News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-09-13
THE PRODIGAL SONS RETURN.
The Way in which an EXhor'ei
illustrated HIS Text.

| iUrhana (Ill.) Special to flttsDurS Di'Pa'"iA'
This was great day out at the negro
Baptist camp-meeting, which IS being
held in a grove near this village. The
crowd was enormous, and the services,
which were of a novel character, were
Of absorbing interest. For week OF
more it had been limited about town
that there was going to be great sur
prise at the NEE ing to-day. Nobody ap-
peared to know the nature of the sur
prise, but all were of the opinion that
rertain yellow girl was going to be mar
ried before the day was over to one OF
the deacons of Zion Church.
This was enough to draw all the color
ed people in the neighborhood. Almost
before Cy Peters got through building
the last seat in the grove this morning,
people began coming over the dusty
roads from Urbana, Champaign and
other neighboring towns. At 10 o'clock
there We're at least three thousand per-
sons in the grove. Half an hour later
the Rev. Mr.. Fleming Gray appeared in
the pulpit with an immense caterpillar
crawling around the crest of his silk
hat.
With much deliberation and with
many dignifed salaams to the brethren
and sisters the preacher removed his hat
and long linen duster and sat down IN a
chair while the choir sung, "Weu Get
There By and By" Then the pastor
opened his Bible and began wonderful
sermon on ''The Prodigal Son."
After reading the beautiful parable,
the Rev. Mr.. Gray leaned over the pull
pit and inquired
"Whar is the prodigal son of today
Whar abouts is he, I say? Is he feeding
bisself on husks, after he has spent his
lvingin substance rioting? These are the
questions what come back to me this
blessed day, when nature am in com.
munion with the world. If dar'sa prod
igal son q roamin' 'roun' the world
(and he may be roamin' right roun'
here, for all the people knew. tells
him now to come to his hisself again.
The congregation became wildly de-
monstrative during the exhortation, the
cries of "amenl" and "halleluiah!'' be
ing almost incessant. The pastor was
plainly in deep earnest. His voice be-
came tremulous, and his sentences end
ed with high singing infection, which
arose above the fervent cries of his hear
ers. While the excitement was at its
height the Rev. Mr.. Gray paused in his
exhortation, and, placing his hands to
his ears as though listening TO some
distant sound, stepped to the edge of
the platform.
The effect was magical. The congre-
CATION became SO quiet that birds could
be heard fitting through the branches
of the trees. There came a rattling
noise and n Naturalization which
sounded queerly in the forest around
the worshippers. The strange noises
grew in volume every moment, until
many of the women ran in terror to
their quaking escorts. The pastor was
deeply agitated He danced around the
platform, while his eyes rolled as though
they were set on pivOts. His face
twiched convulsively, and he waved his
arms in the most frantic manner
Finally a huge negro burst through
the thicket and into the midst of the
He affected mournful
mien, despite his exeFtions. which had
sent streams of perspiration down his fat
cheeks. He was dressed in the most
apparel, while cooking uten-
sils of 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 ne
gro's right shoulder.
AS soon as the man broke into the
he fell upon his knees,
amid crash of tinware and iron, while
the melon rolled towards the pupit.
"The prodigal son am come" ex-
claimed the pastor, with broad grin at
the success of his plans. "Rise up,
children, and brace him befo' we kill
the fatted calf.
The prodigal son arose to his feet with
a sheepish look, while tears rolled down
his cheeks. He looked great deal like
Lem Lucas, who used to drive a bus in
Urbana, and afterwards mastered the art
of amounting ceilings with a broad
brush. AS soon as he arose the Rev.
Mr.. Gray leaped from the platform and
clothed him in a white robe, while the
worshippers gathered about him and
shook his hand.
When all this was over banquet was
served on long pine table, at which the
prodigal son came near smashing the
record for eating. AS there was no fat
ted calf at hand, the young man was
forced to make merry on watermelons
and chicken. When the prodigal had
finished his meal there were offers from
other men in the congregation to per-
form the same role next Sunday. The
volunteers were informed by the Rev.
Mr.. Gray that there would be another
surprise when they met again.
There is o report tonight that the
prodigal sons stomach is giving him
much embarrassment.