Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1898-08-19
IN THE PINY WOODS.


I followed his light and springy footsteps
over the carpeted aisle, for was in church
"a city church, the "most stylish" one of its
kind, had been told, to be found in St.
Louis, or in parts roundabout, for the mat
ter Of that.
The building, noticed, was good one.
The walls were frescoed, and behind the
pulpit there were two large and not inartistic
stained glass windows. The big pipe organ
and the choir were at the left of the pulpit
in small room that opened into the church
proper with quite imposing arches.
My gaze wandered from the parsons cor
rect suit of black, spotless shirt front and
white lawn tie to row of modish headgear
that bobbed in front of me, and then back
to the preachers face, which was nearly as
black as the clothes he wore.
This was a negro church, yes, surely, but
oh, shade of progressiveness! where were
the oId-time characteristics that
But hush!> The minister is giving out
hymn. It is not unfamiliar; had heard it
before. It sounded now like thing heard in
dream:
"1'n be there, I'll be there,
49, I'll be there, I'll be there,
When the general roll is called
I'll be there"
The choir stood up to sing, the organ
pealed forth, and the soft melody of negro
voices blended with it. The gayly turbaned
head down in the far corner was bent in rev.
erent attitude, and watched it, the while
I saw-in memoly's eye-a humble little
church all whitewashed inside and out.
It stood among the trees, this little church
tall, straight pine trees that strewed their
brown needles SO thickly in the fall that the
spring violets were hidden each year until
the feet-often understanding slowly to
the whitewashed church pushed them aside,
or the tiny hands of the little children from
the "big house" scattered the glossy spear
points about in quest of the damp purple
/ blossoms.
Up toward the front, in the "mourners'
"elders"), and Aunt Rachel Whitcomb, with
| others.
Nanny Liza was little removed from
the rest, with Flora in tow Flora's propen-
sity for shouting" was well known, and
her inability to rise betimes the next morn
ing to get breakfast for the white folks
after an afternoon and evening Of "shout.
ing" gave nanny much concern.
Nanny Liza looked at the big dancing
red cotton roses and yellow ribbons on
Flora's hat and shook her head. There was
no use trying to reconcile Nanny Liza to a
hat, especially a, hat with gay roses and
ribbons. Since Flora had spent a whole
months wages on that hat Nanny Liza
concluded she'd bear watching. Vanity,
| vanity, all is vanity says de preacher" she
had quoted to Flora.
| Away hoated the sound Of voices on the
murmuring breezes that slipped through
| the tops of the tall pines.
| Flora's big, chinalike eyes rolled
"Amen!" came from the corner where
Uncle Jake Sloan sat.
'I'll be Their, brother. Yes, Lord, I'll be
ther'."
Nanny Liza has ceased to watch Flora
now, and her portly body sways from side
to side:
| "De spirit am movin' all de sinners might
! ily," shouted the preacher. ."Come down
.tro de roof, o Lord. Yves heah awaitin' fur
you"
A tall darby with a skin like bronze
slipped from the third bench and stretched
out convulsively on the floor. There was
no notice taken of this. Probably he would
! lie there all night in "trance." Frances
! were not uncommon in the little "piny
woods church.
| "An' de Lord came down tro de roof an
took 'Liger up in chariot of fire. But
'Liger wernt no sinner. De Lord'N send
fire dat'll burn de sinner up" continued the
preacher.
And then another burst of song
Army. army. army crossin' ovah,
Well cross de ribber oh Jordan
! Army crossin' ovah.
"When de fire OBJ de Lord comes de sin
ners II burn. O, Lord, save de sinners!
Anybody heah what amt no sinner had
better be happy"
This was the signal. Flora was happy.
Shed experienced 'igion" long ago. Away
went the hat with its big red roses. Flora's
arms were moving wildly above her head
Her. body swayed with weird, Gthesome
grace. One woman Joined her Gin the holy
Dance" and then another.
A tall, slim, ebony man who had fervently
clapped his hands at the preachers excla'
nations got up and caught the now wav-
ering Flora by the wrists. The girls kinky
hair had come unbound and was flying wild
| " about her face as she shook off the man q
restraining grasp, chanting breathlessly:
IT don't want Brer John to hor me.
wants Brer Pete to hol me;
I'll git in sich way derrectly
! It'll take two tree to hor me-"
l "Oh, you mus be a lubber Of de Lo-ord
| Or you can't 60 to Hebben when you die. -
somebody sung out. The tune was caught
up and over and over again sounded the re-
frain:
( "Oh, you mus be a lubber Of de Lo-ord
! Or you can't 60 to Hebben when you die. I"
Slowly the fantastic, graceful swayine
stopped. Some, exhausted, sank down upon
the rough benches. The preacher-in his
long black coat that was fast turning green
-beamed from under his shock of grizzled
hair and shaggy brows upon his fervent con-
gregation. At the door of the little church
he paused to say to Nanny Liza that "de
spirit of de Lord had shore been wild dat
getherin'.'
The sun was getting lower and the shad.
ows that the pines cast across the hard
beaten path to the church door were grow.
ing longer. The breathing of the trance
man on the sawdust floor could be heard
plainly. Uncle Jake Sloan stood in pioua
attitude with other of the "elders." He
! would presently walk slowly to his home
and after saying "grace" eat his Sunday
evening meal Of chicken there was al
ways chicken at Uncle Jake Sloan's on Sun.
day-and again return to the little church,