The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-05-26
TWO YOUNG BLACK EVANGEL-
lists.
They Condemn Craps and Talk
About Hell-Fire.

They Condemn Craps and Talk
About Hell-Fire.
Near the corner of Pryor and Decatur
streets two diminutive negro boys, one
eleven and the other twelve years OF
age, attracted and held spellbound Tor
the space of a half hour yesterday at
ternoon a gathering of fully two hun
bred people with a torrid discourse on
the damnation that awaits those who
do not repent and turn from the evil of
their ways.
The two boys Henry Spalding and
Abner Reynolds are full fedged-Hedg-
lings, one might say-evangelists. Abb
ner Reynolds is just twelve years old,
but according to his statement he has
been preaching for three years. lie is
a tiny little chap of the ginger-cake
style Of complexion with mass of kim
ky hair, the color Of Which indicates an
intimacy with ash barrels and an abso-
lutte unfamliarity with comb and
brush, Henry Spalding is black-as
black as the hinges of that hot place
that he warns his hearers to avoid.
His eyes are as white as his figure is
black and his figure is squat in the ex-
IRENE.
Abner Reynolds was the pioneer in
FAINT evangelist among his race in this
city. For some time he held forth soil
tary and alone and had monopoly of
things in his line. About a year ago
Henry Spalding got religion and de-
cided that he was called to preach. He
also entered the field UP to that time
the two youthful evangelists had not
= 4, f,ta limo
ran opposition services Each quickly
saw that as long as two boy evangelists
preached separately the novelty OF the
business was destined to be short lived;
so the spirit of the times prevailing, a
combine was formed, and Abner and
Henry joined hands over the fiery fur
mace.
The partnership proved advantageous
in more ways than one. Yesterday ar
ternoon the two boys preached for fully
half an hour and it was a dull moment
that a nickel or q dime wasn't rafting
on the pavement, Abner had the first
say. He began in low unctious tone
of voice and gradually ran the scale of
dolorous chanting until he reached the
top key, when he'd take a tumble and
descend to the sad r:onotone of the
signing wind His talk was Of hell
the red-hot hell of our grandchildren
and according to his statement the en-
tire negro population stood an excellent
chance of visiting that resort unless
they turned their footsteps. He emu
naerated the crimes that his race was
supposed to be guilty of. completely
running the gamut Of Wrongd0ins from
poultry appropriation to murder, crap
shooting was the piece de resistance
that he paid strictest attention to and
on this subject he waxed eloquent.
The day was as hot as the spirit and
theme of the exhortation and as Abner
spoke beads of perspiration broke out
on his forehead and trickled down his
face And here's where the practical
usefulness, of the partnership proved it,
self Henry was watching the physical
aspect Of his partner as carefully as he
was giving attention to the spiritual.
He waited until Abner had fallen from
a fiery climax to the calm of the situa
ton as an opportune time, dug out a
grimy handkerchief from his pocket and
said:
Brother Abner, femme wipe off de
sweat"
And suiting the action to the word he
mopped his fellow evangelist's brow
with the soiled rag that passed for
handkerchief,
There was a certain element Of the
pathetic strangely mixed with the hui
NOR of the act that appealed to she
crowd. They didn't laugh, but show
cred nickels on the boys instead.-At-
lanta Constitution.