The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-03-04
LETTER FROM AB. GRIFFIN.

deity to the actual, and the certainty of a
adherence to facts, then it is that
be pleasure of following the production to its
nd reaches its climax. Most of us have heard
f the idiosyncrasies of the Southei negro and
heir weird behavior when influence by re-
igious awakenings. but few have an oppor
unity of seeing or hearing anything Of the
lind, or of conversing with those who have.
The letter is dated at Eustis Fla, Feb. u, 1891
,eing written to his daughter. Mrs. Carrie G..
Esty. OF this city, through whose kindness we
ire privileged to thus favor our readers.
L must tell you about the Covenant meeting /
hat Prof. Underwood and myself attended,
which was held in the Baptist (colored) Church
n this place. tThe colored people here have a
Baptist and Methodist Church. Their settle
nent is in the northeast part of the village |
and is called by the white people, Egypt"
Another small settlement in the southwest
quarter is called "Africa.'') The meeting was
held on the 25th of last month at p. m do
not know as 1 am equal to the task of describing
this meeting. 1 will try, however, to give you
some idea of it. trusting to your powers of
Imagination to make good any failure of my
pen Years ago heard of and read about these
meetings. and ever since have had desire to
attend one, but never had the opportunity until
the date above mentioned.
The regular services were preceded by a song
service Those songs were the quaint negro
of the olden time. The regular SER
vices were commenced by a song from the book,
by prayer Then commenced the re-
lation of experience. The brethren speak first
This may be custom or it may have happened
so on this occasion At the close of each speech
before the speaker had time to resume his or
her seat, some one would start song; the rest
would join in so promptly 1t would seem that
each one present was intending to start that
particular tune that very instant In every in
stance. save one, some brother or sister was on
his or her feet before the singing closed, and
the one exception referred TO. was on her feet
the instant the singing closed. AS the meeting
progressed, the interest increased This was
evidenced by the increased zeal manifested in
the speaking and singing. During each of these
exercises shouts of Glory. Amen. sc were in
During the singing the bodies of
sveral, especially of the women, had gentle
swaying motion, and their feet kept time on the
floor The remarks were lengthy. made so by
frequent repetition, 8 TOO common fault with
white as well as black, with learned as well as
unlearned, and alway tedious to the listener.
few words here concerning individual
speakers. The size, build and GESTURES of one
woman reminded me very strongly of Han
nah'' when gloriously excited. Her gestures
were strongly suggestive of the vigorous snap
ping OF o whip. each snap meaning business of
a high order. Shall give an illustration:
Brethren and sisters; we can't serve God
today and the devil tomorrow. We must live
our religion; live it every day. every hour
every moment. You must, must, we all must.
we go to hell, shua.''
Another woman commenced her remarks in
quite subdued tone. Her words came very
fast. however; she soon began to warm up
which was shown in voice and gesture She
finally fairly scared above her audience and
sailed round and round with both arms extend
ed at full length. In her rounds she would. OF
course, face each person in the room. AS her
eyes rested on US she would haze something to
say al out white and black. rich and poor, sc
sc. Her voice was pitched on so high key
and her words came SO fast it was difficult te
understand anything she said. She became sc
exhausted before she sat down I really expected
to see her fall to the floor in a swoon.
One of the women was evidently a mother il
Israel" she attracted my attention at once
She was solid woman. well proportioned, good
looking and neatly dressed, always smiling.
think when she laughs all over she must fairly
| shake the house. Her remarks were short ant
| derstand them She spoke in moderate tont
! of voice
In due time marching song was started.
| tune that would bear any amount of pressure o.
volume of sound. This evidently was the clos
| ing exercise for very soon after it was started
this mother in Israel'' to her feet and lee
| off with hand shaking. One after another aros'
| to their feet, as she passed around. and shool
] hands with her. Those left behind shook hand
| with each other. This was continued, rount
| after round all singing with will. the TIM
| being kept by the swaying of the body anC
stamping of the feet. This was continued unit
we felt it time for US to be going home. So W.
| left them "dancing''-as the white people cal
| this exercise During this shaking of hand
exercise. some ten or dozen lit lie kids" VIII
were sitting in pevs opposite us, became yer.
| uneasy. They were evidently tempted to fol
low the example set before them. They held il
| until patience ceased to be virtue with them
| then they arose. enmasse TO their feet and com
| menced dancing in right good earnest. The,
| had nice time for while, Ih, ir noise was 81
| effectually drowned by that of tie older ones
| was not noticed by them. OF course they di
| not see them, for their eyes were entirely il
| another direction. Finally a person, not en-
gagged in hand shaking. and sitting near them
feeling the shake of the floor behind him, o
| possibly hearing them. turned and shook hi
head. This put stop to the boys fuu Posi-
bly, there were some exercises after the ham
shaking; we did not wait to see We are toll
| that the last exercise at some of their meeting
is the washing of their feet by some of the wo
men
l have listened with pleasure to the singing
of the 'Jubilees." They sing some of the YER
| songs 1 listened to on the above occasion. Their
| was great difference, however. The latte
| sing them in their crude stlte just as thei
fathers sang them. They sing them for thei
own enjoyment, caring nothing for the criti
cism of others. Indeed. they are perfectly oh
livious to all surroundings. They are evider.
| ly "Happy in their song," even in an unre ee,
Grated state. When fired up with + ,ligs :
| enthusiasm. they seom TO long for 2 nd .,mI
expect the Sweet Chariot" to "e.,Vin.u r,
and take them aboard and lind thep safs,v
the pearly gates.
These persons were evi.ssrtfy sincere.
could not ind 1t in my heart to aneb aft the
oddities, or crftieise the1A IN any wav.
The Jubllees, as befsGe statp d sing some
these very songs. bzA not in the crude stat
they have passed. through a refining proces
Ehey do not sAags them axy ressly for their oy
enjoyment. Tacsy sing fe, the dollars and cen,
consequeassS they are not oblivious to su
roundlngs- The favorable opinion of the Ii
tener IS of great Importance to them. The mo
they are inspired. however. with their ov
bsongs. the more pleasure to the listener; so ths
while we would not care to repeat our visits
above described. we could listen with pleasu
TO the "SuF,ilees,' again and, again Were
be asked what songs were sung at the abo
meeting that the Jub5lees sing, 1 could not te
for the reason. I could not understand wo
they said. only know that have heard sol
of the tunes but not the words
Alb. GRIFFIN
ATWATER.