Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-09-19
THE OLD-TIME CAMPAIGNING.

\
Let us try to reconstruct an old time
oanlpmeeting, Gays Eugene Wood 10
Ainslee'e Magazine. On day set, in
such and such grove the people of q
! neightorhocd prepared to celebrate o
latter day Feast OF Tabernacles. They
pitched tents and hauled in big red
farm wagons their bedding, cooking
utensils, their own food and that OF
their 'critters' that neighed and
whinnied ia the woods A rude plat
form for the, preachers and exhorters
was built, mourners, benches set
around three sides OF it, and straw laid
down for them to kneel iu. Seats OF
plank accommodated the congregation.
Tbore was preaching and praying and
singing all the waking day. Inc young
fellows for miles around drove over in
their buggies with their girls to "out
up" and have q good time. Often those
that came TO scott remained to pray.
Mothers were praying for them, sisters
were praying for them, sweethearts
were praying for them-prayin ing and
Eleading with them 10 fec the wrath to
come. Their own better selves urged
them to fcrsake sin. Afraid to be
laughed at, stiff -necKed and rebellious,
they held out against the rendered
mercy. though gnawed by conviction.
sometimes they ran away from the
meetings, only to find that they could
not run away from themselves. Fear
followed hard after them--fear that
they had sinped away their day of
grace, fear that they had cotnmitted
the sin against the Holy Ghost for
which there ID no forgiveness. They
could not give their minds to anything,
but wandered up and down in solitary
places, grooming and weeping and oIy-
ing out, Lost. Lost eternally!''
Something draws them back to the
cHmpmeeting. But once there they
cannot go forward to the mourners'
bench, but stand hardening soornfully
to Brother Lirtell's prayer: ''Oh,
Lord-ah They's sinners hore to-day
ali, haltin' betwi2' two opinions. nh,
a-swingin' to and fro-ah, like dooo-
or on it's hinges.ah. Wake 'em up !
Oh, Lord ah! Hold 'em over hell fire.
an Let ,em have no peace till they
find it in Thee.a p
Turn and look unon me, Lord,
And break my heart OF stone,
sings the congregation, and something
In the plaintipe melody Affects one and
another. Their pride broken, sobbing,
JfHBS ObAA hb tudEOliuI u Ub,
sinner" they run, blinded by their
tears, to the mourners' bench, and
fling themselves on their knees in the
straw, seeking pardon and peace Scores
OF others are there, agonizing before
God. The saved Chamber over them
and help them to pray, calling to
mind the exceeding great and precious
promises OF forgiveness to the truly
penitent This brother and that leads
in loud prayer. sometimes two or three
at once, encouraged and spurred by
shouts of "Amsn! Yes, Lord Yes,
Lord Lord help! Lord help! Bless
God Aa-a.Amen Glory to God
lial-le-lu. iah ~ The hymns are strongly
marked in rhythm, full-lunged, un.
divided into parts, the mems rough
tones tearing like a buzz saw through
the women's shrill treble, just the hare
voices on tunes that set the pulses
beating, like:
Depth of mercy! Can there be
Mercy still reserved for inc?
or,
Come trembling sinner, in whose breast
thousand thoughts resolve.
Amid all this hubbub of enthusiasm,
the crucial moment arrives for one
young man. He has made the general
Sohioooioh thab no 10 5iuner IN Db6u
of salvation. God has promised that
whosoever comoth TO Him, He will in
nowise cast out. He has come and
brought the offering OF a broken
and contrite heart. Il Oh. IL
is true, then God pardons him, and
his sins, which are many, are ali for
given He'll no longer yawns for him
Oh, glory He screams with Joy.
Louder Gloiy! Louder yet Glory At
the top OF his lungs he shouts, Glory
He springs to his feet. They Strike up
Sing on, pray on, we're a-gainin' ground,
Glory, haleluiah!
The power of the Lord is a-comin' down,
Glory, halleluiahl
So it goes, night and day, until
the " March About Jerusalem,'' a sort
of solemn progression that concludes the
campmeeting.