Evening star., 1895-08-22
SHOUTING AND SINGING
A Regular Oid-Time Camp Meeting Being
Held Here.
CoIorcd People Gathering in Crowds
to Give Vent to Their RelfE-
iOus Enthusiasm.

An old-fashioned southern plantation
Camp meeting was in progress Sunday out
in the northeastern section of the city. and
was crowded during the day with good old
colored brethren and sisters. These meet
ings are unusual to the city, and have been
discouraged by the clergymen. In years
mast and gone such meetings used to be
the occaS. on of big gatherings OF the col
ored population, but with the advent OF the
educated ministers and the stone churches
they have become rare. The old-tlme
brethren and sisters who in days last
and gone used to sing and shout as loud as
they wanted to, have been cramped IN CIV
ing vent to their pent-up religious feeleihgs
by the coming of the new preacher ana the
stone churches and they always avail them
selves of such meetings as that OF sun
day. so that they can sing SHOUTS OF their
own composition and praise de LaWo
after their own fashion.
The meetings in the northeast nave Deen
conducted after the old plantation times.
and the scenes enacted have been similar
TO those that used to transpire down south.
A large tent had been erected In vacant
field and had been filled with chairs and
benches for the accommodation of the con-
gregation. An impromptu pulpit had been
erected at the extreme end of the camp,
and it was from this that the preacher.
who happened sometimes to be a typical
Uncle Remus. expounded the word" to
the "assemblage.
Creature Comforts Not Forgotten.
Outside of the tent good old sister from
Virginia had q separate tent, in which
cooked chicken. sweet potatoes and Fir-
ginia he me-made potato pie was disposed
of to the visitors, who paid according to
what they ate This sister did a thriving
business preliminary to the opening of the
meeting. and the old brothers and sisters
gathered around and related their expert
ences of former and better days as they
restraint in their religious worship.
Two brethren had charge of the entrance
to the camp, and each one that entered had
to pay an admission fee, which. the brother
announced, was for the purpose of de-
fraying The expenses incident to lighting
the grounds and the accommodation of the
visitors. 1t was announced that the meet
ing to be held in the afternoon would par
take of the nature of a class meeting, and
the brothers and. sisters would be given an
opportunity Of telling "how the case stood
with them and the Lord The brethren
and sisters seemed anxious to avail them
selves of the opportunity, and after while
the singing was begun, to the evident de-
light of all present.
AS one brother started up:
Get on board oh, my little children,
Get on board. oh, my little children,
There is room for many a more"
the brethren and sisters began to leave
the dining camp and to gather in the big
tent One of the class leaders arose and
announced that the meeting was open, and
that he wanted everybody present to tell
''how they were journeying to de promised
land" He didn't want anybody to be
ashamed, because Christ had said that "he
that denies me before men him will deny
before my father in heaven"
Personal Experiences Related.
sThs announcement seemed to have had
the desired effect, and nearly all present
arose and told their Christian experience;
f,o, Ia
field, what the Lord had done for them,
and low they had determined to fight until
the war was over. AS each one told his ex-
perence he was followed by some one sing
ing "Jordan's Banks" Roll. Jordan, Roll"
"'Tis the Old. Tried Religion, You Can
Have All the World, Just Give Me Jesus" "
and ether favorite hymns, and as they
sang, some laughed, some shouted, others
cried, clapped tiieir hands, shook hands re-
jcicingly with each other and there were
exclamations of BLESS the Lord!' GLORY
to His name!" "Hallelujah to the Lambr'
One old sister who was bent with age
arose to tell her trials and triumphs, and
as she seemed to be we'll known to the
gathering there were many loud "amens"
and long "halleujahs" as she talked of her
golden slippers and long white robe and
some one struck up:
Flight in the field, sister,
Fight in the field til the war is ended"
Then the leader arose and encouraged
the sister in all that she said. and urged
the others not to fall by the waySide. The
closing hymn was:
"Ne'er think the victory won,
Nor lay thine armor down;
The work of faith will not be done
Til thou obtain the crown"
In the evening there was preaching, and
the sisters shouted until they We're ex-
hausted, end many of them had to be
famed until they were revived. The meet
ing is to be kept up until the 1st of Sep
tember. and nightly there will he preach
ing and cAhortation, and the old brothers
and sisters, who are not allowed to shout
in the churches. will avail themselves OF
shouting and singing as they did before the
advent of the stone churches and the edu-
Gated ministry.