Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1893-10-20
PARALLELS DRAMATlZED.

ISH VIRGINS PRESENTED BY NEGROES.
With songs and shouts. and the chant
ing so peculiar to the colored race,
weird spectacle was enacted today and
tonight on the camp grounds of the
Chris tian Evangelist association near
this place, says Camp Point (lll.) dis
patch to the Chicago Herald. Saturday
and to-day closed the exercises, and in
the presence of the usual great throngs
were enacted, with solemnity and no
little grOtesqueness, scenes from Bible
days and well-known parallels.
The first of a series of three scenes
from Bible times began yesterday after
noon with the killing of the fatted calf in
anticipation of the return of the prodigal
son. An aged member of the camp meet
ing represented the certain rich man"
and two young men unprecedented the
sons. One remained at home like good
boy, while the other skipped out, osten-
sibly with IA circus. After lapse of
years, la drama, a report gained cur
rency that the prodigal son, badly dis
figured through the prevailing financial
stringency, was on the home stretch. In
fact, 1t was rumored that he was some
where near Clayton. The anticipated
return was duly celebrated from Satur-
day night until about 3 o'clock this after
noon, when suddenly the assembled
throng beheld the tattered prodigal
fastening campward through wheat
field. The aged father made haste to fall
upon the young mans neck, crying :
"Whar hab 20 been,'yo pore boy? Yo
Use hungry; but dar am chicken and
watermllion plenty" a feast followed
the greeting, while willing hands placed
crimson robe on the young mans
shoulders. Luscious watermelons from
the sand hills of Meredosia. on the Illinois
river, suffered during the repast.
This spectacle was followed by the
march OF the ten virgins. The young
women were Enthusiastically arrayed, and
went through the performance of attend
ing the marriage ceremony. The march
was stately, and was accompanied by a
weird chant. The grief and dismay of the
five foolish virgins who had failed to pro-
vide themselves with sufficient oil for their
lamps were dramatic. The browning
event of the meeting, the closing act, was
the ceremony of the children of Israel
crossing the Jordan and laying the twelve
memorial stones. The grotesqueness of
the scene was intensified by the torches
utilized in the procession. These cast an
unearthly glamour over the surround
ings, and intensified the impressiyeness
of the scene. Night had thrown mantle
over the camp grounds, and, with the as
sembled throngs, part of the time huShed
by the impressive ceremonies, and anon
murmuring surprise at the solemnity and
weirdness of the scene, lent certain i'm
pressiveness to the ceremonies that was
irresistible. OF course, no river of Jordan
with its walls of water could be had, but
one was improvised for the occasion, and
through il marched The triumphant hosts.
singing and chanting as they marched.
1t WAS the last hour of the meeting and
the worshipers became more fervid in
their exhOrtatiOns as the night grew on.
70 many the scene was IA beautiful one,
and to all it was impressive. But by
midnight the last song, the last shout,
and the farewell prayer had been said,
and solitude reIgned around the ten
ted grounds.