Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-02-18
A NEGRO BAPTISM.
4 PICTURE soUE SCENE WHICH IS
NOT EASILY FORGOTTEN.

| W Stu SSSe SSSiSe VvSssSsb ~
NOT EASILY FORGOTTEN.
Arrival Of the Preschsrs-Ths Crowd si
the Waters Edss-F Fsrvid Rsilgioaa
Songs Rapture os the Converts
Curious Sight
On the banks Of the pond, between the
road and the water, the pedestrians are
ranged five or six deep, and down at the
lower corner, near where the mill race
debouches from the end Of the dam, they
are too thick to he pleasant this warm
August day. For this Is the center Of at
traction. Here are the dressing rooms
overshadowed by several shade trees, all
bearing heavy crop Of small boys to-day,
and here in this open space do the candi-
| dates for baptism enter and leave the
| water.
All colors of skin are represented among
the crowd, from the almost white com
plexion of some Of the mulattos to the
ebony black Of the real, old fashioned,
''befo' de wah" African. And all colors
Of the rainbow flash and rustic and futter
in the sunlight, as the wind stirs the gar
ments of the female portion of the negroes
Each has on her Sunday go to meeting
ribbons, and marvellous indeed are some OF
the combinations Of color In the various
hats and bOnnets
But u stir in the crowd announces the
arrival of the preachers, and they sHii-
ingly give greetings around As they make
their way to their dressing room to don
their water garments. Two Of them enter
tn. water and wade out TO the homo
Plate, as marked by q stake, where the
""'el s ao"u. wais' aeep. BON OF tnen
are pretty dark III co1or' seH satisned IN
'iaiihef' anu VI tua' sieeH appearance ana
lItunu ou.tihe ot nsufo tha' are the usual
.t"jnuet' vi popular negro preachers' ioe
.ne ia'tes' ch,cheh Is 'oo poor i"r them.
'uc hSh'es' biscuits are 700 heaSy' ana
',ie c"iues1 outterthik s 100 warm ior
mem When .hey CONFER tns glamour OF
,neir presenc. on brother NJ. or sister n.
AZ uiuhef "r.eI 'ne nSohtniy morning
L1eS,uns' eiy 'ney ,Ne on inc tst OF
,he i'iiiu ano 'ne'F ""so"" mover grows
'e'ss'
Al HE "Ath" Eo"E.
Some of the converts emerge from the
dressing rooms and begin TO congregate
on the edge OF the pond, accompanied by
Old tired brothers AMI sisters, and this Is
the siGnal Tor singing 70 commence
snort, stontly built deacon, whose
compleX'on Is about that OF . new broGan,
starts the tune:
Oh, whar you gwine, mourDers
whar you g~ine, say,
rse Svine down de Ribher Oh jordan.
You cannot cross today
Sing br,,r.p de ro.oa Iora h.-.,,n
rse cwine down de Ribb.r Oh Jordaa.
You cannot cross today.
The first sister. accomnanied nv a
couple of deacons. enters the water and
wades out to where the preachers await
her coming. She is Quiet and nervous
and makes no demons,r.tion as .he
comes ont, excitement not having vet cot
the hold on the crowd that it win hsye
later on
The leader on the bank gives out the
next song. Several more 60 through
quietly. but the singing Is getting louder,
and swaying movement Of the singers,
led by the deacon, whs is getting worked
up to fever heat, denotes that the ex-
citablc temperament OF the negroes Is be-
ginning to spread itself. A tall young
allow comes to the front. swin0inR h;s
a,ms Ike n windmill a he enfers fha
water. With yell, he breaks forth into
song: the crowd cease their singing mo
ment only to Join IN the new song with
double fervor: a.E --.
Oh! de puttiest thing dat eber done
Was to praise De LAwd when was young.
Sood LAwd. GOOD LAsd
Ine WORDS are SPOKEN, ne - deftly Aid
nnoef tne wa'et oy tne pract'ced hands oe
the preachers, ana, - ne comes mp bap-
tized man. ne iets tne neiHhborhood know
u; Use iouno nm L Sc found him; breas
de Lawu, ana, waving MS hands and
splashinG the wafer al around, ne stands
and shouls untu tne a1tendants Lead him
asooho' =.
s-a CAhA of The CASDIoArE-
Time Is slipping away, 30 the officers
don't give the candidates much time TO
ohstruct the water way. but ouicklv le>d
them out 70 do thair shou,ino an ar
-
or. ,nna ,Ss, 49, n,.a. 81. os o
"orn,. ~ hnnS-.d ~ nsD,a voi".s to;nt,.
~ ~ ola s"nm.
~ ~ te ts '.. s~s. sss sss,s w W. Len Leu
In IA sv,ss,s s.,i,is a, rdso
Ot,rr drr.
Erc,,ams,, ia .s,,ir. . oood hold q,
,t,a nro,.S 49, "a - % ,ha nar.Iv
han,i,sa ,,arrb.rs 90 ,o;re .rnrrS
.mnng the;r fr;.nas rscsiv,ng conor,tuiX-
,inns 0na ola woman ;s .nn.rsn,iv
cra,v x,,h .xc;,a,,.n, .rd :. a,rhrsc,Ds
.,'arrh",1 ~. LII s',h,,i, - -. s.I,,,.S
IN ,bo, ,r.w In hsr ,o,r ~ s.,uta,;on
sh. -r.Sno,iv .n,ro..hss ,,,, ,s.v .n1
rnsbin% NV 70 n,r cam,sn;on who -
standin, aiorvs,Ss tho hncvx ,,,ss 20 IN.
- -, .s~, aSss,,. ..na,