San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-29
THE PROCEEDINGS AT AN AFRICAN
CHURCH IN NEW JERSEY.

| Would Not Strike the witching Hour.
The story Of the ProdigaI Son in Mod
! eTn Form.
The annual watch meeting of the mem
beers of the African Baptist church at;
| TimbuctoO, n. j., a year or two ago was
| in many respects novel one.
! For many years the sable residents of
the little settlement in the woods near
Burlington have been in the habit of
holding . watch meeting on New Years,
eve. These meetings are always well
attended by old and young, and have
often developed great revival of re-
igion in that section.
A year ago the watch meeting was a
failure because the preachers watch
stopped at half past II o'clock, and the
fact was not discovered until daylight
To prevent recurrence of that mistake
it was decided last year to have big
eight day clock, owned by King" Lewis,
Armstrong, who has long enjoyed the.
honor of ruling the destinies of Timbuc-
too, repaired in proper shape and taken
to the church to mark the passage of
time. This was done, and the clock was,
put in the church just back of the pull
pit where every one could see it. And,
to keep the clock in time, Elder Jordan
and Elder Congo were instructed to,
have their watches wound up and set
by railroad time to avoid any possibility
of a mistake. This they agreed to do.
Promptly at o'clock the services be-
gan and the church was filed. King"
Lewis Armstrong sat in the pulpit with
P"eacher Guam, and occasionally de-
voted few minutes to keeping the stove.
red hot.
''Dis yer watch meeting" said Preach
er Guam, will begin wild hymn,
Tine goin over Jerding by and by
You all knows de tune: hits bin sung
yer a good many years-and hit means
JUS as much now as hit ever did. And.
when you am Il singin' it, brethering,
doan fOrgit TO think what de words,
mean. De tune alone won't save yer
souls. Oar am plenty of good singers
dat amt got no more 'ligion than a.
skunk Singin' am Ike prayin'. You
has got to mean de words you is usin' or
you amt no good"
The choir, which was stationed Just
back of the stove, thereupon raised the
tune. After two or three verses had
been sung the entire congregation began
to enter into the spirit of the occasion,
swaying their bodies to and fro in time
with the music and keeping peculiar
sort of double time with their feet on
the floor. AS the verses We're exhausted
the preacher would yell, Swing de tune
ag'in! swing her ag'in!" This always
had the desired effect. Finally they be-
came weary and a halt was ordered.
king" Lewis Armstrong next said "a
few words in which he strongly advised
the young men of Timbuctoo to change
their ways before it was too late.
Oar amt 10 better time n now" he
said. Dis present time you orter quit
yer ornery ways, forsake de exampul of
de wicked HerOd and get into de ark of
glory, wot am lighted wild electric light
and full of groceries for de winter. We
am jes about gettin' into another year,
and all of us orter TO make up our mines
to do better Git away from de sins dat
has lCvered you up, and if YOU die next
year You will be comfortable in Aber-
hams buzZum. What Tine tellin you is.
facts. faint no guess work Eff you
dOan believe it look at dat prodigal SON
what dc good book tells us about.
Oar was man dat was mitey we'll
fixed. He had good job ON his fod-
der's farm. had a boss and wagon to use
whenever he wanted it and no Sunday,
milkin' to do. But his heart wasn't sat
isfed. He thought de old man wasn't
farmin' de place right. He lowed he.
could do heap better a wuklIin for his
self, cos de ole man was behind de times.
De proderigal he had been readin de-
tisements in de papers bout men want
ed to take big jobs and nuthin' much to.
do. So he says: Guess I'll quit, ole.
man. Gimme what's comm to me, an
I'll try my luck sommer else De
old man tux him at his word, guv~
him the money and chased him out But.
he didn't make no money. He jes' fool.
It away on farm mortgages out west and
boss racin' in the east till he bowed it
all in. Den he come back on de farm,
and de ole man tux pity on him, furguv
him what he done and give him home
ag'in. And dat's what de Lord II do for
you eff You doan put it off too long"
The effect of this on the congregation,
was marked, and soon there were many
sinners on the mourners' bench. From
that time until midnight there was sing
ing and prayer until king" Lewis
eight day clock struck 9 instead of 10.