crowd was enormous. and the seq
vices waieh we're Of novel character.
we're o. nb1orhing interest. For
week or more il mas heer bfntef aboat
Town that there was going 70 he =
great surprise 81 the meeting today.
nobody appeared 10 knox the nature
Of tire surprise, but all we're Of the
opinion that certain yellow girl vas
gong 70 be married before the day MAS
over % one OF the deaconz 81 Zion
church.
This was enough 10 draw all the
cosored people IN the neighborhcod.
Almost before Cy Peters rot through
building the last seat in the grove this
morning. people began coming over
| the dusty roads from Irbana. Cham
paign and other neighborin towns.
At 10 o'rsock there were at least 800
persons IN the grove. Half an hnsr
later the Rev. Mr. Fleming Graz ars-
peared IN the pulpit with an immense
caterpillar crawling around the crest
Of his silk hat
With much deIiberafi0n and with
many digniiied saiaams 70 the breth-
rem and sisters the preacher removed
his hat and long linen buster and sat
down IN chair while the choir sang.
Wen Get There By-and- BY" Then
the pastor opened his Bibie and began
wonderful sermon on The Prodigai
SON
After reading the beautiful parable.
the Rev. Mr. Gray leaned over the pul-
pit and inquired:
Whar is de prodigal son OF to-day
Nhar Is heg | say. Is he feeding his
self on husks, after he has spent his
| living in substance rioting2 These are
the questions what come back TO me
| this blessed day, when nature am in
communion with the world. Ii dar's
a prodfgal son q roamin rom the
world tand he may be roainin' right
roan' here, for all the people know. /
tells him nov TO come to his Father
and be hisself again.
The congregation became wildly de-
! monstratiye during the exoration, the
cries OF amen" and ~hallelujah p
being almoS; incessant The pastor
was plainly in deep earnest. His
| voice became tretnulous and his SEN
fences ended with high-Singiag in
/ Fiction. which arose ADORE the ferrent
cries OF his hearers While the excite
ment was az It's height the Rev. Mr..
Gray paused in his excrtation, and.
placing his hands 20 his ears as though
listening 10 some distant sound
stepped 10 the edge OF the platform.
The effect was magical. The con-
gregafi0n became so quiet that birds
could be heard fitting through the
branches OF the trees There came a
rafting noise and Standardization
which sounded queerly in the forest
| around the worshipers. The strange
| Eoises grew IN volume every moment.
until many of the women ran in ter
TOR TO their quaking escorts. The
pastor was deeply agitaled. He danced
around the platform, while bis eyes
rolled a. though they We're set on
| pivots. Hisface twitcbed convulsivelv
and he waved his arms in the most
| frantic manner.
Finally huge negro burst through
| the thicket and into the midst of the
| congregation. He affected q mournfui
mien, despite his exeriions, which had
| sent streams OF perspiFation down his
fat cheeks. lie WAS dressed in the
most dilapidated apparel, while cook
| ing utensils o. all kinds and of all
ages hung in profusion about his
shoulders and upon his back A big
watermelon with an extensive cash in
its side was in one OF the black pots
which hung over the negro's right
shoulder.
As soon as the man broke into the
congregation he fell upon his knees.
amid crash of tinware and iron.
while the melon rolled toward the
pulpit.
1.-THE prodigal son am come, ex-
| claimed the pastor, with n broad grin
at the success OF his plans Rise up.
children. and brace him befo' We kin
tie fatted calf.
| The prodieal son arose to his feet
with sheepish lsok, while tears rolled
down his cheeks. He looked great
deal like Lem. Lucas. who used 10
drive bus in Urbana and a.terward
| mastered the art OF amounting ceilings
with q broad brush. As soon as he
arose the Rev. Mr.. Gray leaped from
| the platform and clothed him in
white robe. while the worshipers gath
| cred about him and shook his hand.
When all this was over a banqSet
| was served on long pine table, at
| which the prodigai son came pretty
near smashing the record for eating.
| As there was no fatted calf at hand, the
| young man was forced TO make merry
on watermelon and chickens. When
the prodigaI had finished his meal
| there we're offers from other men in
/ the congregation TO perform the same
role next Sunday. The volunteers
were informed by the Rev. Mr.. Gray
that there would be another surprise
when they me, agaiu.
There is q report tonight that the
prodigal sons stomach i giving him
] much af.t 10 - saaptans