The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1894-08-08

whose kinky, Dlack halr uelleu lhe Io"OH
of ninety-odd years. The inclination OF
the lips to double oyer each other show
ed that she had no teeth fer to chaw de
hoecake," and corrugated folds of black
skin hung down below his eyes, small
piercing eyes, set deep in the head.
This was the preliminary meeting, a
kind of song and prayer service. Doletui
songs they were, but full of strong, clear
notes. and the chorus of some made
tuneful melody.
We remained on the outside and gain
ed a good view of the whole proceedings
through the cracks in the clay. Uncle
Godfrey went forth, stamping their feet
and keeping time to the tune:
Unto my soul, good Lord,
Into my soul, good Lord,
There's a little wheel turning into my
soul,
Into my soul,
Into my soul,
There's a little wheel turning into my
soul.
I knocked at de do an de do fly open
an de love come a tricklin down.
Into my soul,
Into my soul,
De love come tricklin' down"
These songs were interspersed with
prayers, the meeting continuing until
every one present had offered up their
petition.
The prayers of the women differed
from those of the men. The feminine
variety would begin in soft, almost in
audible tones, gradually increasing in
intensity until the grand finale, which
always concluded in long, lugubrious
shrek. During each prayer the rest of
the worshipers continued to sway, utter
ing low nominations and murmurng
dirge-like sentences, worldly mOnotonous.
After these preliminary preparations
came the holy dance.
The negroes first formed a semi-circle,
facing the pulpit, then by one accord
they dropped on their knees. Fully
three minutes they remained in this po-
sition, their heads bent over at an angle
of forty-five degrees and their hands
locked high above their heads. Not
word was spoken, not sound made. By
some imperceptiple sign they arose; then
began the holy dance itself. With kind
of a rhymthic motion, bending the body
first to the right, then to the left, the
darkies would face each other. They
did not sing, simply the measured beat
to the three words, which everybody
chanted in a walling tone:
eyes, good Lord,
Yes, good Lord"
After the dance had progressed for ten
minutes there were evident signs of
WEAKNESS. Suddenly the swaying stop
ped. The crowd had divided into pairs,
and they were as motionless as stone.
Their heads were bent forward and
they gazed at each other in strange,
wild way. The effect was hypnotic.
For several seconds they remained thus.
Then again the dance began with its
swaying and its dirge. At regular inter
walls the Norshipers would stop and stare
a each other in that same wild, strange
way.
During one of these gazing intervals
young girl fell over and after two or
three convulsive kicks stretched out in a
s:upefied way.
An old woman, not an active partici-
pant in the dance, pulled her out of the
way and began to rub her arms. In a
short while several others keeled over
and were stretched out side by side.
This trance stage was considered the
highest degree of religions rapture, and
the rest of the darkies regarded the pros
trate forms with envy.
"Those niggers would keep that thing
up till daybreak if 1 let 'em." said the
overseer as we returned to the house.
ALFRED G.. NEWELL.
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