Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-05-11
A Negro Ra1itsn. at tho Sossth-Cssrt0M
Sights ssMt Somys.

sented in the crowd, from the
almost white complexion of some
of the mulattoes to the ebony
black of the real old-fashioned "befo'
de war" 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
connecting ribbons, and marvellous in-
deed are some of the combinations of
color in the various hats and bonnets.
But a stir in the crowd announces
the arrival of the preachers, and they
smilingly give greetings around as
they make their way to their dressing
room to don their water garments.
Two of them enter the water and wade
out to the home plate, as marked by
stake where the water is about waist
deep.
Some of the converts eme,ge from
the dressing-room and begin to congre-
gate on the edge Of the pond. accom-
panied by old tried brothers and sisters,
and this is the signal for singing to
commence.
A short, stoutly-built deacon, whose
complexion is about that Of new bro
gan, starts the tune:
Oh. whar you gwine. mourner?
Whar you gwine, say?
I'se gwine down de Ribber OBJ Jordan.
You cannot cross to-day.
~sing bredrsn. tho good Lord hears YOU"
rs gwine down &c Ribber OBJ Jordan,
You cannot cross today.
The first sister, accompanied by
couple of deacons, enters the
water and wadcs out to where
the preachers await her coming.
She is quiet and nervous, and makes
no demonstrations as she comes out,
excitement not having yet got the hold
on the crowd that it will have later on.
The leader On the bank gives out the
next song:
He spread abroad his gawspel net
An he raked de sinners in.
Several more go through quietly, but
the singing is getting louder and q
swaying movement of the singers, led
by the deacon-who is getting worked
up toa fever heat-denotes that the
excitable temperament Of the negroes
is beginning to spread itself. A tall
young fellow comes to the front,
swinging his arms like windmill as he
enters the water. With q yell be
breaks forth into song; the crowd
cease their singing q moment only to
Join the new song with double fever
Oh! de puttiest thing dat eber done
Was to praise de Lavd when was young.
Good Lawd, Good Lawd
The words are spoken, he is deity
slid under the water by the practiced
hands of the preachers, and. as he
comes up baptized man, he lets the
neighborhood know it: use found
Him, Use found Him; bress de Lawd, :"
and, waving his hands and splashing
the water all around, he stands and
shouts until the attendants lead him
ashore.
Time is slipping away and lots more
are to be put through, so the officers
don't give the candidates much time to
obstruct the water way, but quickly
lead them out to do their shouting on
dry land.
The man who hos been leading the
singing has about given out. and an
other, with voice capable of compet-
ing successfully with fog horn, takes
the lead with:
If you see ole Satan come
Shoot him dead wild de gawspel gun
Loaded w:d do lub OBJ Jesus.
And the crowd second him right we'll.
There is sweet rythmical ring to
the next tune that floats over the pond,
o couple hundred of negro voices ioiu-
ing in the old song:
In de sweet fields oh Eden.
In de sweet fields OBJ Eden,
In de sweet fields oh Eden,
Ober dere
Excitement is getting good hold on
the crowd now, aud many of the newly
baptized members were going around
among their friends receiving congrat-
ulations. One old woman is appar-
emily crazy with excitement, and is
embracing everybody who will submit
to be saluted in that way. -...
A trio Of freshly baptized young
women are locked in each others arms
and stand slowly. swaying backward
and forward, keeping time with the
music and occasionally joining their
voices in the melody of some old camp
meeting song.
We stand the heat as long as we can.
and as we drive off faint air from the
northeast watts to our ears the refrain:
He washed my sine away in Jordan;
He washed my sins away in Jordan;
He washed my sins away in Jordan:
He Washed me and made me clean.
a ROMAN BURIAL PLACE.