The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-01-02

9s.rf,t
my hey were Preacs half doing.
81. XFjai friend from rJones, his minis
ss sssssS< old lay1nan bennington, a promi-
IN b plaid Newn,d woman enveloped
wy e her f e sosht who oys gazed at me through m @
faint ii ydark trimmed spectacles with
r-ssgIls of recognition.
Preacher Jones, a highly respectable
old gentleman, by the way, whose gray
hairs form line of demarcation straight
over the top of his head from one ear to
the other, exposing massive and lofty
forehead as yellow and scared as an au-
tumn leaf, informed me that it was mos
bout time TO- de meetin' to begin; but as
da was so few present he didn't spec it
would be Extraordinarily large"
RAISING A CROWD.
Suppose you raise tune, Brother -" f"
he said, turning to the Pennington
divine. 9sYo' lungs am good, an de folks
long de streets will be bound to heah
you.n
The brother thus addressed was big
encl gh TO raise anything. He was a big,
Whole-souled, whole-lunged mulatto, Ine
looking, Intelligent and as earnest as he
WWell, Fist come down heah tonight
to have good old-fashioned time in my
oil home,' replied the minister from
Remington, as he arose and buttoned
Ills IIluCe kalDeFb dCTOSS his dSFculeal
chest, 1T doan look moughty much as
though were'er gwine to hab o big shout,
but de Lawd am wild us, and he's mo- dan
''Amenln responded the quartette. and
the two ministers walked 10 the pulpit
The other half of the audience took seats
up in front. Several portly and respect
ably dressed colored nnatrons soon Joined
the contingent, and big NapoleonIc
figure-I think it was Captain Jordan
nlufied in a storm coat entered and
stalked over to the far side and took seat
on the edge. The top of his closely
shaven head was just visible above the
up-turned collar of his coat.
The brawny minister from Fleming
Son with voice that would have drowned
the groaning and shrieking of a.coal der
rick unloading a 1900 tonner. solidly
struck up Rock of Ages"
Gradually the audience grew.
a bevy of fun loving white maidens
with their beaux filed in and took seats
in the rear. They were soon followed up
u by others of the same stamp, and the
genuine wOrshippers kept dropping in one
by one, till by half-past ten the room was
tolerably well filled with an audience of
yarigated hues.
BEGINNING THE MEETING.
The venerable preacher Jones did not
propose to preach full fedged sermon.
Others were there to talk besides him.
He only wanted to make a few "stempo-
raryN remarks concerning the gratitude
we ought all to feel for Gods blessings
OF the past twelve months. He very logi-
cally drew conclusions from the blessings
David shared at Gods hands, and pass
ing on to be brief,n skipped from one
blessing to another till he had consumed
sfifty-five minutes.
The brother from Flemington said a
few words in fifteen minutes, ana cited
a nf ba
blessings God has showered upon as dur
ing the twelve months now almost ended
God had done great things Tor him. He
had been preaching at his charge and
hadn't a cent; but God had provided him
with a good home, plenty to cat and good
health He wanted a penny collection
taken for the church, and another for a
New Years gift to Brother Jones. The
latter collection was to be a free will of
fering. The watchers must come for
ward and deposit what they could afford.
A PENNY COLLECTION.
The African contingent responded
nobly to this appeal, marching up to the
tune of Shall be dah when de rolls
called. =
But the white brethren and sisters
didn't seem inclined to enter contest
with their African friends whose many
cake-walk experiences had maze them
superiors in all matters pertaining to
artistic pedestrianism. The basket was
finally handed around, and Brother
Jones was given New Years Gift that
fully satisfied his ministerial friend from
Flemington.
THE OLD YEAR DYING.
The minute hand of the big clock over
the pulpit back was gradually creeping
toward the top centre of the dial. Every
one assumed serious cOuntenance. The
solemn strains of hymn eInanated from
the bowels of the storm-coated figure on
the edge, and was taken up by the ele-
rnents and waited to all parts Of the room.
Between the rests the solemn clicking of
the clock was heard. The minute hand
had almost assumed horizontal position.
The big arm of the Pennington minister
was extended.
1Let de brudders and de sistahs get as
clos together as possible" he said
soiemnly
Every head was lowered. A moment
of inrense silence reigned. Suddenly the
ministerial giant from Remington, in a
voice that fairly shook the building, cried
OUTS
aFarewelll Farewell-l-ll"
Then followed a prayer for the continu-
ance Of Gods blessing for the next twelve
months that battles repetition or descrip-
fion. A sudden stop. A deep silence all
If sudden broken by the hidenr
screeching, banging racket OF car VII