Birmingham age-herald., 1895-04-14
BOB BROKE UP THE REVIVAL

1 plicated process of "gittin 'ligion" comes his chief source of pleasure and excite l ment. On every large plantation there is usually church, the grounds and build- l ing donated by the owner of the planta- | ton for the use of his own and his neigh l bors' negroes. During the months of | July and August, when the "crops are | laid by" the revival begins. The congre- | gation Is divided into 'class leaders, per | fessers, moaners, seekers" and sinners. | The "class leaders, are the pillars of the l church, and keep watch on the morals of the other members. The ''perfessers' l are those who have professed religion l long ago and continue to walk in the path | of the just The "moaners" and seek | CTS" are those who are struggling to be | free from satanic influence, and the rest | are "onconvicted sinners The religious l zeal sometimes reaches such pitch that | the meetings are held all night long; the l seekers and "moaners'' quit work en- | tirely; some take to the woods and re- main there until they '.cum thoo;" others | lie 'in a trance" all day, then rise up shouting and singing, with a wonderful experience" to relate. According to this experience a "seeker' or .'moaner'' usu- ally visits hell and is sorely tempted by the devil but after lucky and narrow escape the elements open," the love comes down and settles on his head" During the revival the green corn disap-
 pears. peaches are no more, watermelons vanish, chickens migrate and an air of general destruction pervades the planta- tion. Woe to the cotton crop that has opened early and needs picking out. Woe
 to the late crop that happens to be in the grass, for the loss of sleep during the
 night and the heat of the summer sun the following day renders the cool shade of the nearest tree an irresistible tempta- tion.
 No revival is complete without a fu-
 neral sermon; if nobody dies during the revival tine memory of some sister who shuflied off this mortal coil,'' five, ten, perhaps, twenty years ago, is revived, and her funeral is preached over again A dummy made of feather pillows and sheets is laid out" in the church to rep
 resent the corpse. The pulpit is draped
 in black, the letters and earthly posses
 sions, if there are any, of the deceased
 are laid on a mourning table, and all the
 relatives are expected to wear mourning
 on that one occasion.
 Last year the revival fever struck the plantation in rather an unfortunate sea- son for the salvation of the crops, but the
 religious harvest promised to be unex- celied. The preacher was said to be "a
 mighty man wid de word" and Uncle Lias. who sits in the amen corner" confided to me that "so many O des nig- gers done got convicted O sin, dat de
 mo ners bench won hole 'em, an de class-leaders an perfessers kyahn hardly git 'roun' ermong 'em." Every night found the negroes in squads of ten and
 twelve walking down the road in single
 fiie, bearing pine knot torches to light the way to the little church about half n
 mile distant. Every night their weird n1onotonous melodies 1oated back to us mixed with the plaintive vail of a whip poorwill the faint tinkle of a cow bell. the hoarse cry of the swamp frogs-the sort air seemed vibrant with the mourn full harmony until a mockingb bird. wheel ing rom it's perch, sent forth it's brilliant song to greet the glory of the full orbd moon, joining with life and joy the mel ancholy chorus. The revival lasted a week, and it's prosperous condition gave promise of four weeks more but the mis-
 chieVous spirit of Rob- a little mulatto
 boy of doubtful pedigree and Indian procliVlties brought the meeting to an untimely end.
 Prompted by curiosity to know ub.f earthly influence was sufficient to break up a revival, sought information from rClnele Lias." I found him on tbe kitchen porch shelling English peas for uIhher ms sort wool hat, bandless and cane-shaped, with white piece of pa per gleaming through a hole in the top or the crown, was pushed back on his head, the heels of both shoes were turned in until the soles stood at right angles with the earth he was chewing his to
 bacco nervously, iexpectorating freely, smelling peas vigorously, yet his whole appearance was one of deep detection.
 Uncle Lias," I ventured in sympa- thetic tones, what broke up the meeting last night? "GO way from heah Miss Mamie" responded Uncle Lias. don ax me, fur Virchen Mary couldn' anser dat question. l sho' is a studyin' dis mawn- in an hit pears ter me dat de devil got de upper han uv us. You Bob Go shet dat gate, boy; don you see de shoats git tim in Marse Harry's yard? Dat boy jes de same ez pacin' panter-alwuz slfppin' 'roun' whar he got no bizness. done tried dis ting O matrimony three times, I have married wimmen from a g1nger-cake color ter a cole black an I nuvver did have no chilen lak dat Bob You see, I wuz Gibson. befo' married my fust wife, but went ter her, so tux
 her name O Crump, an I have hilt on sho' wuz a pow'ful cot'er in my young days! an I believe ev'ry man ought ter sage in matrimony. fur hits pleasureful, dough tegisome."
 Yes, Uncle Lias," said I, your philos- ophy is sound, but what broke up the meeting? Was your preacher unsuccess- ful'?
 Nav! Fo' Gawd,- 'twan' his fault,
 'twuz jes' sperits, dats all an pussons
 wher don b'lieve in sperrits, jes shows dey ig'nance."
 Some few days ago de parson give out roun' to de congregation dat he gwine ter
 preach Aunt Ellen's funeral You young uns doan member Aunt Ellen; she used ter i've Tn dat little log cabin down dar
 back O de gyrden, whar Jack lives now, an she died just arter surrender. Well, de wimmen went ter wurk an fixed up de pulpit an de moanin table and got
 de corpse ready in de mawnin fur de night, and we all norated de news roun' dis settlement, so dat all de connecshun could have chance ter come. Las night wus kinder blustry like, de win sigh
 mighty moanful 'mong de pines down
 dyar in de holler. and de moon sorter play hide an seek wid de clouds, de lightnin' bugs nuvver had no show, fer