The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-06
SHE saw VISIONS.
Wonderful Story Of a Female Negro
Evangelist,

Then the Savior Gave Her a ''Roll''
and Babe Her Go Forth and Preach.
From the Louisville Courier-Journal
A+tbe plain but remarkably neat-look-
;,r Mace of worship on Twelfth street,
raar the corner of jefferson, known as the
African Methodist Episcopal church, a
rrotracted meeting is in progress which
has one noteworthy feature about tit is
4 conducted by Sister M. Z. Taylor and her
co-adjutrix, Sister Georgia A. Newman.
Sister TAYLOR is perhaps not noteworthy
bevond other colored female preachers,
n of whom there are several known
in coIored religious circles, so
\ far as her eloquence goes Or
the melodious quality of her singing.
h She has gift of pleasing language, it is
4 true. q gift of using poetical phrases in
Scripture just where they can be used
with most telling effect, and her power
over her hearers seems to be unusual, to
rlce bv what the colored people say.
But what makes her but as an uncom-
mon specimen of her race is the story she
has to tell of herself and the way in which
she tells it.
Mary E. Taylor was born in Blount
county. Tenn. the child of a freedman,
and his wife both of whom had belonged
in other days to Mr. Grinsfeld Taylor.
In 1856. at the age Of fourteen, after
documentary course in the colored public
school at Louisville, Tenn, she went to
her brothers. home in Knoxville, and in
the next year of her life the religious eX
perences which began led to her present
manner of life. In 1887, she says, she had
an oppression of SOUL and a dissatisfac-
ton with everything but religion, which
she took to be a call ito do the Lords
work" There We're obstacles in the way
OF her obeying this call her brother tried
to turn her thoughts into other channels,
and she herself feared the Affections that
must meet her in following an evangelical
life for her health was feeble.
Then came the event that makes this
black wOman's auto biography remarka-
bic. She tells the story in perfectly
natural and very simple way Her own
perfect familiarity withit, and its cOher-
enCe-sO far as a story of the supernatu-
raj can be cohGrent-Sh0W that she is not
making up as she goes along, and if she
We're in the habit Of bOaS ting of her eX-
periences they would, by this time, be
better known than they seem to be
among the members of the congregation
to whom she has been preaching for over
4 week
While in a state of indecision about the
"call" which she believed had come to
her from heaven, she tasted and prayed
Her fasting and prayer whether by nat
burial physical process, or in d Supernat-
4ural way, ended in her falling into a
France, during which, she says, she could
hear, but not speak or see. In vain did
Pier sister try TO awaken her by constant
A ~ walking her up and down and by such
other means as her own intelligence and
her friends suggested. As Sister Taylor
expresses it, she was carried away in
the spirit u night and a day" And
while in This hypnotic state she had
vision.
1t began by her finding herself travel
Ing on long upward road, and then she
stood on large open plain. There was
white fence in front of her, and there
the Savior stood. 1He took from the folds
Of his robe roll of paper, and, giving her
this roll, told her to offer it to all whom
She should meet. The the Savior disap-
leared and she heard beautiful music; it
was chorus singing ''You must stay in
the army Of the Lord till all Gods foes
are put to flight" She has since COM
posed song with these words for a re-
train.
Canyon remember the tune, too2" she
was asked. In reply she began singing
n the words TO and air suggestive of those
hdfcn-ilke hymn-tunes so commonly
heard at camp-meetings Il can hear it
just as plainly as did five yearSago" she
stlu. And with this song there was a
oand OF angels that flew over her head,
one Oh whom looked at her angrily.
turning back she found herself pres
ehti% at bed of flowers and sat there
tAllng The flowers and playing with
'Aem. butit became dark, and she turned
a"a5 from the flowers to look for light.
men night came, and she could see the
Ioh' but all round the sun, in dazzling
A-AJ, We're little faces "lilIe Seraphim,"
sig SAID, and one great face in the middle
IA "nen the visionary came to this point
~ Hel story the little faces like sera-
pun SO strongly suggested the throng
'efalnlm races in the nigh lights of
t,"luael SiSline Madonna, as well as
.4t Great Rose of Light" in Dante's
aIadiae that the temptation to ask,
H. -'' you ever seen picture that looked
+-Ae OhaJ. was irresistible-No, she new
& ~ y. sd" anything at all like it in picture.
81" inns light recalled her to herself:
@ picked up the roll that she had let
~ Vn Jhe ground and started to her
NJ 1'' buJ, continuing her Journey, she
SKI g,H I1una herself ON the brink of a ter
49, Pieclplce which was all dark, and
,--llo uer great mountain. So she
VIy odt * to where the rolf had been
4 IN 10 her. There were the angels, and
r". Vue looked at her with the angry ex-
n i,l'N.ou. But Christ also came again
"a ,- -U sue told him about the horrible pit
-'- HGu stopped her He took her by
gr, ---HJ arm and turning her back ac-
81 IN ~ ."a'eu her on theway till they came
WI '-.g mower bed, Here, - he said, us
ba,.L y Jhe darkness comes. You can't
',r .Ne Kingdom of Heaven if you waste
"a ,t men he took her to the edge of the
,r9'' ana over it, and down a number of
rsH.5 Ihere We're departments" rs she
ri...+ {yne1l-lf she had read Dante she
gIi.1 nave said, circles she heard
n Crrs.t2 ana means of doomed souls
s.lrg H@Iued her not to stumble on the
a vll.. -. ne led her to a sort of den,
Il, mere were all manner of beasts.
M ,Aar:2lGl O ms point that the only touch Of
# stor,. nous comes into Sister TaylOr's
~ e-r,.5. showing 1t, perhaps, all the more
le Tor the flaw in its composition.
N pa,irt' she saw the devil and his angels
81 ue- gaFds and when they saw her
Il Bgt "a, Ecu her to come and Join them
n gesir . -19' The Lord led her up more steps
n gsra e @-'V she saw light, and the Lord
III tn ia ch the roll, and dismissed
Pr d-iie injunction as at first.
Il Is Wiz. -lS she met an old man with hair
Sc 0.5 as snow, and, obeYing the orders
5l- t'' .'..; II'celyed, offered him the roll.
TO ,-... 60 away, child You are