Telegram-herald., 1891-09-28
WATERMELON REVEALS.
An Interesting Religious Event In
tia South
osgeses 91ssS Of tie Fruit osasso
- csisrsd aslp- white
kssks len 40 Thssr o..
Measures

This town II IN The midst cS cne Of
The most successful watermelon revtvnls
ever known Ia the south. ssys a Green
Cove SPRING. tia. correspondent Of the
New York sun IN receat letter. The
unusual fervor of excitement is said 10
be the result Of the exceptionally inc
melon crop. which IN quality aud guam
tstJ sarpsAses anything seen here Va
recent years- The revival began tAres
weeRs ago. - soon a. the quality II
the luscious yield had been proved by
eating, and II Ia now At its height AZ
. consequence household operations are
~ . complete standstill and business Of
every kind Is seriously interfered with.
The watermelon revival u . citro-
religious event of annual recurrence in
the meIon-growing regions OF the far
south. IL lays hold u Tho soiored peo-
pie oniy and gets its strongest grip on
the skaters, but in temporal way il az
fecS the white residents hardly less
powerfully Throughout the melon sea-
son ths solorcd sisters and majority
OF tho brethren entirely give themselves
up 70 the exquisite pleasure Of the
melon and the not less religious pain Of
religions conviction that precedes tho
ecstaey of conversion, which in turn
leads quickly 20 exaitstion and . COM
stose condition This latter condition
Is. next 10 Heaven, tho end sought for;
but because Of tho duration Of these
frances or subjugstion To Tho power"
N IL 10 called here. many Of the sisters
are ia the present instance falling 70
assimilste all of their snare Of this sea-
sons melon cron Thus Mrs. Kirk
patrick's cook lay In = trance tor sew
ersl days. and neither cooked nor ate,
and this was when the melons were ~
their very best. Mrs Buddington's COLI
ored maid was brought home in q dray
at two O'Clock in the morning and de-
posted on the kitchen door, where she
lay rigid and with ''eyes sos." a. This
manifestation l. termed. until ut tho
end Of three days Mrs. Buddington had
her earted back - the church in which
she got the power" Mr.. Buffers cook
got religion and rigidity early in the
revival. and the task Of finding . sub
stitute being manifastly hopeless the
family at once uls<ls arrangements 70
take their meals VITA . family In the
came street who are not dependent on
,eo.oged servant
The industry that 10 doing nearly all
the fourishiug IN the present crisis Is
that of the few worldly minded negroes
who own . mule and cart Businsss -
brisk for these Just now from the hour
when the full moon shows above the
further cypress-bordered shore of the
St. Johns until tho yellow disk fuses in
the yellow sley Of . midsummer morn
ing. An of the colored churches arc
open twensy-four hours . day-in the
daytime for ouch n attain safety OF
melons early and are prepared for the
Religious influences long before night
fall; throughout the night for all who
come. Many who come to scoff remain
10 be carried away. and thoss who have
religion get it again and likewise have
need of the mule cart So this leaning
II precious aud rigid human freight be-
gins early in the evening. and goes on
until the bull-bats cease their pursuit OF
nocturnal bugs-
The white residents are % seriously
affected by the melon revival. in conse-
quence of the impossibility of getting
any service done by the colored sisters,
that some of them do not hesitate to
speak impatienly of the whole BUSH
ness and declare that those who get the
most religion also collar the most mel
ons from the white mans patch; and
now and then . sister who has seer,
many melon revivsls. and is thus pre-
pared 70 cake a conservative view of tho
situation. replies: well, 'spccts that's
co. All Of the white residents are
looking forward somewhat impatiently
e. the closing Of tie melon season and
the synchronoas competition of the re-
Egioas work: not because they mind
the loss OF few melons. bat because
thy greatly need the services OF those
who at MI times. barring this period of
annual oecurrenee, are faithful and
valued Ne ants.