Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-05-01
although there were several vacant

although there were several vacant
benches next them.
One of the deacons led the singing,
lining out the verses from q ragged.
coverless hymn book, after the pastor
had announced the number and the
title and the first line, and laid especial
emphasis upon the fact that it was
composed in the common meter. +"
1t was an old. familiar hymn:
"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
To believers ear"
but tho tune, mournful, drawing
monody in the minor key, without
single cadence. l could not recognize.
There was bible upon the desk, but
10 passage was read, possibly because
of the inability of the preacher, and
another deacon was asked to offer
prayer. His was cold. formal petit
ton. evidently acquired by fragments
from the clergymen in town. for the
language was much above the grade of
the man. There were too many fine
phrases to be genuine, and they excited
no response from the other worshipers.
Than another hymn was sung, also
composed in the common meter. !"
and, so far as could discern, to exactly
the same tune as the first. The con-
gregation had enlarged so that there
was considerable volume of sound,
which rose and fell as the lungs Of the
singers were filled or exhausted, and
the old women in sunbonnets swayed
their bodies with its measures. The
sermon was a disappointment. The
preacher was evidently disconnected
by the presence of bench full Of white
people, and not only showed his en-
barrassment but endeavored to impress
them instead of his regular hearers.
The text was:
"Apd they that were in Judea fed
into the mountains.
And the topic was the Warnings
of God." with especial reference to
Jonah, Lot and Noah-or "Norah, "
as the preacher in his EN- barrassment
insisted upon calling the captain of the
ark. There was no originality. and
only few quaint expressions and an
occasional misuse of terms made the
sermon differ from the most common
place pulpit address a white man might
deliver.
But toward the close, when he came
to the exhortation, the good brother
warmed up and gave us burst of that
impassioned eloquence for which his
race is famous. as he described the fate
of those who disregarded the warnings
of the bible. He shook the sinners of
his congregation over the pit with great
energy and torrent of language.
The old men and women moaned and
wept and at intervals shouted and soon
joined in low murmur-a humming
sound covering two Or three tones,
made with the lips closed. that resem-
bled the songs of bees. Occasionally,
80 Lord, have mercyl" or "Jesus,
save mel" from the benches showed
that his words had reached some peni-
tent heart, and then as he passed from
tho description of the terrors of sin to
the glory of the redeml ton the moan
ing turned into sounds Of joy and the
sermon ended abruptly in hymn that
seemed to break spontaneously from
the congregation.
Then moved by his own spirit, or at
some signal from the pastor. veneer
able man of the "Uncle Tom" type,
who sat in the far corner. at the right
of the pulpit. dropped upon his knees
and uttered prayer that for homely
eloquence and sublime faith I have
never heard equaled. 1t was no sue
cession of formal phrases, such as the
deacon had used. but an outburst of a
sincere and trusting soul. who prayed
that the words of the pastor might sink
deep into the hearts ''of our children
and our neiqhbors' children" and that
they might be made to heed the awful
warnings of the Scriptures and accept
the offer of redeeming love. He re-
peated whole sentences from the pas
tors sermon, and applied them with
more force than the latter had done.
He pleaded for mercy and light and
the divine guidance for "de gay an
de foolish: de wicked an de wuthless
chillen dat hab been so fab spared by
dy grace" His heart was heavy with
sorrow for the foolshness and the
wickedness of the young.
'sSometimes we kin moan: some
times we kin pray. an sometimes we
kyant do nary one, but we kin always
see de outstretched arms O. Jesus
a.reachin' an a-beckonin' to us fer ter
come ter Him.
The voice of that black man reached
the throne. and when he finished he
rose from his knees. passed through
the door and disappeared in the pine
woods. The old mans heart was evi.
IDENTIFY overfowing with some sorrow
and he wanted to be alone.
A clownish looking fellow. who, as
we judged from his subsequent con-
duct. had more melody than spiritual
ity in his soul, here started hymn,
but was silenced by the pastor. The
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