The times., 1898-11-20
0LD-7IMEAEGRO REVIVAL
How a Blind Preacher Stirred
Up His Ebony Hearers.
SHOUT, SING, AND DANCE
The Assurance Tint Some. II Not All,
Coiored Folks Are Slowly But
surely Drifting Toward the Fiery
Region ArOuses Intense Religions
Enthusinsm.

4
sperrit am movin' de niggers In de quar-
ter, an dey is jinin' like hot cakes.
Bring de missus. an de chillen. too. an
dey will like de shoutin' and singin.." said
Aunt Hubby. an aged negress OF ante
bellum type. as she carded some cotton
in corner OF the kitchen, writes a
Tweed. Ga. correspondent of the New
York Sun. Dem niggers fom ober de
crick am terribly stirred up. Dey am
checked full OBJ 'Hgion. Use bin gettin'
heap o 'hgion myself. an IL 1t hadn't bin
fur de toofache Pse had, I'd wouldn't
min get up an shout too
And Aunt Huldy carded with more vigor
as she pondered over the good results OF
the "tracted' meeting. Massa Zeke was
the son of her former old ''marster," and
she loved him from childhood Now
money. Is nussed you f'om a baby. an
yo nebber has tor me an untrue A
blind preached fom de Norf will preach
tonight, an he jes speaks his min L
shall look TO yo. i. ALL" Aunt Huldy
chuckled with delight and sung a verse of
weird melody as she placed some cotton
in the cards The young man promised to
| attend the meeting and on a recent even
ing, In company with the writer, visited
the Cave Springs Baptist Church, situated
miles from here and short distance
from the Ocornee River. Seats were pro-
dows the weird proceedings could be oh
served The congregation vas large and
inc Womens side was gay with bright
colored head kerchiefs. ribbons and
streamers. while the men were more So
berry. but neatly, attired.
About two weeks ago Pastor Simpson
noticed a deeper religious feeling than
usual IN his flock, So 20 increase 1t. call
ed 70 his aid the Rev. ID. W. Ford the
blined revivalist OF Maryland. Mr. Ford
has been biined for twenty-five years,
but such is his freedom Of action In thu
pulpit that no one would imagine he was
deprived of his sight. His sermons are a
series of emotional elimaxes. aided to
their completion by appeals 20 the c n
gregation. to which the worshipers never
fail 20 respond BY cries of yes ar No
a. the question may demand
The church was very full the night ths
p writer attended. for the fame % the won
derful preacher had gone forth amor
. the coloTsd folks. and he had already
made hfty-Eeyen- converts In the three
| front seats sat several convicted slime g.
! boWing their heads penitently and weep
. inE bitter tears. Revivalisi Ford spared
none. He hguratiyely jumped into the
. congregation. clashed fearlessly right and
left. regardless Of who were hit. and
, preached the terrors OF he'll and the de-
lights % heaven At times sbrieks.
! screams and groans drowned the speak-
{ ers voice. and many women were over
come TO fainting. AT other times the re-
! vivaiist was fred to a point Of incoher-
: ence. and shouted words not understood.
but the terrible import Of which was felt.
E II not realized. At these moments were
: enacted scenes OF wild excitement He
talked about the steps leading to hell.
D There is too much pride among yr-
he shouted. Pride is running away with
) the world. My Godi Where are You all
drifting? To helll Isn't that so?''
= Yes. it Is so.' shouted the consregI-
tion.
You can't deny It, can your
NO, we can't" was the reply.
"oh, If 1 had my voice tonight we'd
carry these people home. Did you know
that some OF you are drifting to hell as
fast as time permits? Look outI What
is TO be your part? You stay away from
church and commit sin. You'd better
halt, sinner. or hell will be your portion
At this juncture an elderly woman
jumped up from the mourner's beEcn.
and with rapt gaze and arms extended IN
supplication, whirled round and round,
swayed backward almost to the verge OF
| losing her balance, and then skipper
lightly forward with a solemn look on her
| face While the convert was shouting.
the worshipers sang:
Oh. you better git to prayin'i
Do my Lord!
An you better git to shoutin'l
Do my Lordl
lyon come in here and pray and go out
md swear resumed the preacher. You
don't pay your honest debtsi That's an
other link to hell. Here's woman with
, a half-dozen lovers. Is that the way to
: live in this world? God sees your
e Here several cried out:
8 That's right! fell 'em the truth Talk
it out!'
: woman. you've got another woman's
2 husbau udr' shouted the revivalist. There i
5 a man living with another mans wife,!
Suddenly. with an unearthly shrek, an
elderly woman seated on the front bench.
I on one side of the chancel. sprans into
the clear space before the altar and began
TO shout She rolled her head. stiffened
; her elbows and jumped up and down.
/ shaking the foor. as the congregation
sang:
10 sinner will you let the harvest pass,
r And die and 80 TO hell at lastf'
The noisy shuttle of the woman's shoes
! ON the wooden floor was in perfect unison
e with the music On she danced, fingins
her arms wildly over her head the while.
and screaming: GLORY! Hallelujah! at
E frequent intervals. as loudly as her vio-
- lent bodily movements would permit.
: bending backward and forward. swayins
1 this way and that. In an utter abandon
| of frenzy until she sank exhausted into
!, the outstretched arms Of two sisters
.sYou must reform. or you all will get
into n hot placer shouted the preacher.
| ..Your sins will find you out some day.
You can go on In your wickedness as
much as YOU want to- but tell you. God
. bless your soul. there Is a day a-comins
when it will be too late. and you will re-
gret Il. Mother. where is your daughter
and son tonight? AT a frolIc or card
1 marty? Is that where you found Jesus
a | Get on the Gospel train and be saved!'
= girl In the ''amen corner shouted
I some unintellIgible words. Several Joined
5 IN. keeping time with their feet In an
r. instant the whole assembly was singing.
: a sort of chant, the refrain of which was
| alternately:
? III ycu wants to 60 to heaven wild me.
: Den put on your trablin' shoes"
voice in u high key. singing out the
: | argument. as 1t were, the congregation
e | yociferating the chorus, to the rhythmic
= | patting of countless feet, swayins of bo-
, dies and nodding Of heads. all in perfect
h time.
Brother Ford pictured heaven In what
sounded like verse: the verse had GER
tain melody and a regular cadence but tha
. lines did not rhyme and had little con-
nection with each other. The whole. how
q ever had a weird picturesqueness about
, it that wrought the audience to a great
. | pitch of excitement. The preacher ap-
4 peared utterly unconscious of himself at
:. times. and swayed back and forth monot-
Onousy. When he finished the sister