The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-05-17
ATLANTA Journal, |


ATLANTA Journal
propose TO devote little space to
the Brother in Black. In the line OF
character sketches" there is no more
faithful subject than he.
Born, bred and buttered among the
Colored brethren, know them as they
are, and no man can know the negro
unless he has been acquainted with
them from his infancy up.
| learned much about the negro in
my childhood days from my old black
nanny and the little negro children
that played with Us day after day.
Superstition is Unborn with the
negro, hence he is a very religious
character. | don't say that many of
them are pious, for a man can be
very religious and not much pious,
and very plous without much religion.
The negro has conscience. 1t does
not hurt him so much when he does a
wrong, but it lashes and pains him
when he gets caught in wrong doing.
TO illustrate:
A good old negro preacher one Sun
day morning was preaching on the
eternal punishment of the wicked and
in the midst of his fervent and tervjd
sermon, he said
"Brethren, no longer than last night
some negro come and stole the last
two chickens me and my old woman
had. | believe that negro is III this
house this minute, and | hereby and
hereon Consign him to everlasting pun
ishment, and the decree has gone
forth"
Early next morning, one of his par
ishioners came to his front d.! with
two chickens in his hand and SAID :
Parson, here is your chickens -
"Dem amt my chickens, ch!i',
said the parson.
81 knows they amt said the
parishioner, " your chickens was ca,
up fore de cree went forth, and last
night arter went to bed my conscience
hurt me SO couldn't sleep wink
until | went over to Mars Boil
Proctor's and got you two more in the
place of them. Here, pasture, take
these chickens and take that cree
back"
OF course he left the parson with a
conscience void of offence.
The negro's superstition makes him
an easy prey to deception in religion:
circles. | was preaching once at Tren-
ton, Tenn, when there came TO my
room a kindly looking old negro
preacher, well along in years. He in
troduced himself as "Uncle Ben," &
Methodist preacher, and said:
"Brother Jones, friend told me
to come and give you my Ku Klu,
experience, and said you would BIZ
interested in that"
"Let us have it, Brother Ben,"
said to him.
"Well,' he said, 1T was shortl,
after the war, just about the time
went 10 preaching. was pastor 0
a circuit in this county, preaching t.
four churches. was at Oak Grove
church when the ku klux notified mt
to desist from preaching the gospel.
sent them word that the message o
the Lord was upon ME and | mus
preach, and | did keep on preaching
They sent me word again to desist
but told them like St. Paul,
counts not my life dear unto myself
So one night down at Oak Grow,
church, | had preached one of tn,
most powerfulest kind of a sermon il
this distracted meeting and there wa
a whole heap of mourners coming tc
the altar, and at about 10 O'Clock
said, while we sing the next hymn
the officers of this church will rails
the mourners.' They were deat
mourners
dead mourners !" | exclaimed.
"Ies, sir; they were dead mourners
and when they tried to raise them the
took them up in the middle and thei
heels and head both hung down
They was dead, and about that tim,
somebody at the door halloed *
klux" Fore God, every mourner rails
their self and they all run out of tn
church and the ku klux stood in tn
door and bowed at them as they rul
out. Them ku klux had horns, ant
chen all the people was out of tn
church de ku klux took me down int
de woods and beat me mighty nj t
death. told them they just as We
finish the old man, but they lowed
l preached any more they would fms
me.
$50 den | went up to Sister Brown
and just as | come in the house, Will
the moon was shining, Sister Brown
gal seed me coming She was one {
the dead mourners, and she 'lowd
"'Ma, ma, ma, ma, yon come
Uncle Ben
"Old Sister Brown she jumped on
in the yard and just halloed an
danced and said 'hallalujah, knowe
Uncle Ben, if you was a servan, of tn
Lord you would be a Daniel in tn