The Van Buren press., 1895-11-09

who were sure Of Hesven, kept on
singing to keep things going Tha
leader that night was q regular old
time, hefo'-the-war nanny, and good
Eess fairly beamed from her eouute-
nance.
I bin liar so lcng. 80 lons-
Sc lcng. SO eng.
oiu . liar 50 LONG,"
she ehanted in . weird, pathetic voice.
and every person in the congregation
who was able to lift his or her voice
chanted the refrain at the end Of every
three lines:
Gin ne ltttls tirns ter pray
Every one was in melton. Some
swayed their hofs+s backward and for
ward some shuft,ed their feet In time
TO the music. and the very happy ones
elapped their hands and shouted:
Glory. my Lawdr This kept up for
hours Several prostr,te forms were
carried out. and number were left in
the church. where they lay until next
day When gos tired and went away
that night the little preacher, utterly
worn out. had curled herself up in a
splirt-hottou chair. and was enjoying
/ the sleep Of Innocent childhood I
could hardly sleep that night foe think
ing about that meeting tell you.
boys. was impressed"
I always thought you we're above
such superstition. squire" remarked;
some one. as the squire stopped to refill
his pipe.
Well anyway, went back the next
night. resumed the squire, and tur
the first time got a good view Of the
little preacher. She is perfect child
IN looks and ways Her complexion is
about the color of an old mustard
ground ginger cake, her teeth white
and even, the whites Of her large,
mournful eyes prominent. and she
doesn't weigh more than sixty or seven
ty pounds There were lot of white
/ people In the congregation. but she
took no notice of them Curiosity
prompted me to go to listen to her bat
/ interest held ne there. She spoke
right out in the most earnest wav, as
If her only thought was preaching tbs.
Gospel Her delivery and gestures
were easy, and. in fact, what she sad
and the way she said it beat nire.
/ tenths of the preachers-especially =
/ these evangelists-whire or black
she opened service with a very good
prayer, and read. or rather recited. 4
chapter from the Bible, which did not
hear On the sermon in the least Hei
one thought seems to be to prepare for
the Great Beyond. which she desig
mates as way over yonder.' She talks
about the hereafter in . most pathetic
way. and remember on that particu
lar night her text was Business IL
| Heaven
.sru meet you there, sinner shs
said. for got business with Capt
Jesus I must tend to it must &
where partin' is no mo-. ! got to pu
on long white robe, . starry crown
silver slippers, and sit at nv MASTER
feet I'll meet you over yonder, wal
over yonder, for we all got to cross
Jordan stream dry shod and go ovel
youder. I'll meet you there, sad
hearted mothers. I'll meet you there
wicked fathers. I'm going to get In
side those pelrly gates Are you2 Arr
you? Sinner, you must get right
Learn it now. Now is the time. Way
over yonder may be too late for you.
and so on. Night after night went
and each time she had q new sermon
each one containing sad strain.
.'She made a pathetic figure, alvsy
clad in deepest black without tn
slightest touch of color, that children
love so well, or the faintest suggestion
of an ornament When occasion de
manded she rebuked thoughtless per
sons for bad behavior in few clear
cut, kind sentences, and went right ol
with her sermon If the Gospel grind
ers would only learn that it isn't thes'
staggering truths, which cannot b
grasped by the average mind. but
doctrine of simple. earnest faith tha
arouses people to better living. Blu
they never will, Now it was the sin
cerity of the little niger, and tn
earnestness OF her followers, that i'm
pressed me, and, while l can't say tha
che converted me, she certainly set IN
to thinking. and concluded to leav
of doing certain things
II wanted to give her something, an
couldn't make mp my mind what t
buy her. She reads poorly, and ca
scarcely write at all, but somehow
she didn't seem like child that woul
care for toys Finally, in sort Q
desperation, settled on large wa
doll with highly colored cheeks and
mass of yellow hair. II you coul
have seen her antics of delight whe
she found that it was all her own Sh
clasped il to her as if she would neve
let it go, and then she told me that sh
used always to preach sermons to he
dolls. and that the people who ovel
heard her persuaded her TO preach t
people, which was the very thing SD
had always longed to do
.Every body agrees that she is wor
der. and tell you she Is Many whit
people think her inspired. and th
blacks believe that she is sent dlrectl
from God as a warning, and that tn
Judgment day Is coming soon. don
know, because I've never thought
great deal about such things But
do think she is entirely different frol
auy little child that I've ever seen, an
shall never. never forget her. wit
her solemn ways and her uneeasin
warnings about what we must do an
must not do If we want to meet esc
other when we get home. way ovs
yonder.'"
There was q great shutting Of fee
coughing and clearing Of throa
among the squire's visitors as he col
.l,,5aJ and the blusteriuC geptlema