The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-09-24
COLORED REVIVAL rlEETING.
Typical Scene at q Negro Church in
the South.

ayPiSdi oSShc dt q NeSEO SuuTCu III
the South.
1t will be recalled that in July Mr..
Chester A. Hodge, Of Illinois, visited
Henderson and spent several DAYS in
tn is part of the State. He wrote
a series of letters for Chicago paper
giving his impressions of this country,
the people, farming interests, natural
resources, industrial enterprises, &c.
We published one of these letters
written from Henderson. In later
issue Of the paper above mentioned
We find the following article de
sCripslse Of Colorcd revival meet
ing attended 10y the writer during his
stay in Henderson. We wish every
colored p.rs IN hereabo could read
this paper or hear i, read in their
presence that they might know the i'm
preston made upon the mind of
Western man by their devotional ex-
ercises, and how he "takes them OFF,
alterward. Here is the article in ques-
tion:
We have tried several times to give
description as witnessed by us, but
we are not able. Imagination fails us.
words cannot express, pen cannot pic
ture, it is simply impossible to do it.
II O'Clock, midnight, we still hear the
shouts, cries and singing two blocks
away. We lay and think and wonder,
have we visited the region of infernio?
We arise. light the gas, take our pad
and pencil and ask, Is the inspiration
strong enough? We lave attended
some pretty rank meetings in Balti-
more, but never a summer revival
meeting in "DiXie Land" We at
tended these meetings Friday night
under untavOrable circumstances, but
tonight, through the kindness of Mr..
Luther Barnes, we were enabled to
enter the charmed circle" We were
the only white people admitted the
open sesame being Chicago people.
A way is made for us through the
crowded street sidewalk and vestibule
to our seats. The church was sur
rounded by dense mass of black be-
ings.
We waited until 7:45; the sermon by
Rev. Spruell was over, the song of in
vitation had been sung, few strag
glers had asked for prayers. Two
brethren prayed, a verse was sung a
brother exhorted a few minutes until
his voice began to take On that sing
song tone he clapped his hands and be-
gan to sing: ''lf religion was to buy,
| the rich would live, the poor would
die" Every man arose, the bugle
notes had sounded the call, the battle
| was on, the conflict was fierce. Their
bodies swayed back and forth while
voices rose higher and hi CHER. Sud
denly a brother gives shout, begins
to pat juper shouting, talking and
singing. A sister steps forward and
begins to chant and dance. The col
umn forms down one aisle up another,
they halt before some we'll known sin
ner, the groans, the eXhortations, the
lamentations, the shrieks. Down goes
a convert;' he is picked up, carried
into the body of the church. This is
repeated until "a are placed together.
Then the shouts Of exultation, the cries
to Heaven for mercy, you can almost
see Abraham Offering his son Isaac as
a sacrifice. Suddenly the pastor steps
forward aud lines hymn, while all
sing; louder he lines and louder the
people sing, until you think Babel has
broken loose. A seeker leaps into the
air, falls prone on the floor. The
shouts of victory arise, the cries for
mercy increase. You look upon sea
| of black faces turned to the ceiling,
rolling their eyes until they look like
eggs. They shout, sing, pray, stamp,
| pat and dance-the entire congrega-
ton standing swaying back and forth.
Suddenly a sister arises above the
heads of all and comes down, looking
like parachute, into the arena. The
shouts of victory increase, the cries for
mercy are more intense. Some seek
ing brother begins to pray, the people
again beg in to move up one aisle and
down another shouting, singing, pray
in. and yroaning. The women crone,
Il brother cries out, Jump on board
the train;'' the shouts increase, Sis
ter calmly arises, walks around, begins
to shake hands. ''She has come
through and the jubilee begins.
| We bow our heads and pass out into
the open AIR. The black does not rub
off, but you can taste it as it sails
around the room in large blocks. Mr.
Mr.. Barnes said:
Mr.. Hodge, L am glad you attend
ed this meeting. These are the people
we are trying to educate. We have
Presbyterian college here and you cat
Judge whether it is a problem or not,
lifts his hat, kindly bids Us good nigh
, and leaves US TO our own thoughts
the first of which is, are these human
beingss Second, what must ;he b!aci
belt Of Alabama be? And what mus
those who teach them sacrifice? Ou
; thoughts turn to own dear sister III he
foreign work aul our souls cry out Go
have mercy.
Luke V. Il. last clause Of verse.
CHESTER a. HODGE.